Homemade Fresh Pasta Recipe (2024)

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Would you like to learn how to make authentic Italian fresh pasta? It’s the easiest thing in the world as the recipe only has 2 ingredients! Flour and eggs!

For the easiest sauce to accompany your delicious fresh pasta don’t forget to make my easyPasta Cream Sauce Recipe or Bolognese Sauce.

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Fresh Pasta

While I realise not everyone will feel the need to make their own fresh pasta at home I believe they might change their mind once they see just how EASY it is to do.

I am no stranger to pasta making. I grew up watching my granny and my mom making homemade noodles for Chicken and Noodle Soup since I was little. Filled pasta like pierogi or pelmeni was also a staple in our house. Similar principle but not the same recipe as Italian pasta.

However, I never made my own Italian pasta until our recent trip to Southern Italy. Taking a cooking class in Italy seemed like a fun idea when we booked our tickets. And guess what…it was!

The cooking class advert promised to teach us how to make 3 typical Italian recipes. Eggplant Parmigiana, Fresh Pasta and Bolognese Sauce. I thought to myself it was too ambitious for a 4 hour class. It turned out to be just enough time because none of those dishes take ages to make!

How to make it at home

The basic pasta recipe is incredibly simple. 100g of pasta flour to 1 large egg per person. That recipe worked like a charm when we used it in Italy. However when I got home and tracked down the right kind of flour, which is called “00” flour, it didn’t quite work the same.

Different flour, humidity, the size of eggs. All of those factors contribute to the right texture of the perfect pasta dough. That being said you still can be successful at making fresh pasta at home using this master recipe. Just be prepared to use either a splash of water or a touch of flour to get your pasta dough to the right consistency. Which bring us to the next question.

Pasta Dough Consistency and Texture

Homemade pasta dough should be firm and pliable at the same time. If it’s too soft the pasta will turn out to be too sticky. If it’s too hard, it will be too rubbery.

This is probably too much information and might sound overwhelming. How am I supposed to know what pasta dough texture will produce the best tasting fettuccine you might be thinking but don’t worry!

There is no magic answer to that except for trial and error. Just like with bread making it takes time and experience to figure it out but I guarantee that even your first attempt at pasta making will taste incredible to you!

Mixing pasta dough by hand vs. machine

I’ve done both and while mixing the dough by hand is very simple and doesn’t require extra equipment, it could be tiring, especially if you are making enough for a large family. Using either method delivers pretty much identical results.

If you decide to make your pasta using the original method, simply dump your flour onto work surface, form a well in the center with your hand and break eggs directly into the well.

Then break up the egg yolks with the tips of your fingers and star working the eggs into the flour until you get the dough. Alternatively you can use a fork to break the eggs. Simple. If your dough is too stiff start adding water one tablespoon at a time for the right consistency.

If you use a KitchenAid mixer or a similar stand mixer, make the dough by combining the flour and eggs and mixing them with a dough hook attachment. You can also use a food processor. Just add both ingredients at the same time, hit the ON button and let it run until a dough ball forms.

With both methods watch out for the right dough consistency and adjust wet or dry ingredients as needed. Always allow the dough to rest for 20-30 minutes before moving to the next stage of shaping pasta.

How to shape pasta

The last and the most fun step is turning pasta dough into actual pasta. And here is where you will need the help of a pasta machine. While it possible to shape pasta by hand it’s a tedious and tiring process of rolling it out to proper thickness and then cutting into pasta ribbons.

If you don’t mind investing a little money, this pasta machine will last you a lifetime. It’s incredibly easy to use and store. The pasta machine I own is Marcato Atlas, which comes with two attachments for making tagliatelle/fettuccine and tagliolini. Both pictured in this article.

Fun fact. Tagliatelle and fettuccine is the same pasta shape but known by different names in Northern and Southern Italy respectively.

If you are brave enough to make tagliatelle by hand. All you need to know is that Italians are serious about their pasta standards. Tagliatelle must be 6mm-7mm wide when cut into strips. Our Italian teacher measured hers with a ruler!

The uncut pasta sheets straight from the machine are what you would use in a lasagna recipe.

The actual process

Slice the rested pasta dough into 4 equal disks as shown in the photo above. Make sure you dust your dough disk with flour before you send it through a pasta machine to prevent from sticking. Keep the rest covered under a tea towel.

Start with the widest setting. After the first time fold the dough over and send it through the machine again. Then change the setting to 3 and repeat the process. Finally go up to 6 or 7 depending on the thickness you like. I prefer using 6 for tagliatelle and 7 for tagliolini.

Once the dough sheet is the desired thickness, cut it in half as it will be very long and lightly dust with flour. Switch to the pasta cutting attachment and turn your pasta sheet into beautiful pasta ribbons.

Dust with flour and gather into a nest. Proceed with the rest of the dough.

If you don’t intend to cook your fresh pasta right away, I recommend drying it out a bit to prevent sticking and clumping together. You can either purchase a pasta drying rack or use the handle of a wooden spoon and your imagination to make one.

How long to cook fresh pasta

Fresh pasta takes no more than 3 minutes to cook for the traditional al dente taste! The best sauce for tagliatelle according to Italians is Bolognese Sauce. I make mine in a slow cooker! Or you can make my incredibly popular 5 Minute Pasta Sauce.

Tagliatelle or fettuccine is my favourite pasta shape. What is yours? Let me know in comments!

Favourite Recipes Using Fresh Pasta:

Creamy Tagliatelle with Bacon, Mushroom and Truffle Oil
Tagliatelle with Pancetta, Basil and Mozzarella
Seafood Lasagna

Homemade Fresh Pasta Recipe

Julia Frey of Vikalinka

Would you like to learn how to make authentic Italian fresh pasta? It's the easiest thing in the world as the recipe only has 2 ingredients!

Ingredients

400g/3 cups+2 tbsp 00 pasta flour
4 eggs large

Instructions

To make pasta dough

Empty your flour onto work surface, form a well in the center with your hand and break eggs directly into the well.
Then break up the egg yolks with the tips of your fingers and star working the eggs into the flour until you get the dough. Alternatively you can use a fork to break the eggs. Simple. If your dough is too stiff start adding water one tablespoon at a time for the right consistency.
If you use a KitchenAid mixer or a similar stand mixer, make the dough by combining the flour and eggs and mixing them with a dough hook attachment.
You can also use a food processor. Just add both ingredients at the same time, hit the ON button and let it run until a dough ball forms.
With both methods watch out for the right dough consistency and adjust wet or dry ingredients as needed. Cover the pasta dough and let it rest for 30 minutes before shaping it.

To shape pasta

Slice the rested pasta dough into 4 equal disks as shown in the photos. Make sure you dust your dough disk with flour before you send it through a pasta machine to prevent from sticking. Keep the rest covered under a tea towel.
Start with the widest setting. After the first time fold the dough over and send it through the machine again. Then change the setting to 3 and repeat the process. Finally go up to 6 or 7 depending on the thickness you like. I prefer using 6 for fettuccine and 7 for finer pasta like tagliolini or ravioli.
Once the dough sheet is the desired thickness, cut it in half as it will be very long and lightly dust with flour. Switch to the pasta cutting attachment and turn your pasta sheet into beautiful pasta ribbons.
Dust with flour and gather into a nest. Proceed with the rest of the dough.

To cook fresh pasta

Cook in a large pot of boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Then mix with a sauce of your choice.

Nutrition

Calories: 427kcalCarbohydrates: 77gProtein: 16gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 164mgSodium: 64mgPotassium: 168mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 238IUCalcium: 40mgIron: 5mg

Keyword fresh pasta,, homemade pasta

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FAQs

How many eggs for 1 cup of flour for pasta? ›

One large-size egg weighs about 2 ounces; one cup of flour weighs about 5 ounces. Use one large-size egg for each full serving you want to make, to that add 1 ½ the egg's weight in flour. (You can do this with a simple kitchen scale.) If you don't have a scale, use 2 eggs per 1 cup of flour to make 1 serving.

What is the best flour for homemade pasta? ›

Semolina flour is good for pasta because it's a hard variety of wheat and has a high protein content. Both of these properties give more structure to pasta which provides that elusive 'al dente' quality to fresh pastas.

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Is it better to make pasta dough with or without olive oil? ›

Olive oil adds fat and flavor, and makes the dough more supple and easier to roll out. A little bit of added water can help correct the texture of the dough, making a dry dough softer, though if you add too much, you risk mushy noodles that are prone to sticking to one another.

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What is the most important thing in making homemade pasta or fresh pasta? ›

Flour is the single most important ingredient for making fresh pasta, so choosing the right flour can make all the difference. The three most commonly used types of flour for pasta-making are all-purpose flour, “00” flour and semola (sometimes called semolina flour in the UK).

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What is the formula for fresh pasta? ›

Our favorite basic homemade pasta formula

Let's begin with a basic pasta recipe: 1 large egg per cup of flour used, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons of water as needed. That's it, really. Egg, flour, and maybe water.

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What does adding eggs to flour do? ›

When added to a recipe, eggs take on a few roles. They may be used to add structure, flavor, texture or act as a leavening agent. Interestingly, depending on whether the recipe calls for whole eggs, egg whites and egg yolks also affect what an egg does during baking.

What happens if you don't rest your pasta dough? ›

The resting period allows the flour to continue to hydrate, and the gluten network to relax. Most experts will tell you that if you tried to roll out your dough at this point, disaster would ensue—your dough would be too dry and too elastic to roll out.

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Why add oil to homemade pasta? ›

Olive oil – Along with the eggs, a splash of olive oil moistens the dough and helps it come together. Salt – Add it to the dough and the pasta water for the best flavor.

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What is the secret of making pasta? ›

Shilpa explains that making fresh pasta all comes down to knowing one ratio of flour to water, specifically two parts flour to one part water by weight. For you bread heads out there, yes, that means 50% hydration, or 100 grams of flour to 50 grams of water.

What is the ratio of eggs to flour for pasta? ›

It's a little more time consuming but a rolling pin and knife will work. As I wrote in Ratio, a perfect pasta ratio is three parts flour mixed with 2 parts egg. I weighed my eggs first which would allow me to determine the flour—300 grams (ish). This meant I needed to weigh out 450 grams, a pound, of flour.

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How many eggs do you need to thicken 1 cup of liquid? ›

It really depends on how thick you want it. Some sites recommend one egg or 2 yolks per cup of milk. Ruhlman mentions 2 eggs per cup as 'standard', with 1 egg able to thicken 3/4 of a cup of liquid (but more fat helps).

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How many eggs per person for pasta? ›

And for normal portions, I figure one egg per person, but you always want more, which is why I used 6 eggs for 3 people. It's a snap if you use standing mixer. But knead by hand if you wish—it's meditative and relaxing. I love how a shaggy sticky dough slowly becomes smooth as skin after 10 minutes of kneading.

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When a recipe says 1 cup of flour how much is that? ›

For best results, we recommend weighing your ingredients with a digital scale. A cup of all-purpose flour weighs 4 1/4 ounces or 120 grams. This chart is a quick reference for volume, ounces, and grams equivalencies for common ingredients.