Making your own pasta dough is fun and every pasta lover should actually have done it at some point.
With just a few ingredients you can make your own pasta dough like they have been doing in Italy for centuries. Besides, you don’t need any expensive equipment. All you need are your hands, water and flour. We’ll get you started and tell you the basics so you can easily start making pasta dough yourself.
Making your own pasta dough is a tradition
Making your own pasta dough is an ancient Italian tradition. The secrets of the perfect pasta dough are passed on from generation to generation and often stay within the family.
Each region has its own customs and traditions. Not to mention the many pasta shapes that can be made from the pasta dough. But do not be discouraged because making pasta dough is quite simple.
Read on and make your own pasta dough the Italian way!
Why make your own pasta dough?
Why would you want to make your own pasta dough? We can give you the answer: it’s fun to do, you only need a few simple ingredients and it’s very cheap.
In addition, for us there is another important reason to make pasta dough ourselves. The basis of a delicious plate of pasta is of course the pasta. Start with the basics and make your own pasta dough. You will be amazed by the result and the taste sensation.
How much time does it take to make pasta dough?
It may surprise you but making your own pasta dough takes very little time. Especially if you always have the ingredients in your pantry. And that chance is good.
Simply put, making pasta dough takes about 20 min. From start to finish. And the result is definitely worth the extra time!
Pasta dough is made with flour
But not just any flour. Always use durum wheat flour for your pasta dough. You can find it on the shelf of pasta products in your local supermarket.
It is also referred to as Farina Tipo 00. This is the Italian designation. This flour is extra finely ground and good to use for making your own pasta dough.
Pasta dough recipe without egg
The best pasta dough is made from a few simple ingredients. Flour, water and a little bit of salt. That’s it! The basis of any pasta dish can be as simple as that.
If you want to make an extra tasty pasta dough you can also add some eggs to the dough. We give you our pasta dough recipe that is meant for 4 people.
This recipe is without eggs.
400 grams of flour
200 ml lukewarm water
pinch of salt
This is the basis of your pasta dough.
Pasta dough recipe with egg
Do you want to make a pasta dough that is extra creamy and flavorful? Then you can choose to add eggs to your pasta dough recipe.
Simply put, omit the water and exchange it for eggs. Keep in mind that eggs are nutritious. Therefore you will need less pasta than with a pasta dough recipe without eggs.
The pasta dough recipe below is for about 4 people.
400 grams of flour (tipo 00, more on this later)
4 medium size organic eggs
pinch of salt
This is the basis of pasta dough with eggs. A simple but tasty pasta dough recipe!
Making your own pasta dough
Once you have decided which dough recipe you want to make, the pasta dough making can begin.
What you need is a large flat surface so you have room to mix the ingredients and knead the pasta dough. This can be a large cutting board or just the countertop. Be sure to clean your countertop thoroughly beforehand!
Start by placing the flour on your work surface. Make a nice pile of it. Then make a dimple in the top so it starts to look like a volcano. Put the water or eggs (depending on which recipe you’ve chosen) into the dimple.
Then take a fork and work the flour through it. You can also do this oldfashioned with your hands.
When the liquid part is absorbed the heavy work begins. Knead the pasta dough with your hands for about 10 minutes until it has become a nice smooth whole.
Do you notice that your pasta dough does not keep sticking together? Then add some extra water. Keep going until the pasta dough is nice and smooth but no longer sticks.
Once you’re done kneading, turn the pasta dough into a nice ball. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let the ball rest for about 30 minutes.
If you chose pasta dough with eggs, put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Storing pasta dough
Storing pasta dough is simple and easy to do. To start with, divide the leftover pasta dough into several portions. Put the portions in different bags and put them in the freezer. This way you can store pasta dough well and more importantly, use it again later.
As soon as you want to use the pasta dough, take it out of the freezer and let it thaw. After that, use it as you like!