Homemade Pasta from Scratch

Homemade pasta from scratch takes just flour, eggs, water, and salt. You can use all-purpose flour or finely milled fresh flour, then roll and cut the noodles by hand or with a pasta maker. A little kneading, a little resting, and you’re ready for your favorite sauce.

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Homemade Pasta from Scratch

Homemade egg pasta made with flour, eggs, water, and salt. Includes instructions for rolling and cutting by hand or using a pasta machine, plus a fresh-milled flour option.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 minutes mins

Resting Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups all-purpose flour 240 g, plus extra for dusting; see notes for fresh-milled flour
• 3 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1-3 tablespoons water only as needed

Method

 

Make the dough

1. Combine the flour and salt in a bowl or mound them on a clean counter. Make a well in the center and add the eggs.
2. Beat the eggs with a fork, gradually incorporating the flour until a shaggy dough forms.
3. Gather the dough with your hands. If it will not hold together when squeezed, add water 1 teaspoon at a time. Use only enough to bring it together.
4. Knead for 8–10 minutes, until smooth and pliable. The dough should feel firm without being sticky. Dust lightly with flour if needed.
5. Wrap or cover tightly and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
6. Divide the dough into four pieces. Keep the unused portions covered while you work.

Roll and cut by hand

1. Lightly flour your counter and rolling pin. Flatten one portion of dough and roll from the center outward, turning it regularly.
2. Roll to approximately 1 mm thick, or thin enough to see the shadow of your hand through the sheet. If it springs back, cover and rest for another 10–15 minutes.
3. Lightly flour both sides of the sheet and fold it loosely into thirds. Avoid pressing the layers together.
4. Slice into strips with a sharp knife: approximately ¼ inch wide for fettuccine or wider for ribbon noodles.
5. Unfold immediately, separate the noodles, and dust lightly with flour.

Or use a pasta roller & cutter

1. Flatten one portion of dough and feed it through the widest roller setting.
2. Fold the sheet into thirds and pass it through the widest setting again. Repeat 2–3 times until smooth.
3. Reduce the roller opening one setting at a time, passing the sheet through each setting until approximately 1 mm thick. Follow your machine’s guidance and dust lightly with flour if the dough sticks.
4. Cut long sheets into manageable lengths. If the surface is tacky, let it sit briefly until it feels lightly dry but still flexible.
5. Feed through the cutter attachment. Separate the noodles and lightly dust with flour. Arrange in loose nests on a floured tray or hang briefly on a pasta rack while finishing the batch.

Cook the pasta

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Add the noodles and stir gently to separate. Start checking at 2 minutes; thin noodles generally take 2–4 minutes, while thicker or whole wheat noodles may take 4–6 minutes.
3. Taste for doneness, reserve a little pasta water, and drain. Toss with your favorite sauce.

Notes

• Fresh-milled flour: For a starting variation, substitute 240 g finely milled hard white wheat flour for the all-purpose flour. Whole wheat dough may need more water and may feel less smooth. Add water gradually, judging by texture.
• Half whole wheat option: Use 120 g all-purpose flour and 120 g finely milled whole wheat flour.
• Water: Egg size and flour absorption vary. You may not need any water, or you may need slightly more than the listed range.
• Resting: Keep the dough covered so the surface stays soft. Give it another short rest if it resists rolling.
• Make ahead: Refrigerate tightly wrapped, uncut dough for up to 2 days.
• Freezing: Freeze cut noodles in loose nests on a lined tray, then transfer to a freezer bag. Cook directly from frozen, allowing extra cooking time.

Making Homemade Pasta with Fresh-Milled Flour

All-purpose flour makes a smooth, mild-flavored pasta. Fresh-milled whole wheat flour gives the noodles a heartier texture and a slightly nutty flavor.

For the fresh-milled option, mill your wheat as finely as possible and measure the flour by weight. Start with the amount in the recipe, then adjust the water a teaspoon at a time. The dough should feel firm and pliable, without sticking to your hands.

You can also start with half all-purpose and half fresh-milled flour if you want a lighter whole wheat noodle.

I use my NutriMill to mill flour at home.

Rolling and Cutting Your Pasta

A rolling pin and a sharp knife work just fine for homemade pasta. Roll the dough thin, dust it lightly with flour, and loosely fold it before slicing into noodles. They don’t need to be perfectly even.

For more consistent noodles, I use the Nuvantee Pasta Maker from Amazon. Start with the widest roller setting and gradually work your way thinner before running the sheets through the cutter.

Need Something to Make with This Pasta?

Try my fettucine alfredo with broccoli. Fresh pasta tossed in creamy homemade Alfredo sauce with broccoli makes a dinner that’s absolutely worth getting a little flour on the counter for.