Homemade pasta takes a while to make, but you can make your own with simple ingredients and a little patience. Pasta is also easy to change according to taste. The trick to forming this type of pasta lies in mixing the dough to the right consistency and cutting it into manageable shapes. This article will provide instructions you can follow to make basic pasta, as well as some variations you can try to make something new.
Ingredients
Basic Dough
Makes 4 servings
- 400 g all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water, if needed
Variations for Basic Dough
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) cooked, frozen spinach leaves
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) tomato paste
- 1 red beet or 2 tablespoons (30 ml) grated ripe beets
- 1 medium sweet potato or 2 tablespoons (30 ml) mashed sweet potato
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) green spice (oregano, parsley, celery)
Vegetarian Dough
Produces 2 servings
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) ground flaxseed
- 6 tablespoons (90 ml) warm water
- 1 3/4 cups (440 ml) chickpea flour
Step
Method 1 of 7: Making the Basic Dough
Step 1. Mix flour and salt
Mix the sifted flour and salt until evenly distributed.
- If you plan to mix the dough entirely by hand, mix the flour directly on the floured table. After that, use the flour to form a mound with a crater-like hole at the top.
- If you plan to use a stand mixer, mix the flour and salt in the bowl of the stand mixer.
Step 2. Crack the egg onto the flour mound
Add the eggs to the flour, breaking them into the holes at the top of your flour mound on the counter.
If using a stand mixer, you can break the eggs into flour anywhere
Step 3. Mix until smooth
Slowly mix the flour with the egg using your fingers. Continue mixing in this way until the dough is fluffy and comes together.
If using a stand mixer, mix all the ingredients using the mixer stirrer until the dough comes together
Step 4. Knead for 3 minutes
Knead the dough using the heels of your hands until it feels very smooth and no longer feels sticky.
- If using a stand mixer, turn the dough over on a floured table and knead for 3 minutes.
- If the dough still feels sticky, sprinkle in some extra flour and mix.
Step 5. Let the dough rest for 1 hour
Wrap the dough in parchment paper and let it rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
- Keep in mind that the dough can be left at room temperature for several hours.
- The dough should not be refrigerated in the refrigerator.
Method 2 of 7: Basic Dough Variations
Step 1. Make the spinach dough
Before adding the eggs, mix the spinach pulp (mashed spinach) into the flour, to make a green dough.
- Puree 3/4 cup (180 ml) cooked and frozen spinach leaves in a food processor or blender. Squeeze the spinach before and after mashing to remove excess water.
- Mix the mashed spinach into the flour before continuing to make the dough with the basic recipe as usual.
Step 2. Color the dough with tomatoes
Tomato paste can be mixed into flour with eggs to make a red paste.
- A Add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of tomato paste to the flour as you add the eggs.
- Reduce the number of eggs from four to three.
- Continue following the steps in the recipe as usual.
Step 3. Use the beets in the basic dough
Roasted beets can be mixed into the flour with the eggs, but you'll need to grind or grate them first.
- Bake the beets at 205 degrees Celsius in the oven for 45 to 60 minutes, or until soft. Let stand until cool to the touch.
- Grate or puree the beets in a food processor.
- Add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of beets to the flour along with the eggs.
- Reduce the number of eggs from four to three.
- Continue making the pasta as usual.
Step 4. Make sweet potato paste
You can also add sweet potato paste to the dough along with the eggs.
- Pierce one medium sweet potato several times with a fork.
- Bake the sweet potatoes in the microwave on high for 4 to 5 minutes, or until soft.
- Puree the sweet potatoes in a food processor or blender.
- Add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of sweet potato paste to the flour when you add the eggs.
- Reduce the number of eggs from four to three.
- Continue the rest of the steps in the recipe as usual.
Step 5. Prepare a simple spice paste
Minced fresh herbs can be added to the flour with salt.
- Use green herbs like oregano, parsley, and celery leaves. #*You can use one spice or combine spices as desired.
- Use a minimum of 3 tbsp (45 ml). More can be added to taste, if desired.
- Mix the spices into the flour before adding the eggs. Continue the rest of the steps in the recipe as usual.
Method 3 of 7: Vegetarian Dough
Step 1. Whisk together the flaxseeds and water
Mix the flaxseeds and water in a small bowl and set aside for about 5 minutes.
The mixture should thicken, and turn into a gel
Step 2. Drizzle the chickpea flour on the table
Make a small hole like a crater or well above the center of the mound.
This dough is slightly more crumbly than the basic dough, so it is recommended that you mix it by hand instead of using a mixer
Step 3. Mix flour and flaxseed mixture
Spoon the flaxseed gel into the holes in the flour mound. Gently knock the flour wall well into the hole, so that it combines the flour and flaxseed gel evenly.
Just mix the dough as needed until it comes together
Step 4. Rest the dough for 20 to 30 minutes
Wrap the dough in parchment paper or plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature.
- This dough can rest longer than 30 minutes, but the gel may start to break if you leave it for more than a few hours.
- Do not refrigerate the dough.
Method 4 of 7: Roll out the Dough
Step 1. Dust the tabletop with flour
Dust the table with enough flour to coat it lightly but evenly.
While the dough isn't very sticky at this stage, as you knead it, the heat from your hands will cause the dough to become even more sticky. Dusting the table with flour will minimize this effect
Step 2. Cut the dough into several pieces
Use a knife to cut the dough into 6 to 8 uniformly sized pieces.
Step 3. Pass the dough through the pasta machine
The easiest way to flatten pasta dough is to use a pasta machine. Flatten each piece of dough one by one.
- Start passing a section of dough through the pasta machine on the widest setting.
- Fold the dough in half before passing it again to the machine. Repeat once again on the widest setting.
- Pass the dough through the pasta machine several times, closing the opening or narrowing the holes one level per roll. Continue until your pasta dough is as thin as desired.
- Repeat with each piece of dough.
Step 4. Alternatively, flatten the dough using a rolling pin
Use a floured rolling pin to flatten each portion of the dough as flat as possible.
- Make sure that the tabletop and rolling pin are well floured.
- Roll out the pasta dough as thinly as possible. If you can't get paper thin at this point, push yourself beyond your comfort zone by continuing to roll until the dough becomes thinner.
Method 5 of 7: Forming the Pasta
Step 1. Cut the pasta dough into sheets
The easiest way to cut pasta is to cut it into strips. You can use your pasta machine if it comes with a pasta maker, but if not, you can easily cut pasta with a fine kitchen knife or pizza cutter.
- Make lasagna noodles by cutting the pasta dough into 7.6 cm sheets.
- The capellini and fettuccine sheets are only about 2.5 cm wide, if not smaller.
- Spaghetti noodles are the thinnest and should be less than 6.35mm in width.
Step 2. Make the garganelli paste
Garganelli pasta is shaped like a small tube.
- Cut the pasta into 5 to 7.6 cm squares or squares using a knife or pizza cutter.
- Roll each square around a skewer or clean chopsticks.
- Press the overlapping corners together to form a tube shape.
Step 3. Form the farfalle paste
Farfalle pasta is better known as "bow tie" pasta.
- Cut a rectangle about 7.6 cm long and 5 cm wide. #*Use a knife or pizza cutter.
- Pinch or pinch the center of the rectangle so that it forms a ribbon or bow tie shape.
Step 4. Coat the pasta noodles with flour
Toss or toss the pasta in the flour as soon as you finish shaping it.
This is especially important if you plan to dry and store pasta. Otherwise, the paste will stick to each other once it dries
Method 6 of 7: Cooking Pasta
Step 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil
Fill a saucepan with cold water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Add salt to the water to prevent the pasta from sticking as it cooks
Step 2. Cook the pasta for 2 to 3 minutes
Add the pasta to the water and cook, stirring occasionally. Check the pasta for doneness after the first 3 minutes, and continue to cook until done.
- The pasta will cook once it's soft but not sticky anymore.
- Vegetarian pasta will usually be completely cooked after the first 3 minutes.
- Keep in mind that the length of time it takes for pasta to cook will vary depending on how large the pieces are.
Step 3. Drain
Pour the contents of the pan through a sieve.
Serve cooked pasta with butter or sauce as desired
Method 7 of 7: Additional Homemade Pasta Recipes
Step 1. Make noodles from wheat flour
If you're looking for a healthy version of traditional pasta, use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour.
Step 2. Make a healthier pasta from buckwheat (buckwheat)
Buckwheat pasta is a traditional homemade pasta made in the Lombardy region of Italy. Use buckwheat flour to make it.
Step 3. Prepare the egg noodles using a food processor
Egg noodles can be made using a food processor if you don't have a stand mixer.
Step 4. Use a bread machine to prepare the pasta dough
A bread machine can also be used to simplify the process of mixing pasta dough.
Step 5. Try making ravioli
This stuffed pasta is a little more complex than the no-filled pasta type, but you can still make your own pasta dough and cheese filling at home without too much trouble.
Step 6. Make the macaroni paste
Macaroni pasta can be a bit tricky to make, but the concept is quite simple. Make a tube shape from the pasta dough and bend the tube slightly to make a macaroni shape.
Step 7. Prepare Yi min noodles in bulk
These noodles are made from wheat flour and tend to be quite chewy after cooking. The dough can be a bit tricky to handle, but once you learn how to make these noodles, you can easily make large batches of them.
Step 8. Try making gnocchi
Gnocchi is a cross between pasta and dumplings. These small pieces of pasta are made with potatoes, eggs and flour.
What you need
- Stand mixer
- Pasta making machine
- Kitchen knife or pizza cutter
- Dough rolling pin
- Big pan
