Homemade Pasta Guide 🍝

The classic fresh pasta dough used in Northern Italy, perfect for ribbons and stuffed pastas.

• Ingredients: '00' flour (or all-purpose), whole eggs, a pinch of salt, and a dash of olive oil.
• Ratio: Typically 1 egg per 100g of flour.
• Method: Mound flour, create a well, add eggs/oil/salt. Whisk eggs, gradually incorporating flour until a shaggy dough forms. Knead for 10 mins until smooth and elastic. Rest 30 mins wrapped in plastic before rolling.

A vegan, eggless dough common in Southern Italy, ideal for shaped pastas.

• Ingredients: Semolina flour (durum wheat), warm water, salt.
• Ratio: Roughly 2 parts semolina to 1 part water by weight.
• Method: Mix semolina and water until a stiff dough forms. Knead aggressively until smooth. Rest for 30 minutes. This dough is firmer and holds complex shapes well.

An alternative dough requiring binders to replace gluten structure.

• Ingredients: Gluten-free flour blend (containing rice flour, tapioca, etc.), xanthan gum (if not in blend), eggs, olive oil, water.
• Method: Mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and knead until a cohesive dough forms. It may require slightly more moisture or oil than wheat dough. Keep covered, as it dries out quickly.

Traditional rolling uses a long wooden pin (mattarello). It creates a slightly rougher, more porous surface texture on the pasta (sfoglia), which grabs sauces exceptionally well. It requires practice, pressure, and rotating the dough frequently to maintain a circular shape and even thickness.

A mechanical roller (manual crank or electric attachment) ensures perfectly uniform thickness and is much faster. Dough is passed through progressively narrower settings. While efficient, the resulting pasta is smoother and slightly less porous than hand-rolled dough.

Drying: Dust heavily with semolina to prevent sticking. Ribbons can be hung on a rack or formed into loose "nests" and left to dry slightly for 15-30 minutes before cooking.

Storing: Fresh egg pasta can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. For longer storage, freeze it. Freeze shapes in a single layer on a tray, then transfer to a bag for up to 2-3 months. Cook straight from frozen; do not thaw.

Fresh pasta has high moisture content and cooks significantly faster than boxed dried pasta. While dried pasta may take 8-12 minutes, fresh egg pasta usually cooks in just 1 to 3 minutes once the water returns to a rolling boil. Stuffed pastas are ready shortly after they float to the surface.