Homemade Italian Pasta
Let me guess, you have always dreamt of preparing lasagne from a to z but you don’t know how to prepare pasta from scratch? Don’t worry, I am here for you! This homemade Italian pasta recipe is a basic evergreen that will fix a lot of dinners!
Italian name: Pasta all’uovo fatta in casa [ˈpasta alˈlwɔːvo ˈfatta in ˈkaːza]
There are more than three hundred different kinds of pasta in Italy and they all have one thing in common: we love them! Pasta can have different shapes and can usually be found dry or fresh, but also with or without eggs in its dough.
Today we will explore the world of homemade Italian pasta, learning how to prepare it from scratch, using only flour and eggs. This basic recipe is used to prepare ravioli and lasagne, but also tagliatelle and pappardelle.
Why It’s Worth a Spot on Your Table
Making fresh egg pasta at home is relatively easy and a great way to spend time with friends and family, sharing fun moments and a delicious meal at the end!
You can use this basic Italian recipe to prepare a lot of different dishes, depending on the shape you will decide to give it. From lasagne to ravioli, there is a world of carbs in front of you – just choose and enjoy!
Ingredients
Ingredients for 4 servings
- 2 ½ cups flour (300 gr)
- 3 eggs
Cooking time: 30 minutes + 1 hour rest
Flour
First things first, will you be using a rolling pin and your strong arms or you are lucky enough to have a pasta maker?
In case you are using just the rolling pin you can use “00” flour, but if you use a pasta maker it is best to mix “00” flour with semolina flour. The ideal ratio would be ⅔ double zero flour and ⅓ semolina flour.
Eggs
The general rule to prepare homemade Italian pasta is to use 1 egg for every 100 gr of flour. This can vary depending on the size of the eggs, so be prepared to adjust the amount of flour. Remember, it’s easier to add more flour than more eggs, so if in doubt, keep some flour aside and add it slowly.
Tips
- If you are feeling creative and want to have colorful pasta, you can add some beet or spinach puree to the dough to make it pink or green. Just make sure they are super smooth- filtering them is even better. You might need to add extra flour because of the moisture in the purees. To obtain a brown dough add a pinch of unsweetened cocoa powder, and be careful as this will make your dough drier!
- Pappardelle should be about 3 cm thick, tagliatelle between 0.5–1 cm, and tagliolini around 0.2 cm.
- To prepare lasagna, roll out the dough thinly and just cut it in rectangles big enough to fit your pan.
- If you want to make farfalle, cut the dough into squares and pinch them in the center.
- Caution! Fresh pasta has a very short cooking time. A couple of minutes in hot boiling water should be enough.
Step by Step Recipe
- Put the flour in a bowl and create a “volcano” shape. If you use a pasta maker, remember to mix two different flours, as explained above (⅔ of double zero flour and ⅓ semolina flour).
- In the middle of the “volcano”, add the eggs and start mixing, slowly adding the flour from the borders.
- Once the eggs absorb all the flour, move your dough to a cutting board and knead for 15 minutes. If you have a strong friend, enlist them for the hard work! They’ll be useful later, so make sure they stick around.
- Your dough should become smooth and elastic.
- Wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest for an hour in a cool place.
- After an hour, roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it becomes very thin (the legend says that you should be able to almost see through it), Use that strong friend from earlier if needed! Cut it in your favorite shape and enjoy it with a fresh sauce of your liking.
- If you have a pasta maker, cut a piece of dough and roll it out a bit, and pass it through the pasta maker several times, reducing the thickness each time, until it’s very thin. Now, cut it into your preferred shape or pass it through the pasta maker to make your chosen type of pasta.
If you’re looking for a tasty sauce, check my Classic Bolognese Sauce or Fresh Tomatoes Pasta for a vegetarian option!
Are you looking for other Italian classics? I got you!
Recipe Card
Homemade Italian Pasta
Equipment
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 pasta maker optional
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups flour (300 gr)
- 3 eggs
Instructions
- Set the flour in a bowl with the shape of a volcano. If you use a pasta maker, remember to mix two different flours (⅔ of double zero flour and ⅓ semolina flour).
- In the middle of the volcano, add the eggs and start mixing, slowly adding the flour from the borders.
- Once the eggs absorb all the flour, move your dough on a cutting board and knead for 15 minutes. Your dough should become smooth and elastic.
- Wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest for an hour in a cool place.
- After an hour, roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it becomes very thin, and then cut it in your favorite shape.
- If you have a pasta maker cut a piece of dough and roll it out a bit, then pass it through the pasta maker several times, reducing the thickness between every passage, until you obtain a very thin dough. Now cut it in your favorite shape to make short pasta, or pass it in the pasta maker with the shape of your choosing.
- Enjoy your pasta with your favorite sauce!
May I tempt you? Here you can find other Italian recipes!
FAQs
Can I use double zero flour even if I will use a pasta maker?
Sure! Adding semolina flour will improve the final texture, but won’t spoil the final result if you can’t find it.
Help! My dough is too soft and sticky!
As mentioned above, maybe the eggs you used were slightly bigger. Don’t worry, just add enough flour, until your dough is elastic and compact.
Did I forget something? Don’t be shy and ask in the comments!
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