Homemade Pasta made from scratch is on my list of most satisfying things. It’s up there with fresh baked bread, a perfectly seared steak, pina coladas and getting caught in the rain (don’t judge me), and revenge.

Yes, I’m of the opinion that revenge is a most satisfying dish, and it can be served hot or cold.

It’s Oscar Wilde that said, “The best Revenge is to live well” and a bowl full of fresh chewy pasta is certainly my idea of living well.

Football lovers have the Superbowl, Cricket lovers have the Clean Bowl, and Food lovers have the Pasta Bowl!

One can certainly say making pasta dough is a great stress reliever…it takes 10 mins of some good solid kneading to get it where it needs to be. That’s more than enough time to relieve those unresolved issues and fugget about it!

Maybe that’s why those Italian Nonnas (grandmas) are always in a good mood when they’ve made pasta. Maybe.

Before pasta – don’t trust grandma with that rolling pin.

After pasta- she’ll help roll you out of the room after force feeding you a pot of pasta.

Side note even when you tell grandma you’re not hungry….” Imma gonna fix you something ah small. Solo un po’ (just a little bit).”

You can never refuse a grandma. Never say no to Nonna. Never! Ever! 

I think it was a grandma that inspired the saying “imma gonna make you an offer you can’t refuse” it means do it …or die.

Now it’s well-known Italians are die hard Pasta fanatics, but it’s fair to say pasta is a dish that’s enjoyed the world over. In many countries some version of pasta exists in some form or another as part of traditional cuisine, or nuvo dining.

Pasta is enjoyed by a lot of people, you included.

That’s why you’re here isn’t it?

So let’s get on with it! Let’s make some fresh homemade pasta, all from scratch.

Pasta Dough Ingredients

Egg and flour. Yep. That’s it!

Now as far as the exact quantities, that’s a whole different story.

You’re going to find the 1:1 recipe ratio – for each cup of flour use 1 egg. You’re also going to find pasta dough recipes using exact weight and then there’s the no measuring “freestyle” recipes but here’s what you need to know:

Different types of flour, along with a few other factors: humidity, season, flour brand… all have an impact on your pasta dough: its texture, its appearance, and the way it absorbs liquid.  It is also notable that eggs are all different weights and sizes. My large egg is probably going to be different from your large egg. It helps to remember these two main points:

1. Always have a little extra flour on hand, and some water if you have to make adjustments to your pasta dough.
2. The best way to conquer ingredient variables is to feel your dough as you go along and observe it throughout the formation process.

What’s the best type of flour for pasta?

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Well, it depends on the type of pasta (shapes vs. ribbons vs. filled) you’re planning to make and what type of flour you can easily access.

When choosing flour for pasta an important factor to consider is the protein content. Flour made from high-protein wheat varieties (10 -14 % protein content) is called “hard wheat.” Flour made from low-protein wheat varieties (5 -10 % protein content) is called “soft wheat.” You’re probably wondering what the heck this all means and why does protein content matter?!..The simple answer is the higher the protein content the more gluten development and the gluten is what gives your pasta structure and flexibility. In other words, you want your pasta dough to be stretchy and be able to be easily handled without breaking and you want your cooked pasta to be firm and bouncy, not turn into a soppy soggy mess.

Here are some of the top flour choices for pasta:

“00”(11-12%) – Some Italians swear by “00” flour which is a finely milled powdery wheat flour. The fine texture yields a silky-smooth pasta. While this flour is common in Italian kitchens, it’s not so easy to come by depending on where you live. Some specialty stores may carry it but it’s a rare find in a typical grocery store.

Semola (13% or more) – This one is another favourite in pasta making. It’s made from hard durum wheat and unlike “00” it has a grainier texture which yields pasta that has a different mouth feel.

The texture makes semola flour pasta the perfect canvas for sauces. This flour is supposedly useful when making extruded pasta shapes and pasta with distinct ridges as it helps maintain the shape and structure. Some say Semola is also a better flour option when making pasta without eggs.

Bread Flour(12-15%) -I’ve used bread flour many times and got superb results. Bread flour is a higher protein flour which makes it perfect for achieving chewy bouncy pasta.

Can pasta be made from All Purpose Flour?

You can certainly use all purpose flour to make pasta!

All purpose flour has a protein content of 10-12% so you can get sufficient gluten development from this one.

What type of flour should not be used for pasta?

When making pasta avoid self rising flour because it contains baking powder.  Baking powder will affect the end result of your pasta. When making tagliatelle or similar type sheet/ ribbon pasta stay away from cake flour. It has a reduced protein content ideal for making super soft fluffy cakes.

What works for cake will not work for pasta and vice versa. Specialty cake flour contains less protein and that results in a soft tender crumb. Pasta requires 10 minutes of sturdy handling to get it stretchy, pliable and give your end product a great bite and therefore shouldn’t utilize a lower protein flour for best results.

What you need to know know about making pasta

There is no thirteenth commandment that says “Thou shall only make pasta from semola or the pasta god shall smite thee down with a stale sheet of pasta!” And

If you can’t find semola or “00” flour you shouldn’t take the “fugget about it” approach. Make pasta with what you have on hand and it’ll be delicious. Have fun and experiment.

What colour should my pasta be?

Pasta dough can be anywhere from pale creamy white to golden yellow. It depends on two things

1. Type of flour used. Semola flour has a slightly more yellow colour and produces dough that is more yellow than all purpose flour.
2. The amount of eggs used and the colour of the yolks. Eggs that have more golden yolks will produce a more yellow pasta dough.

What are the properties of well made Pasta Dough?

If you press the middle of your dough ball and it springs back immediately – You’ve done a good job kneading because the dough is elastic and springy.

The texture of pasta dough is also smooth and firm. Fresh pasta dough starts off with an oddity of being sticky (the dough sticks to your hands when you bring it together), yet dry (the dough is shaggy and cracks when stretched) and fairly stiff. As you continue kneading, the pasta dough transforms itself into a smooth and silky mass. Firm to the touch but with enough flexibility to hold its shape when stretched.

The importance of resting Pasta Dough

Fresh pasta dough needs to rest for a minimum of 30 mins for 2 reasons:

1. The Gluten strands need to relax (the pasta dough will be harder to roll out ( it will contract/shrink)
2. The dough absorbs the moisture of the eggs and becomes hydrated.

Why is my pasta dough sticking?

If you’re attempting to roll out your dough and it’s sticking everywhere chances are it’s got too much moisture. Other factors that can also contribute would be the temperature and humidity of your kitchen or workspace.

While adding copious amounts of flour seems like the obvious “fix”, adding too much flour after the dough has been kneaded and rested may not always work according to plan. I’ve experimented with this approach and on some occasions I got passable pasta, but on other occasions the result was mushy pasta and a boiling pot of cloudy white water (no doubt half of that flour washed straight off).

Bottom line – Get the dough right during the kneading process to get the best results.

What kinds of pasta can I make from homemade pasta dough?

This recipe works best for any rolled pasta. Rolled “sheet” pastas like tagliatelle, fettucine, angel hair, pappardelle, as well as farfalle, lasagna sheets, and filled pasta like ravioli. You can also make wonderful rolled and hand shaped pastas like fusilli, strozzapretti, trofie and cavatelli to name a few.

And there you go, you just learned how to make homemade pasta all from scratch and without any special equipment or machinery.

The best advice I can give is “Practice makes ah da pasta perfect!” When you make pasta a few times you learn how the dough feels when it’s “right” and you’ll develop your own techniques and perhaps learn how to make some different pasta shapes.

Next time someone tells you that it’s challenging to make homemade pasta…..watch ’em straight in the eye and in your best New Jersey/Brooklyn accent say “Get outta here!”