This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

If you’ve never made homemade pasta before, or you have and weren’t thrilled with the results, you’re in luck. This is in my top ten most viewed recipes and everyone agrees – this is the best homemade pasta recipe!

Read below to see step-by-step photos and a video detailing the ingredients and process. Whether you have a pasta maker or plan on rolling and cutting it by hand, you’ll get amazing results, with or without any special equipment.

homemade pasta on rack.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below and I’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great recipe ideas from me every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Why I Love This Recipe

Homemade Pasta is something everyone should make at least once in their lifetime. It’s fun to make and it is so much more delicious than dried pasta you buy at the store.

  • Simple ingredients
  • Perfect flavor and texture – The pasta not only tastes great, but the texture is absolutely perfect – soft with a “bite”.
  • Recipe is easy to follow – I’ve taken many pasta-making classes and have taught many friends how to make my semolina pasta recipe as well. I have the technique down! Even beginner cooks will agree.

Ingredients Needed to Make Homemade Pasta

My pasta dough consists of olive oil, water, room temperature eggs, and equal parts all-purpose flour and semolina flour.

The exact quantities are listed in the recipe card below.

ingredients needed to make homemade pasta.

How to Make Fresh Pasta Dough

There are two parts to making homemade pasta – making the pasta dough and rolling it out. We’ll break the process down into two detailed sections.

Option 1: Pasta Dough by Hand

You will start by combining the flour with the salt and placing them on a clean work surface.

Make a well in the center of the flour and add the eggs and the olive oil.

Use your hands to incorporate the mixture and then work in the water. If the dough is sticky, sprinkle with a little bit of flour until it is no longer sticky.

Knead the dough by hand for at least 10 minutes to activate the gluten. This is hard work as the dough is quite firm.

Option 2: Pasta Dough With a Stand Mixer

  1. If you have a KitchenAid mixer with a dough hook, combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Start mixing on low speed and add small amounts of flour until the dough forms a ball that is no longer sticking to the sides.
  2. Knead the dough on medium speed for 10 minutes.

Option 3: Pasta Dough With a Food Processor

  1. If you have a large heavy-duty food processor with a dough blade, you can use it to mix and knead the pasta dough.
  2. Add all of the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine the ingredients. Add additional flour until the dough forms a ball and is no longer sticking to the sides.
  3. Knead the dough in the processor for ten minutes.

Pasta Dough Must Rest

Wrap the ball of dough in plastic wrap, place it in a plastic bag, or cover it with a kitchen towel.

Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes before you begin to roll it out. This rest period allows the flour to absorb the liquid and hydrate. It also allows the gluten to relax.

How to Roll and Cut Fresh Pasta

You can definitely roll and cut fresh pasta by hand. Italians have been doing it that way since the beginning of time. But, if you have the KitchenAid attachment for pasta or an Atlas hand roller, it will make the process even easier.

Start by setting the homemade pasta dough on a cutting board covered with a bit of all flour. You can use all purpose or semolina (or a mixture of both). Use a bench scraper to partition off a small amount of dough to work with.

For either method, as you continue to roll and cut the pasta, continue to add flour to prevent sticking.

Option 1: Roll and Cut by Hand

Using a rolling pin, flatten each small segment of dough to a long piece that is about 1/8″ thick.

Using a pizza cutter, a sharp knife, or a specialized pasta cutter hand tool, cut the pasta noodles to your desired thickness.

Any pieces around the outside that need to be re-cut can be added back to the rest of the dough before partitioning the next segment.

Option 2: Roll and Cut with a Pasta Roller

The same process works whether you use a hand roller or a pasta machine. If this is your first time making homemade pasta, it’s best to get someone to help you feed the pasta through the rollers.

Start with a small piece of dough and flatten it with the heel of your hand.

Send it through the KitchenAid pasta roller attachment or the pasta roller attachment on the widest setting. Next, fold dough into thirds and send it through again. Repeat the roll-and-fold one more time. This is done to give the sheet of pasta straight edges.

Next, you will continue to send the sheets of pasta through the roller, reducing the thickness with each pass. I usually go to setting 5, but you can make it thinner or thicker based on preference.

Finally, run the thin sheet of pasta through the cutting attachment.

What to Do with the Freshly Made Homemade Pasta

Ensure all sides of the cut pasta are heavily coated in flour. Place cut pasta in nests on a large baking sheet covered in flour.

You can also hang it on a pasta rack.

Once the pasta is rolled and cut, you then have three choices: cook it fresh, store it fresh, or dry it for longer storage.

How to Cook Fresh Pasta

Fresh pasta cooks really quickly.

Simply bring a large pot of water with a tablespoon of kosher salt to a boil and add the pasta. It should only take a few minutes to cook. Once the pasta begins to float, you know it is done.

If you like your pasta cooked al dente, be sure to taste a couple of bites to ensure the pasta is cooked to your satisfaction before draining.

Pro tip: If you will be tossing the pasta in any kind of sauce, scoop out a cup of pasta water before draining it. This starchy salted pasta water can be used to thin sauces without changing the flavor. This works especially well with cream-based sauces used in recipes like Cajun shrimp pasta or blackened chicken alfredo.

homemade pasta noodles hanging on drying rack.

Best Way to Dry Fresh Pasta

You can dry fresh homemade pasta two ways. Either hang it on a pasta drying rack or allow the nests of heavily floured pasta to have enough air and time to completely dry.

Pasta left on a drying rack will be fully dry within about 12 hours.

Storage recommendations

How you store homemade pasta will depend on whether it is fresh or dried.

How to Store Fresh Pasta

If you don’t plan on eating all of the fresh pasta when made, you can store it for later.

Gently transfer the pasta from the rack or the nests that have been arranged in a single layer on the large baking sheet to an airtight container. Store the pasta in the refrigerator or the freezer.

Ensure the pasta is heavily floured so that it does not stick together.

It will taste best if its used within 3-5 days.

How to Store Homemade Dried Pasta

Pasta that has been completely dried can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. It will taste best if used within a month.

homemade pasta that has been hung to dry.

Recipe Tips for Best Results

  • Elasticity and gluten development – To ensure your pasta dough has been kneaded enough, stick your knuckle into the dough. It should slowly push back. If you create an indentation and the dough just stays, you need to continue kneading. You know the dough is ready when there is elasticity.
  • Use quality ingredients – Farm fresh large eggs, fresh flour, and high-quality extra virgin olive oil should be used. The higher the quality, the better the pasta will taste.
  • Utilize flour while rolling and cutting – To prevent sticking, you will need to use a lot of flour. Any excess flour will come off when you boil it. You can use either all-purpose, semolina, or a combination of both.

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

  • Flour – I’ve made pasta using only all-purpose flour before and thought it was too doughy. It will work, however. The semolina gives the pasta more bite. It adds to the taste and the texture. You can, of course, only use semolina, but I find that the combination of the two flours yields a dough that is easy to work with and tastes great. I have not attempted to make a gluten-free pasta or use any other types of flour with this recipe.
  • Fresh herbs – minced herbs can be worked into the dough.
pile of thick cut homemade pasta noodles.

What to Serve With Homemade Pasta

Once you decide to cook your pasta, you can either smother it in your favorite sauce, or you can use the fresh pasta dough in a delicious recipe.

Favorite Pasta Sauce Recipes

Favorite Pasta Recipes

long homemade noodles on wooden drying rack.

Common FAQs

What flour is best for homemade pasta?

My recommendation is to use equal parts of all-purpose and semolina flours. This will make the dough easy to work with but will also taste great.

What is the secret to making good pasta?

Use high quality ingredients and follow this recipe!

Is homemade pasta worth the trouble?

Homemade pasta is absolutely worth the trouble. It is fun to make and tastes great. But, there are plenty of fantastic store-bought fresh and dried kinds of pasta available. Make homemade pasta because you enjoy it.

What 3 basic ingredients are used to make pasta?

Flour, eggs, and olive oil are the main ingredients. Water is also needed but is often not considered an ingredient. I use salt in my pasta recipe but there is some debate as to whether you should.

What does egg do in pasta?

The gluten that gives pasta its shape and strength are created when the flour is mixed with moisture from the eggs and water. The eggs supply fat, which enriches the dough and gives it a smooth, silky finish, in addition to the water that the gluten needs for hydration.

Do you use whole eggs in homemade pasta?

My recipe uses whole eggs, however, you can replace the whole eggs with only egg yolks, or you can use a combination of whole eggs and egg yolks. For every two whole eggs, use 3-4 egg yolks.

Is there a good egg replacement that works in homemade pasta?

If you have an egg allergy or are vegan, you might be looking for an egg alternative for this recipe. Although there are many great egg replacement ideas that work for baking and binding in various recipes, I cannot recommend a good egg replacement for pasta.

Pin this now to save it for later

Pin It

Homemade Pasta

Prep30 minutes
Cook5 minutes
Total1 hour
Servings 12 servings
Homemade Pasta is not only fun and easy recipe to make in your own kitchen, but nothing compares to the taste and texture of fresh homemade pasta. Whether you want to knead and cut the dough by hand, or you use a kitchenaid to mix and a roller to flatten and cut, I’ll share all of my homemade pasta tips & tricks!

Video

Ingredients 

Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below and I’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great recipe ideas from me every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Instructions 

Homemade pasta can either be made by hand or in a stand mixer.

  • If making by hand: Combine semolina, flour, beaten eggs, water, oil, and salt. Mix to make a stiff dough. Knead 10 minutes by hand.
  • If using a stand mixer, combine semolina, flour, beaten eggs, water, salt and oil in stand mixer bowl. Knead on medium speed with a dough hook.
  • If dough is too sticky, sprinkle on additional Semolina until it comes together. If dough is too dry, sprinkle water until you get the right consistency. You’ll want to knead until the dough is elastic. Slice into the dough with a paring knife; if you see lots of air bubbles, keep kneading. The dough is kneaded when it forms a smooth elastic ball and has very few air bubbles when cut. Test by pressing your knuckle into the dough; if it starts to bounce back then it’s ready.
  • Wrap dough in plastic wrap or in a covered bowl and let rest for at least 30 minutes.

Rolling and cutting the dough:

  • On a lightly floured surface roll out to desired thickness and cut as desired. Alternatively, cut into small chunks, flour, and roll through pasta roller. For this process, send through on thickness of 0. Fold in thirds and rotate so that straight edges are on the side and send it through again. Fold in thirds once more, again with straight edges on sides, and then send it through thickness 0 for a third pass. Then, change thickness to 1 and send dough through once. Continue process stepping through thicknesses 2, 3, 4 and end with 5. Give dough sheet one last dip in flour and then run it through the fettucine cutting side.
  • You can dredge pasta in flour to ensure it doesn’t stick together. Either set on cookie sheet until ready to cook or dry pasta on a drying rack.
  • To cook, bring a large pot of heavily-salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender (approximately 3 – 5 minutes). When making lasagna, no need to boil noodles. Add directly to your recipe. 

Notes

Tips for using a pasta roller:

The same process works whether you use a hand roller or the KitchenAid attachment. I actually have the Atlas hand roller and highly recommend it. There’s just something fun about cranking the pasta through manually.
  • Working with small pieces of well-floured dough, send through the roller on the widest setting. Fold the dough into thirds and send it back through with the folded ends on the sides. Do this one more time and send it through the widest setting. The reason you do this is to get a pasta sheet with straight edges so there’s little waste when you cut.
  • Continue to work the dough through the roller, rotating the dial each time to make the pasta sheet thinner and thinner. Ensure your dough always has enough flour so that it doesn’t stick to your roller.
  • I usually go to the thickness setting of 5, but you can choose how thick or how thin you want your pasta.
  • Once you have your sheet, you can then make your own ravioli or lasagna. Again, having the right tools helps, so if you’re making ravioli I recommend using a ravioli press. If you plan to cut spaghetti or linguine noodles, send the pasta through the cutting side.
  • Ensure each of the noodles are well covered in flour so they don’t stick. You can’t go overboard here because it will all come off when you cook the pasta.

Nutrition

Calories: 194kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 54mg, Sodium: 215mg, Potassium: 76mg, Fiber: 1g, Vitamin A: 80IU, Calcium: 14mg, Iron: 1.9mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave me a comment below

This post was originally created in February 2018 and has been updated with process photos, helpful information, and cooking tips. Don’t worry – I didn’t change the recipe!

Hi! I’m Krissy.

I love to create the BEST versions of your favorite recipes. If you love to cook, love to eat, or just have a deep appreciation for good food, you're in the right place! Stick around... I have hundreds of recipes for you to make.

You May Also Like

Leave a comment

Ask a question or leave a comment. I'm happy to help in any way and I love hearing what you think about the recipe. Be sure to leave a rating!

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

204 Comments

    1. The length of time required to dry the pasta depends on how thick you made the pasta as well as the humidity/temperature/air flow in your house. When I’ve dried it I just left it out overnight and it was good to go.

      1. 5 stars
        I do not have a pasts machine, but I find that using a pizza cutter is the easiest way for cutting the noodles.

  1. 5 stars
    I made this twice. Yesterday, I used only all-purpose flour and the eggs weren’t at room temperature. (In fact, it looked like they were a little frozen – I’d been away for several days and the fridge hadn’t been opened.) The dough would not come together even in the food processor so that batch went in the garbage.
    Today I bought some semolina flour and did the half and half flour; the eggs were also room temperature. It all came together like a dream. Fettucini noodles are drying right now and tomorrow the lasagna noodles will be made.
    Having the eggs at room temperature is a key necessity.
    Thanks for this recipe. It’s a real keeper.

    1. So glad you made that second batch! I’m sure other readers will appreciate reading your comment too. Thanks!!!

  2. 5 stars
    We used this recipe our first time making homemade pasta, and it turned out great! It was so delicious we made it again the following weekend! Thanks for sharing!

  3. 4 stars
    Hi Krissy, thanks for this recipe. The spaghetti pasta I made had the awesome al dente texture. I’ve come to find that the pasta tasted a bit salty while cooking in the heavily-salted pot. I made a second batch without salt, and it tasted good. Does salt in the pasta water have some sort of chemical benefit while cooking fresh pasta?

    1. Hi Elise, I was taught by an Italian chef who worked for a pasta company to add the salt to the boiling water to give the pasta flavoring without having to add it later. I don’t think it adds any kind of chemical benefit, although I could be wrong. Some people are definitely more sensitive to salt (i.e. people who don’t use salt much in their cooking get very used to the taste). Glad you liked it the second time!

  4. 5 stars
    I have only made fresh pasta once before using only AP flour and eggs and the product was okay. Your recipe IS perfect for someone who is not versed in pasta-making (like me). The dough was so easy to work with! I used a kitchen aid mixer with a dough hook and an atlas pasta roller. For angelhair and fettuccini, I rolled the pasta sheets to thickness 3. For spaghetti, I rolled the pasta sheets to thickness 5. Thank you for this foolproof recipe!

  5. 5 stars
    My husband and I made pasta for the first time, following your instructions and recipe. Came out GREAT the very first try! Thanks!

  6. I finally bought a roller after all these years, and am anxious to get started–but what about the eggs in the dough? What are the dangers of drying the pasta at room temperature? The fresh pasta is easy enough to refrigerate, but I’d like to make some dried, too…

    1. Hi Ron, the pasta really doesn’t take long to dry, especially if you have sufficient air flow. I’ve never had any issues or concerns doing it this way. Enjoy!