Simple Homemade Pasta
This Simple Homemade Pasta is made without eggs and only 3 ingredients. Perfect for adding to your favourite soup recipe or tossing with a homemade tomato sauce. Homemade fresh pasta was never so easy.
This was one of the simplest homemade pasta recipes I ever learned, thanks again to my mother-in-law. She would make this type of eggless pasta to add to her Minestrone or Pasta e Fagioli recipes but of course you can serve it with a Simple Tomato Sauce or even tossed with olive oil and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
She was always make her homemade pasta by hand, no machine for her. That means from kneading the dough to rolling it out and cutting.
So of course I am showing her way, but you can definitely use a machine from mixing and kneading to rolling it out with your stand mixer to your pasta maker.
Recipe Ingredients
- Flour – all purpose flour or semolina flour
- Water – lukewarm water
- Salt –
How to make A Simple Two Ingredient Pasta Recipe
In a large bowl add the flour, make a well in the middle and add the water and salt, mix with a fork to combine.
Move the mixture to a flat surface and gently knead for about 3-5 minutes to form a compact dough ball. Cover the dough with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes.
Knead the dough a couple of times then roll it out on a lightly floured flat surface.
With a rolling pin or pasta machine roll to a thin rectangle.
Trim the pasta dough, then roll up from the short end.
Cut the dough with a sharp knife or pasta cutter to the size you want, from pappardelle to fettuccine, thin or thick. Unroll the cut pasta and place on a lightly floured flat surface until the water boil. Then cook and serve with your favorite Spaghetti Sauce.
What is the best flour to use
Probably the best flour to use for making pasta is semolina flour, which is a flour that is coarsely ground and made from a hard wheat called durum. Although if you can’t find this flour all purpose will work too.
How thin should the pasta be?
You should roll the dough to about 1/8″ about the thickness of pie dough for long pasta, and a bit thinner for stuffed pasta such as ravioli. Be sure to keep the dough well floured so they don’t stick together.
How long does it take to cook?
Unlike homemade pasta that is made with eggs, this pasta does take longer to cook, approximately 6-8 minutes compared to egg pasta which needs only about 2-4 minutes.
Be sure to cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water. Pasta is cooked when it still has a bite to it, you don’t want it to become mushy.
How to dry this simple pasta
Leave the pasta uncovered in a dry area for 12 to 24 hours, carefully turning it every 1-2 hours. The reason for the twelve-hour window is because various factors can affect how long your pasta takes to dry. From the temperature of the room to the thickness of the dough.
A good idea is to place an electric fan next to your pasta to ensure it dries evenly. Be sure to switch the fan onto a relatively low setting.
Store the dried pasta in an airtight plastic bag or container in a dry cool place it should keep for up to 3 months. If mold starts to form, then the pasta should be discarded.
How to store it
The homemade pasta can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.
How to freeze Homemade Pasta
To freeze the pasta, place the cut or shaped pasta well-spaced on a cookie sheet, then put it in the freezer to harden for a couple of hours.
When they are well hardened, put them in freezer safe bags or containers and freeze. When you decide to use them, boil them directly from frozen, stirring often. They may need a minute more to cook.
You can also freeze the dough ball, wrap in plastic and place in a freezer safe bag or container, let the dough thaw in the fridge then bring it to room temperature before rolling out. It will last up to 2-3 months.
So if you are looking for a homemade pasta recipe with few ingredients I hope you give this Simple Two Ingredient Homemade Pasta a try and let me know how it goes. Buon Appetito!
More Homemade Pasta Recipes
- Homemade Sourdough Pasta
- Homemade Cheese Cannelloni
- Homemade Creamy Mushroom Ravioli
- Authentic Homemade Pasta
Simple Homemade Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose or semolina flour (250 grams/320 grams semolina)
- 1/2 cup + 2 1/4 tablespoons water (lukewarm 85F / 35C) (150 grams total)
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt (depends on how salt you like it)
Instructions
- In a large bowl add the flour, make a well in the middle and add the water and salt, mix with a fork to combine, then move to a flat surface and gently knead for about 3-5 minutes, form into a compact dough ball, if the dough is too dry then add a little more water (1 tablespoon at a time).
- Cover the dough with a tea towel or wrap in plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes.
- Knead the dough a couple of times, then roll it out on a lightly floured flat surface. Roll to about an 1/8 inch thickness, roll up and slice to make fettuccine or thicker or thinner or even into squares to add to soup. Cook in boiling salted water for about 6-7 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Updated from May 1, 2020.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It’s super simple and had an amazing texture. I made spaghetti last night using this recipe and we could tell the difference between store bought pasta and this freshly made one. It had a bouncy feel and like a party in my mouth together with the spaghetti meatball sauce. I made spaghetti noodles before but it used eggs and all purpose flour which became more like ramen noodles. I did not like it in my spaghetti. But this one is a winner and I’ll definitely make it again especially when I have guests that I want to impress.
Hi Bailey, thanks so much so glad you liked it. Take care and have a great week.
Very good. I made the pasta into little balls of pasta and cooked in my rice cooker about 10 minutes at a boil. I topped and tossed with grated parmesan cheese and a small amount of olive oil including some salt and pepper. Very good!
Hi Nowelle, thanks so much, that was a great idea, sounds delicious. Take care and have a great weekend.
Can I run this through a pasta maker? I may want to make different shapes. Going to try tonight with homemade pasta sauce from tomatoes I roasted and froze from the garden last summer.
Hi Victoria yes it will work with a pasta maker. I hope you enjoy it.
I love the sound of this recipe. I wonder if I would have any luck using gluten free flour. The brand I have is “cup 4 cup”.
Hi Cindy, I have never made it with gluten free flour but you could try it and see. I think it would work. 🙂
I am not a math head, but counting ingrediencies I counted 3 (but I understand salt is optional). So, sorry, 0 stars for the math. But I gave 5 for the method and the rest anyway.
The ratio of water to flour is a mystery to me. In your recipe it is .6. If you look at the recipe in Marc Vetri’s book it is .52 but he says 2 cups of Semolina is 335 grams not 250. He uses 2 cups Semolina to 3/4 cup water.
Hi William, sorry about that I did correct it, by my measurements 2 cups of semolina is 320 grams. Thanks
Can I use this pasta in making chicken and noodles
Hi Mary, sure, my mother-in-law did all the time. Let me know how it goes.
Thank you for the recipe. It worked out nicely. The homemade texture is very good.
Thanks Lauren, glad you enjoyed it. Have a wonderful Sunday.
I just made this with semolina flour. I really enjoyed making it it was so easy and satisfying and tastes so fresh and delicious. Thank you for this recipe, I doubt i’ll be buying pasta from a shop much in the future.
Hi Rachel, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. Have a great week.
WOW! This was my first time making my own pasta, and it was so easy!! I followed your recipe exactly, and it came out absolutely delicious. It was great paired with homemade Alfredo Sauce and broccoli. This is a recipe that I will keep coming back to. Thanks for creating such an easy recipe and sharing it!
Hi Morgan, thanks so much so glad you liked it. Happy New Year.
I was wondering if this recipe could be used to make lasagna noodles? Thanks for making homemade pasta simple and vegan!
Hi Olivia, sure, just roll it into lasagna sheets. Hope you like it.
This recipe is fantastic! I made it for my father as it was his birthday yesterday, and the pasta turned out amazing. The only slight problem we had was a little bit of trouble rolling up the dough, so we just sliced the dough in thin strips as evenly as possible; it still turned out amazing, however. I reccomend this recipe for an easy, delicious pasta with ingredients I already have on hand. Thank you for this recipe and this blog, Rosemary, it is AMAZING! I hope you and your family stay healthy and safe. 🙂
Hi Livia, maybe sprinkling with a little flour will help to roll it up. Glad you like it though and happy birthday to your Dad. Thanks and take care you too.
Hi Rosemary,
Wery happy with your recipe, I have never made my own pasta but now I will as it looks very simple.
Thank you and stay safe
Regards Elida
Hi Elida, thanks so much, let me know how it goes. Take care.
Hi Rosemary
The amount of water was not enough to make a smooth dough ball. I ended up adding a cup instead of the recipe amount. The dough was just to dry with your measurement, it was too crumbly. I used Bob’s red mill semolina flour… not sure if that matters. any thoughts. thank you and stay well and safe
Hi Patricia, it could be the flour, but if you need more water than that is fine. I made a note in the recipe. Thanks and take care you too.
I do not think it was the recipes measurements. Could it be the technique you are using to measure liquids and solids. Are you also leveling the flour after you scoop it out. Recipe was great. Thanks for sharing
This is absolutely on my must try list for as soon as our stores actually have flour available again. I know my hubby will love it! What sauce recipes do you have that you would recommend to go great with this type of pasta?
Thank you so much, best blog ever!
Hi Catherine, thanks so much so glad you enjoy the blog. I would probably use a simple tomato sauce for the pasta. https://anitalianinmykitchen.com/easy-tomato-sauce/ or make small squares and add it to soup. Hope that helps, let me know how it goes when you make it. Take care.