I didn't come up with this recipe, I don't think anyone knows who did but this is the traditional fresh egg pasta dough. In this recipe, I explain how to successfully make it at home. Learn what ingredients to use, how to mix the eggs into the flour, how to knead the dough, how to know how long to knead the dough, how long to rest the dough and much more!
Ingredients in Traditional Fresh Pasta
Eggs and 00 Flour
That. Is. It.
How to make Fresh Pasta By Hand
- Create a well with the flour
- Crack the eggs in the middle
- Whisk the eggs around with a fork.
- Slowly incorporate the flour into the egg
- Whisk until a dough ball is formed.
- Knead the dough, slowly adding the rest of the flour from your work surface.
- Knead the dough until the dough passes the windowpane test.
How to mix eggs into flour to make fresh pasta
Make the well
- Weigh out the flour and make a well on a clean work surface.
- The well should have high enough sides that the egg with not spill out and there should still be a layer of flour on the bottom so that the egg doesn't touch the work surface.
Add the Eggs
- If you are new to this, I recommend whisking the eggs in a separate bowl and then adding them to the well.
Form the Dough
- Using a fork, rapidly rotate the eggs in a continuous circular motion. Each rotation of the eggs will bring in the smallest amount of flour and incorporate it.
- Continue to do this until you are able to form a solid piece of dough. This takes time to do properly, its best not to rush it. Overall this takes about 10 minutes to do.
How to know when you have kneaded pasta dough long enough
- The dough passes the windowpane test (when you gently stretch the dough it has the ability to stretch thin enough to see a shadow behind it without it breaking. Another way to tell is by poking it with your fingertip. If the dough bounces back, it is ready.
How long to cook fresh pasta for
- Refrigerated or Room Temperature - 3 Minutes
- Dried - 4-7 Minutes
- Frozen - 3-5 Minutes
What is the difference between 00 flour and all-purpose flour for making pasta?
If you don't know, I am a farmer and I grow wheat so bare with me if I nerd out here. There are different varieties of wheat. All-Purpose Flour is made from a variety called Hard Red Wheat and 00 Flour is made from a variety called Soft White Wheat. All wheat that is grown can have a different amount of protein in it. The protein level changes each year based on numerous factors but as a consumer, you would never notice that because grain companies buy and sort this wheat and then ship it to whichever processors want high and low protein products. All you and I need to know in the kitchen is that a higher protein means stronger gluten, more gluten equals a chewier bite. There is also a difference in the processing of this wheat that creates a different end product. 00 flour is more finely ground, its texture is similar to baby powder - so soft and fluffy! All-Purpose flour is still nicely ground it is the standard flour we all know and use in our kitchens.
| Flour Name | Protein | Uses | Wheat Variety |
| 00 | 8-9% | Croissants, Egg Pasta | Soft White |
| All-Purpose | 10-12% | Most Baked Goods | Hard Red |
| Bread | 13-15% | Bread | Hard Red |
How to roll fresh pasta without a machine
A rolling pin. There is a really fun video on this technique shown by someone more experienced than me. Check it out here on YouTube.
How to stop fresh pasta from sticking together
Dust Cut Pasta in Semolina Flour (cornflour and rice flour are good alternatives)
Once you've made and thinned out your pasta, you're ready to start cutting! But at this point of the pasta-making process, the dough can easily start to stick together, creating one giant clump that you have to re-roll and cut.
Coating your fresh pasta in semolina, corn or rice flour immediately after you cut it prevents your dough from sticking together. If you use wheat flour you will have a mess on your hands so don't even think about it.
PLACE A BOWL WITH ALTERNATIVE FLOUR UNDER YOUR PASTA CUTTER
Place a wide bowl with 3T of semolina, corn or rice flour under your pasta cutter. This prevents you from having to handle the dough too much or transfer it to a baking sheet. Since the pasta is being collected right into a bowl with your flour, you just need to lightly toss the pasta in the flour before forming nests.
Best sauce to use on Fresh Pasta
If you like red sauce try my Easy Oven Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce. If you like a cheese sauce try my Marscapone Pasta Sauce which is simply mixing half a fresh lemon's juice with ½ a cup of mascarpone cheese, ¼ cup of pasta water salt and pepper to taste and freshly chopped parsley. I love this sauce because you
Can I make Fresh Pasta ahead of time?
Make the pasta and then distribute it on a floured baking sheet and sprinkle it with semolina. You can leave it this way, uncovered, for a few hours.
If you want to make the pasta a few days ahead, you can refrigerate it too. Make the pasta then distribute it on a baking sheet sprinkle it with semolina flour, leave to dry for a couple of hours at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
Traditional Fresh Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 Large Eggs
- 300 Grams 00 Flour
Instructions
This recipe is about forming the dough by hand
Make the well
- Weigh out flour and make a well on a clean work surface.
- The well should have high enough sides that the egg with not spill out and there should still be a layer of flour on the bottom so that the egg doesnt touch the work surface.
Add the Eggs
- If you are new to this, I reccomend whisking the eggs in a seperate bowl and then adding them to the well.
Form the Dough
- Using a fork, rapidly rotate the eggs in a continuous circular motion. Each rotation of the eggs will bring in the smallest amount of flour and incorporate it.
- Continue to do this until you are able to form a solid piece of dough. This takes time to do properly, its best not to rush it. Overall this takes about 10 minutes to do.
Knead the Dough
- Once you have a piece of dough that is solid enough to work with using your hands instead of your fork you can start to knead. At this point you will likely have about ¼ cup of flour left on your work surface that hasn't been worked in. As you knead the dough it will be sticky and you can sprinkle this excess flour onto the dough ball. By then time you're done kneading it is very likely that you will have incorporated all of the flour you originally put on the work surface.
- To knead dough you simply push the dough away from yourseld with the heel of your hand and then pull it back towards you. Rotate it 90° and repeat.
How to tell if you have kneaded enough
- The dough passes the windowpane test (when you gently stretch the dough it has the ability to stretch thin enough to see a shadow behind it without it breaking.Another way to tell is by poking it with your fingertip. If the dough bounces back, it is ready.
Cover and Rest
- Now you can form your dough into a disc shape and cover it with saran wrap. Place in the frige until ready to roll. Minimum 30 minutes. Maximum 3 days.
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