How to Make Homemade Pasta

Did you know you only need four simple ingredients and a little patience to make your own homemade pasta? Chances are you already have everything you need stored in your pantry right now. The next time you want to whip up a wholesome pot of spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine, give this delicious recipe a try.

Step 1: Gather Ingredients

To make a batch of homemade pasta, you’re going to want to round up the following items first:

• 2 ½ cups of flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

You can experiment with different kinds of flour, but many cooks love “00 flour,” which is famous for creating silky, luxurious pasta noodles. You could also use semolina flour for a heartier dish or all-purpose flour if that’s what you’ve already got in the pantry.

Step 2: Gather Tools

You can invest in all manner of tools for this project, such as pasta makers and noodle drying racks. But you can also make it by hand with a couple of common kitchen items, including the following:

• Food processor or stand mixer
• Rolling pin
• Mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Stock pot

To make this guide as accessible as possible, we’re going to stick with the good, old-fashioned method without any fancy equipment. But you can also use your food processor, stand mixer, pasta maker or any other special tools you have to speed up the process.

Step 3: Incorporate Ingredients

Begin by shaping your flour into a mound on a wooden cutting board and creating a decent sized well in the middle. Crack four large eggs into the center of the well. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle olive oil over the top.

Using a small whisk or fork, whisk the eggs in the center and slowly move outwards to incorporate the flour until your flour reaches a thick consistency. Once the egg is mixed in, fold in the remainder of the flour until you have a loose ball of dough.

Step 4: Knead the Dough

Sprinkle the counter with flour and use your hands to knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes until it feels smooth and pliable. Add extra flour to the counter if the dough begins to stick.

See more: Cheesemaking 101: How to Make 3 Popular Varieties at Home

Step 5: Rest the Dough

Wrap the pasta dough in plastic wrap and let it rest on the counter for half an hour. If you can’t continue working with the pasta in 30 minutes, you can stash it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before continuing to the next step.

Step 6: Roll and Cut

Unwrap your pasta dough and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough. It should be somewhat dry to the touch. Cut the dough into the shape of your choice (thinner for spaghetti, thicker for fettuccine, etc.).

Step 7: Boil the Pasta

Cook the noodles in boiling water with a pinch of salt. The cooking time will vary depending on what kind of flour you used, how thick your noodles are and your altitude. Most homemade noodles will take anywhere from one to five minutes to cook.

See more: How to Make Your Own Nut Milk From Scratch

Step 8: Drain and Enjoy 

Homemade pasta tastes best when you eat it right away, so drain your noodles once they are al dente, add your favorite sauce and enjoy!