How to Make Homemade Italian Pasta Dough

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Last Updated on December 7, 2023

If you’re looking for a challenge in the kitchen, look no further. Everybody loves pasta, and while shop-bought varieties are delicious, making your own Italian pasta dough will make your meal that bit more special.

It can be a little complex to make Italian pasta dough, but it’s easy to get the hang of. You can create the dough using basic kitchen ingredients, but you’ll find it much easier to transform the dough into pasta sheets if you have a pasta maker.

Here is an easy to follow and delicious recipe for Italian pasta dough.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup semolina flour. If you don’t have semolina flour, use another cup of all-purpose flour instead.
• 3 large eggs. Ensure that they are at room temperature before use.
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Extra-virgin is best, but regular can substitute it.
• Pinch of salt.

Method

1. Pour the all purpose and semolina flours and the salt into a bowl. Mix all of these dry ingredients until they are properly combined.
2. In another bowl, place the eggs, olive oil, and a splash of water. Whisk them together thoroughly.
3. Pour the flour mixture onto a clean countertop. Use your fingers to make a well in the middle of the mixture, and pour the egg and oil mixture into the well.
4. Whisk the egg mixture with a fork. Slowly, incorporate all of the flour mixture until it is thoroughly combined.
5. Add a little more flour into the mixture and knead it to make a ball. If your dough mixture looks too dry, add some water. Try not to make it too wet – but if you do accidentally add too much water, you may be able to reverse it by incorporating a little more flour.
6. The end result should be a moist dough that isn’t sticky.
7. Continue to knead the ball until its texture is smooth – this will take at least 8 minutes. Then, wrap the ball in clingfilm and leave it to rest for around half an hour.
8. Well done, you’ve now created your pasta dough!

Making the pasta

Feed your dough into the pasta maker and follow the gadget’s instructions to create pasta sheets. You should end up with fresh lasagne sheets – these can be cut to make any kind of pasta you want. Here are some ideas:

• Use the fresh sheets to create a lasagne.
• Cut the sheets into much smaller pieces, and then crimp them to look like farfalle.
• Cut smaller pieces and twirl to make fusili.
• Slice the sheets into lines to create tagliatelle.
• Cut the sheets into smaller pieces, add meat or another filling in the middle, and fold them over to make ravioli or tortellini.

Cooking the pasta dish

Unlike store-bought dried pasta, this homemade dough just needs to be cooked for 1-3 minutes in boiling salted water. Then, you can include it in any pasta-based recipes. Our favorites are with homemade pesto and mushrooms, in a carbonara, or with salsa di Pomodoro, an easy yet delicious tomato sauce.

Fresh Italian Pasta Dough FAQs

Can I make this recipe using gluten-free flour?

Pasta does somewhat rely on gluten to get its bounciness. However, there are ways around it. For example, if you are making pasta dough with gluten-free flour, you should also use some xanthan gum, which will help it get the desired texture.

Is there a vegan option for this recipe?

The eggs can be forfeited in this recipe, but if you do so, make sure that you have include semolina (do not substitute it for more all-purpose flower), and be prepared to have to knead for longer to make the dough stick together. Eggs do make the pasta that little bit more decadent, but it will still be delicious without them!

Can I make the pasta the day before eating it?

Yes, but if you do so, stop at the stage where you leave the ball to rest. The longer you can leave it out, the better (up to a maximum of 48 hours). When you are ready to eat, use the pasta maker to make your sheets and then create your desired shapes! You could also cook the entire pasta dish and store that in a container in the refrigerator, where it should keep for around three days.

Pasta is an easy meal for some, but the store-bought variety doesn’t quite give it credit. If you’re dreaming of being in Italy, try this fresh pasta dough recipe to take your tastebuds there!