Please note that this post may contain affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward us a small commission – at no extra cost for you.
Personally, I can’t think of a better meal than pasta! It’s usually a go-to meal for most families too because not only is it delicious, but it’s quick too. Did you know that making your own pasta is even more delicious and not as hard as you think?
My talented sister (who also went to culinary school) is always wanting to test out recipes and use us as guinea pigs. I know, I know…having to constantly eat good food is demanding. It’s a hard job, but someone’s gotta do it… 😉
When she came over to make her homemade pasta I started snapping some pics (just because it looked really cool) and shared some on my Instagram stories. You all seemed to love it as much as me and now she’s sharing her take and process based on this recipe so we can learn how to make easy homemade pasta too!
Easy Homemade Pasta Recipe
Original Recipe: Gimme Some Oven
Photos: My Chic Obsession
Place the flour in a mound on your cutting board or countertop. Using your fingers, make a well in the middle. You want it big enough to hold the eggs, olive oil, and salt without spilling over.
Crack eggs into the center. Sprinkle the salt and drizzle the olive oil over the top.
Taking a fork, whisk the eggs, olive oil, and salt until they are combined. Once the eggs are whisked, slowly start to add more flour from the well.
Keep adding flour until your mixture is nice and thick. Using a bench scraper, or your hands, fold in the rest of the flour until a shaggy, loose ball is formed.
Knead the dough until it’s smooth and elastic. This will take about 10 minutes. In the beginning, your dough will look really dry. Resist sprinkling water on it. It will all come together as you continue to knead it.
Once smooth and elastic, form into a ball and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day.
If using immediately, sprinkle flour on your cutting board or counter. Unwrap the dough and cut it into 4 sections. Set one aside and tightly wrap the other 3. This will cause them to not dry out as they sit and wait. Roll out the pasta dough.
If you are using a machine, roll it out just enough to fit into the machine. Sprinkle flour on it and feed it into the roller, according to the machine’s directions.
Lightly flour the pasta as you go to prevent sticking.
Once the sheet is your desired thickness, you can either cut them by hand or use a cutter attachment. Feed the dough through the cutter attachment.
Transfer the cut pasta to a drying rack or swirl the pasta into “nests” and lay them on a floured surface to dry for 30 minutes. Repeat with the other 3 sections.
If you do not have a pasta machine or attachment…
Roll out the dough until you have the desired thickness. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into 5-inch sections. Sprinkle each section with a little bit of flour. Starting with the short side, roll each section into very loose, flat cylinders. Cut the cylinders cross-wise to create your desired width of noodles. Transfer the cut pasta to a drying rack or swirl the pasta into “nests” and lay them on a floured surface to dry for 30 minutes. Repeat with the other 3 sections.
Bring a large pot of water to a heavy boil. Generously salt the water. Add in the fresh pasta and immediately begin to stir gently so the noodles don’t stick together. Continue to cook until the pasta is al dente (around a couple of minutes). Make sure to keep a close eye on it because fresh pasta cooks a lot faster than boxed pasta does.
Once the noodles are drained, plate and top with your favorite sauce! Pair with a french loaf and a side salad.
Having a plate of homemade pasta reminded me of my time in Italy, where some restaurants roll their noodles right in the window! Homemade pasta tastes better, fresher, and silkier, in my opinion. Plus, it’s an experience making it.
Pasta Dough Recipe:
2 ½ cups flour
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Flours
00 – will make the texture of your pasta extra silky
Semolina – a heartier flour (I personally use semolina whenever
I’m flouring a cutting board, needing extra flour to prevent sticking on the machines or just need more flour in general).
All-Purpose – works well for kinds of pasta that will have a heavier sauce
There is a lot of debate on which flour, and how much, makes the best pasta. My personal favorite is a ratio of ½ 00 ½ all-purpose. I find it holds up best for thicker sauces while not being a dense noodle. With that being said, play around with ratios until you find something you like. After all, your opinion is the only one that matters.
Now that you have a delicious recipe you need to do something with it! At home date night, anyone?
