Description
This homemade pasta recipe guides you through creating fresh, tender pasta from scratch using simple ingredients like flour, eggs, salt, and olive oil. Perfect for a delicious Italian meal, the dough is kneaded to a smooth elasticity, rolled out to your preferred thickness, and cooked to al dente perfection. Serve it with your favorite sauce for a delightful dining experience.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Pasta Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil (optional)
Instructions
- Make the Dough: On a clean surface or in a large bowl, mound the flour and create a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well and add salt and olive oil if using. Beat the eggs with a fork, gradually incorporating the surrounding flour until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead the Dough: Gather the dough and knead on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Then wrap the dough in plastic wrap or cover it with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature to relax the gluten.
- Roll the Dough: Divide the rested dough into four portions. Roll out each portion on a floured surface or use a pasta machine to your desired thickness. Then cut the dough into your desired shapes like fettuccine, tagliatelle, or lasagna sheets.
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fresh pasta and cook for 2 to 4 minutes until al dente. Drain the pasta and serve immediately with your favorite sauce.
Notes
- Resting the dough is essential to achieve a tender pasta texture.
- Use plenty of flour when rolling to prevent sticking, but shake off excess flour before cooking.
- Fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried pasta; keep an eye on it.
- For a richer dough, feel free to add a little olive oil as per the recipe.
- If you don’t have a pasta machine, a rolling pin works well but requires more effort.
