Making your own pasta from scratch can be a really fun experience. The texture and taste of fresh pasta is like no other, so why not give it a try!
There is something about creating your own pasta that can be very rewarding. It will make you feel like a Nonna in Sicily…having an inadvertent workout outside by rolling out the semolina flour for hours. But be warned, this is not a quick job. DIY pasta is a craft that takes time to perfect. Those willing to put in time and effort will be heavily rewarded.
Ingredients (for a party of 4-6):
1 lb of Semolina flour
5 eggs
1 tbsp of salt
1/4 cup of flour of choice (I recommend Flour 00)
There are two ways to mix your pasta dough: with a Kitchen Aid mixer or your bare hands. If you’re ready to take a leap of faith and start mixing ye old fashioned way, here we go!
Grab a large cutting board (or you can clean your kitchen counter and use this because you will need a lot of space) and put your semolina flour on top. Make a hole in the center with your hands. In a separate bowl, crack your eggs and mix them well with salt. When it’s properly mixed, put your eggs in the hole of your flour and begin to knead. The goal is to create a ball shaped piece of dough. This will require a lot of tossing, patting and possibly sweating?
If you have a Kitchen Aid, put your semolina flour in the bowl first and then gradually add your egg mixture.
If your ball of dough is too sticky, add very small amounts of semolina flour. If your ball of dough is too dry or not kneading very well, add very small amounts of water.
This is by far what takes the longest amount of time in pasta making. Semolina is a very tough flour to knead into dough, but it does produce the best quality pasta. I highly recommend using a dough roller to make this process more smooth.
Tip for kneading:
Roll out your dough with a dough roller and then fold in half and roll out again. Complete this process until smooth and finish off by rolling dough into a ball.
Once your ball of dough is thoroughly kneaded, I recommend splitting your dough in half if you are feeding a party of two. Then wrap one half in foil, and place inside of a plastic bag before putting in the freezer for another time. If you are making pasta for a party of four, then wrap your ball of dough in foil and place at the bottom of the refrigerator for 45 minutes.
Remove your dough from the refrigerator and knead it again for about 20 minutes. This time, you want to knead out your dough until it is super thin. This time when kneading you are rolling your dough so that it can be cut into pasta. Therefore, the thinner you roll the thinner your pasta will be.
Once your dough is rolled out thin, cut with a knife into your desired pasta shape.
After your dough is cut, let the pasta dry. I recommend using a baking sheet with a parchment paper or aluminum foil and then a bit of flour in case the pasta sticks.
You’ll want your dough to be dry before cooking, so get creative with your pasta drying!
Once your pasta is dry, grab a medium sized pot and fill with water on high heat. Once it’s boiling, add salt to taste before adding pasta.
Fresh pasta only needs 5-8 minutes maximum (however, if your pasta is very thick it can take a little longer) to cook, so be sure to set a timer.
Once the pasta is ready, serve with your favorite sauce. Then, give yourself a pat on the back and enjoy your creation because you’ve earned it.
Let me know how your DIY fresh pasta tastes in the comments!
