Simple Homemade Pasta

4.98 from 139 votes

This Simple Homemade Pasta is made without eggs & only 3 ingredients. Perfect for adding to soups or tossing with a tasty tomato sauce.

Prep Time30

Cook Time6

Resting Time30

Total Time1 6

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 228kcal

Author: Rosemary Molloy

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose or semolina flour (320 grams semolina)
½ cup + 2¼ tablespoons water (lukewarm 85F / 35C) (150 grams total, if doubling the recipe then double this amount)
¼-½ teaspoon salt (depends on how salty you like it)

US Customary - Metric

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 ⅛ 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

You can actually leave out the salt when making the dough, but be sure to salt the boiling water well before cooking.

When you are using a stand up mixer use the dough hook on speed 2 and knead for about 2-3 minutes. Then continue with the recipe.

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.

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.

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