Look no further this is the only fresh homemade pasta dough recipe you need. It works every time. With just flour and eggs and this super detailed guide you will produce pasta like a professional. Perfect silky pasta sheets every time. I have all the tips and tricks for pasta dough that will have you returning time and time again to the kitchen.
Hello! I am writing up this comprehensive guide to my easy homemade pasta dough with every tip and trick I can think of. This guide will set you up perfectly to have success EVERY time you make pasta. If this is your first time making pasta you could check out my guide where to start for making homemade pasta.
In this guide I will take you through the process of bringing the pasta dough together as well as the rolling guide. I use a marcato roller but I also have the kitchen aid pasta attachment. Both work really well!
From here you'll have the perfect base to make any pasta shape you like, homemade pappardelle is a favorite but you could use the cutter attachments you might have got with your machine to make fettuccine or spaghetti too. Check out my guide to homemade ravioli too!
Table of contents
Main ingredients and special equipment
- Scales - There is absolutely no way you can make pasta without scales. I weigh the flour AND the eggs which ensures a perfect pasta dough every time, no guess work.
- Flour - I use a combination of two types of flour, '00' flour and semola rimacinata, which is a very finely milled semolina flour. You can just use all '00' though and all purpose flour works fine too.
- Room Temperature Eggs - I learnt early on in my pasta making journey when reading Evan Funke's cookbook that weighing your eggs is the best method. Eggs vary in size so much so by weighing them you reduce any risk of a dough that is either too wet or too dry. I put a bowl on my scales then crack the eggs in until I get the weight I need.
- Pasta Machine - You can roll out a sheet of pasta with a rolling pin but it is very hard. I use a marcato roller and I also have the kitchen aid pasta roller attachment.
My biggest tip!
Purists will hate me but my biggest tip is to bring the dough together in a food processor! It is cleaner, quicker and easier. Put the flour and eggs straight in and pulse until it resembles breadcrumbs (an even mixture). Take the blade out and use your hand to squeeze the mixture into a ball then bring it out onto the bench to knead.
Other things you will need
- Wooden cutting board
- Plastic wrap - fresh pasta dough needs to be tightly wrapped at all times.
- A sharp knife - To cut the dough ball and edges of sheets. You could also use a pizza cutter or a fluted pasta wheel for edges on shapes like ravioli.
What is semolina?
I like to add semola (a fine semolina flour) to my dough but it's totally optional. It is a flour milled from a kind of wheat called durum wheat. It is just a different type of wheat and is often classed as a 'hard wheat'. The '00' flours or even plain flour is more of a 'soft wheat'.
Basically what that means is that shapes made out of a semolina pasta dough will have more of a bite, they often have, in my opinion, a really addictive and delicious chewy factor. When you add semolina into an egg pasta dough like this one, it helps to add structure and an al dente bite. You can leave it out altogether though.
How to make pasta dough
Full method and ingredient measurements (plus a video) are in the recipe card below! As I mention above you could skip this first section and bring the ingredients together in a food processor! It's SO much quicker and cleaner!
I am showing the traditional way on the bench top but it's also much cleaner in a big mixing bowl. The end result of a bench, bowl or food processor will be EXACTLY the same so do what suits you.
- Tip your flour into a mound on the bench and make a well to tip your mixed eggs into.
2. Start to bring the flour from around the edges into the middle, mixing with your fork.
3. Keep mixing, incorporating the flour until the middle is thick and a scrambled egg consistency.
4. With a bench scraper or hands, fork, spoon start to fold all the flour into the middle.
5. It doesn't matter how you do this and it will be a mess but it comes together I promise!
6. With the scraper or fork use a cutting motion up and down to try and get everything really evenly incorporated.
7. However you get there we just want a shaggy even mixture like this.
8. Bring the mixture together with your hands, squeezing it into a rough ball.
9. Squeeze and squeeze until it forms a ball. Again, it will come together, don't stress!
10. Knead for 3 - 4 minutes quite vigorously.
11. When it looks dimpled like this wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap and rest for 10 minutes.
12. After 10 mins you'll knead again (see below).
After the first rest
- Continue kneading for 3 minutes or so until you have a nice smooth dough.
2. Wrap up tightly again and rest for 30 minutes or up to an hour.
Why the double rest?
It really is a game changer and does a lot of the work for you just by sitting untouched! When you are bringing a pasta dough together you are hydrating the flour with the eggs. It needs time to do this so by resting it for that first 10 minutes you are giving it a chance to do so. You'll be quite surprised how different the dough feels after that first rest. It means you won't have to knead it for as long as you would normally.
The difference between Semolina and Semola
This is something that confuses a lot of people and is VERY important! Both are made from exactly the same wheat but are milled differently. Semola is what we call really fine semolina it is also the flour that goes into this egg dough along with '00'. It will most often labeled semola rimacinata.
What is labeled semolina is a much coarser flour but it also used in pasta making, just not in the dough. When making any kind of pasta having the courser semolina on hand is very handy for dusting trays and preventing the pasta from sticking.
How to roll pasta dough
This will be the only rolling guide you'll ever need. I take a few extra steps to ensure I get the silkiest smoothest pasta sheets possible. To start with, only work with a quarter of your dough at a time, even a sixth if you haven't rolled out dough before.
It's all fun and dramatic when you see people rolling out metre long sheets but it's difficult, impractical and unnecessary in my opinion! Keep the rest of the dough you aren't using tightly wrapped up.
- Press the quarter piece down flat with your hand or a rolling pin and dust with a little flour.
2. Roll it through the widest setting.
3. You'll have a long oval so take the rounded ends and fold them in to the middle to create a rectangle.
4. Roll it back through the roller at the widest setting and then the next setting (that is 1 and 2 on a marcato or kitchen aid)
5. Fold the rectangle in half and dust with a little flour.
6. Take it back through the widest setting.
7. Now roll it through each setting 1, 2, 3 and 4.
8. After setting 4 fold the sheet into three.
9. You might need to trim the edges if it gets too wide for the roller.
10. Now take it back to setting 2 and go through them all again stopping at 6 or whatever thickness you like.
11. This is what gets extra smooth perfect sheets, folding and re-rolling it the key!
12. You'll now have a perfect sheet to use however you wish!
You should end up with a silky smooth pasta sheet! The thing to remember is as far as I am concerned there is no right or wrong way to do this! Experiment and find your own way. As long as you are going from the widest to the thinnest, who cares how you get there. ENJOY the process!
What can I make with it?
So many things! If you are a beginner pasta maker I would suggest cutting the pasta sheets into homemade pappardelle. Most machines comes with a pasta cutter you can attach which cuts the pasta sheets into spaghetti or tagliatelle. Remember, fresh pasta cooks quickly and these shapes will only take 2 minutes or so to cook.
Once you are feeling confident then homemade ravioli will be your next project, it might seem like hard work but with my guide it is very achievable. Another easy filled shape to make is my triangoli with a simple ricotta filling.
How long do you boil fresh pasta?
It depends on the shape you make. For a thin pappardelle, fettuccine or spaghetti then it should only need 2 minutes. Check it at 2 mins and see what you think. For filled pasta pasta shapes boil for 4 - 5 minutes. Again it depends on the thickness so you might need to experiment.
Can you make pasta dough without eggs?
Absolutely! There are two different types of pasta doughs in Italian cooking. Firstly, this classic egg and flour dough and secondly a flour and water dough. Most flour and water doughs are made with semola rimacinata, which is widely available. This is used for hand rolled shapes like my hand rolled gnocchi sardi or homemade orecchiette.
For the most simple dough of all you could make my hand rolled pici pasta which is simply plain flour and water. If I had to choose what dough I like best it would be a struggle but I really love the process of hand rolling shapes. It's a really fun and easy way to get into pasta making and a great activity to do with friends and family.
Gluten free pasta dough
I have a really detailed guide on gluten free pasta dough. It is much easier than you might think, it's mostly in the rolling technique. If you use my recipe you should end up with a really workable dough that you can make any shape with.
Other Recipe FAQs
I use a combination of '00' and fine semolina flour. The semolina gives a bit of bite and structure. You could use all '00' or all purpose flour too.
In my opinion, no. You are much better off making a finished pasta shape and freezing that. Pasta shapes freeze beautifully and it's my go to storing method. If making something like pappardelle then freeze the finished nests open on a tray. After 20 minutes transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container.
In an ideal world the dough rest period is only 30mins - 1 hour at the most. You could prepare it earlier and refrigerate but it will get more elastic and harder to work with the longer you leave it. It needs to be room temperature when rolled.
Yes! Truth be told I do a lot! Put the flour and eggs into the food processor and pulse to combine into an even mixture. Squeeze the mixture together and then knead on a clean work surface as usual. You could also knead the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached.
Made this recipe and loved it?
I would love love LOVE if you could leave me a review down below and let me know what you thought! I love to hear any changes or adaptions you have made too. Also if you put a photo on instagram, please tag me so I can see, it makes my day!
PrintRecipe
How to Make Easy Homemade Pasta Dough
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 people
Description
A fool proof pasta dough method that will have you creating pasta magic in your kitchen in no time!
Ingredients
350g '00' flour
50g semola rimacinata flour
228g eggs
Instructions
- Please read all the information above plus step-by-step photos.
- Mix the flours together in a bowl then tip it out onto your bench. Create a well in the centre of the flour mound, I use the bottom of a bowl to do this so it is nice and firm.
- Tip the eggs into the well and start to whisk them with a fork, breaking up the yolks and gradually incorporating the flour from around the sides into the middle.
- Keep doing this until the mixture in the middle is thick enough that it won’t escape or run out – a scrambled egg consistency!
- Go in with a bench scraper and start to fold it all together, cutting the egg mixture into the flour in an up and down motion. You are just trying to get a really evenly incorporated shaggy mixture.
- Bring it all together into a mound with your hands. Knead the mixture for a few minutes until it comes together into a workable ball. It will – don’t fear! If it feels dry you can wet your hands and keep kneading.
- When it comes together and has a slightly dimpled surface wrap it in cling film and rest for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes knead for a further 3 - 4 minutes until you have a nice smooth dough ball. The double rest is key!
- Wrap tightly and rest for at least 30 mins but I prefer an hour or up to three.
Rolling
- Please check out my rolling guide in images above!
Notes
- You can use 400g '00' flour if you wish
- If the dough feels dry at any stage, wet your hands with water and knead
- Prep Time: 1 hour
Will says
Super easy and super tasty! My 7 year old daughter and I had so much fun making it!
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Will, so glad you loved making it! A great project to make with your daughter 🙂
Sophie says
This is my go to pasta recipe now. So easy and therapeutic! Makes a really fantastic, smooth dough every time.
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Yay that's so great, thank you!! 🙂
Harriet says
Have used this a few times now and it’s the best pasta recipe! Always get a beautiful smooth dough..double rest is key!
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Thank you so much! It really is a game changer I can't believe I ever made dough with one rest!
Scott says
If you're letting the dough rest for 2 or 3 hours before making should you refrigerate or leave out?
Emilie Pullar says
No leave it out, 3 hours would be the maxiumum I would let it sit out 🙂
Jane Jess says
We just purchased a pasta maker as we had a lesson in Italy and had to try it. Used your recipe and the noodles were amazing!
Two questions for you. Can you make the dough and freeze and then roll out. And secondly can you make the noodles and freeze?
I’m looking ahead to a dinner party for ten and feel like it would be nice to have either dough or noodles ready ahead of time.
I love your site and it will be a regular go to for recipes and tips!
Thank you!
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Jane! I would personally never freeze dough but definitely freeze the finished pasta shapes! I freeze the shapes open on a tray for about 30 mins then transfer to a snaplock bag or container. Feel free to DM me anytime on insta with questions 🙂
Raeoni says
I picked up making pasta as a lockdown hobby and was never happy with the end result of the many inconsistencies I experienced with most recipes.
I now swear by weighing the eggs and getting this ratio right after seeing this on Emilie’s Instagram. Following this formula results in a hardy but workable dough that only gets silkier with each pass through the rollers. V happy to have found this!
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Raeoni thanks for such a lovely comment! People think weighing the eggs is too hard basket but when you get a perfect dough every time it's so worth it! 🙂
Laura says
Really easy and delicious, thanks so much for this recipe ??
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Yay so glad you found it easy! 🙂
Charline says
I had never tried making my own pasta because it always seemed too difficult but honestly, it was suuupeer easy! Wasn’t quite on point with the shape of my pasta but it tasted so good!!!
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Charline, so glad you had success with the dough recipe! Thanks so much for making it!
Michelle says
Made this dough and it was lush!
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Yay thank you Michelle! 🙂
Maja says
My first time making pasta, recipe was SO easy to follow and the videos/photos really helped! Will definitely make again, thank you!
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Yay that is awesome, thank you! 🙂
Ruby says
Loved this pasta dough recipe. I have tried a few others and my dough kept turning out dry and I would have to remember to leave flour out to get the right consistency. This recipe worked out perfectly. So soft and rolled out wonderfully. I can’t wait to try some other recipes of yours.
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Ruby, so glad it worked well for you! 🙂
Andrea says
Loved making this recipe! Such a great explanation of all the steps and my dough was smooth as silk and perfect! I felt like a total pro! Thanks so much for your gorgeous pasta inspiration Em- your page is truly a visual delight!
Emilie Pullar says
Yay so glad it worked for you so well!! 🙂
RMN says
What a fabulous recipe! I’ve tried so many recipes but this was the first time I was able to produce such smooth, supple, beautiful sheets of pasta. So delicious! Your terrific instructions made it so easy and now I can happily make fresh pasta a part of my weekly repertoire!
Emilie Pullar says
This makes me SO happy! Thank you 🙂
Vidushi (@vidushieats) says
I have been making pasta from scratch for years and have tried numerous variations methods, but I recently found this recipe and thought it was an excellent, easy dough recipe. The double rest really is key!
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Yay so glad it worked well for you! 🙂
Liz says
I started with and got really comfortable with hand-rolled shapes using flour and water dough, but have only just started venturing into egg doughs. Having this process laid out so clearly has been such a big help! And knowing the flours are interchangeable is so helpful for when I'm in a pinch! I can't wait to experiment more with egg doughs!
★★★★★
Sarah says
I have made pasta with this dough quite a few times, and the result is always perfect. I made tagliatelle, ravioli and agnolotti with it, and wanted to try something new yesterday so I made lasagna sheets - we loved it (and won‘t be able to buy lasagna sheets in a store ever again, the difference is huge!)
Best thing is, the recipe is really fool-proof. I did not have any experience making pasta before discovering your page, but the pasta came out perfect right from the beginning.
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Sarah, this comment makes me so happy! So glad you are loving making fresh pasta! 🙂
Chrysa says
Could you please tell me if i can knead the pasta dough with my Kenwood mixer?Thank you
Emilie Pullar says
Hi, yes definitely! You can't really over knead pasta dough so a machine is fine 🙂
Sam says
My first time making homemade pasta in years, and it was so much easier than I remembered! Absolute staple recipe now, so good!
★★★★★
Leti says
FINALLY! The perfect recipe. Delicious every time. This is the only recipe I’ve found to work perfectly for me for ravioli, lasagna or tagliatelle! Love it. Thank you so much!
Emilie Pullar says
That makes me SO happy!! So glad you have had success with it 🙂
Jen says
Lush and simple recipe with excellent results. Thank you Emilie for your beautiful pasta and great instruction!
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Thank you so much!! So happy you've had success with it 🙂
Suzanne says
Fantastic recipe! The bench scraper and 10 min rest were total game changers for me. Thank you!
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
So glad you had success with it, thanks so much! 🙂
Jules says
Recipe looks amazing, i'm left with a question, what could work as a substitution instead of semolina rimacinata flour? Thank you!
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Jules! Just use all '00' or all plain flour! The semola just adds a bit of bite, it's more tender without it so sometimes I leave it out anyway 🙂
Kalee says
Hi!
Do you ever double this recipe? Would it still work the same?
With the eggs, is it whole eggs including both whites and yolks?
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Kalee! Thanks so much for getting in touch. If you want to double it, make it in two batches. It would be quite impossible to properly knead a dough ball that big. Yes, i use whole eggs. The weight specified is without shells 🙂
Che says
Thank you for the fantastic recipe, won't go back to the old recipe I used to use anymore.... The double rest is a game changer. Perfect pasta every single time
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Che, so glad you have had success with it! 🙂
Emma says
My go to pasta recipe. Always turns out beautifully silky and smooth. My family gets so excited when they see the ingredients coming out
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Emma, so glad it's become your go to! Thanks so much for making 🙂
Brad says
This is such a great go to recipe - comes together so quick, goes through my kitchenaid attachments easy peasy and is perfect filled or as fettucine/spaghetti. SO SO GOOD.
Madie says
This is my go to dough. Comes out like a dream every time. Perfect ratio of ingredients.
Maisie says
This is the ONLY pasta dough I will ever make! From the first attempt at making pasta till now (6 months later - making every Sunday) - it's perfect every time.
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
This is so cool! So glad you are loving the dough recipe 🙂
Sherry @threechicas @floureggwater says
This is the best dough I’ve made, and I’ve made everyone’s recipe. It’s luscious, and your technique really does make it smooth and pliable.
Kellie says
Incredible technique - the two rests have rocked my pasta world! Then the detailed rolling instructions have been the cherry on top. Thank you for so generously sharing!
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Kellie, yay so glad you found the rolling instructions helpful! Thanks so much for making 🙂
Ines Vasconcelos says
Tried this yesterday, it was so good!!! The 10 min rest makes a huge difference! And the pasta sheets came out smoother than ever! Thank you so much for the recipe.
Emilie Pullar says
So glad you had success withe the recipe! Thanks so much for making it 🙂
Jess says
My ten year old makes this pasta regularly on his own. It's easy to make and no fail. But most importantly, it makes delicious pasta!
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Jess!! This is so cool, so glad that the fam loves making pasta x
Thao Rodriguez says
What kind of machine/device do you use to roll your pasta through? There are so many out there, it’s hard to chose. Appreciate any recommendations that you might have for home pasta making. We like all kinds of pasta.
Emilie Pullar says
Hi! I have a marcato atlas 150 which I highly recommend, they are a fantastic machine and really easy to find. I also have the pasta roller attachment for my kitchen aid too. Let me know if I can help with anything else 🙂
Imy says
Great recipe which made a super silky pasta dough that was lovely to work with!
Stella says
228g of eggs is equal to how many eggs??
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Stella, if you read the notes above the recipe it explains it. It will be around 4 but eggs vary so much in weight that is why I give a grams measurement. I have a bowl on my scales, set the scale to zero then crack one egg in at a time to get to that weight. You might need slightly more than four or slightly less. You can always crack the last egg into a cup, mix then dribble it in to make up the weight. Hope that makes sense 🙂
Judith says
Great recipe, thank you very much! What would you do if your egg weight is f.e. 215 gr: add water to get to 228 gr or use less flour?
Emilie Pullar says
It's always tricky when it's really close to 228! I would add water or a bit of olive oil to make it up 🙂
Lisa says
Hi,
Can I make tagliatelle the night before a party & store in fridge? Would this change the cooking time & final texture at all? Would you wrap into nests & put in fridge straight after cutting?
Thanks
Emilie Pullar says
Hi, storing in the fridge is really risky, it can get so sticky as there's too much moisture in there. I would go for the freezer. As soon as you've made the tagliatelle, wrap it up in nests dusted REALLY well with course semolina and put them open on a tray in the freezer. After about 20 - 30 mins transfer them to bags or containers then cook straight from frozen. It will taste perfectly fresh and is my preferred storage method. Hope that helps! 🙂
Manuela says
Double kneading really IS the key. Thanks for this hint. Perfect. Also adding olive oil to make up the weight of the eggs.
Easy peasy.
★★★★★