How to Make Pasta

Boxed pasta is great, but making your own pasta is easier than you think. There are endless recipes for making pasta dough, but this quick and easy tutorial will show you how to make pasta in a flash.

Note: In order to achieve the proper texture, you will need a pasta machine. Electric pasta machines are available as stand mixer attachments, or you can pick up an inexpensive tabletop manual pasta roller at your local specialty kitchen store for as little as $25.

How to Make Pasta 

You Will Need:

• All-purpose flour
• Semolina flour
• Eggs
• Extra Virgin Olive OIl
• Water
• Salt

This pasta recipe is so simple that you don't even need specific measurements for the ingredients. Start with a clean counter surface - you won't need bowls or boards to create this dough.
 

1. Measure out equal parts all-purpose flour and semolina flour. You can estimate how much to use based on how much pasta you will need. For 2-3 servings you will need about 1 cup of each flour. You can increase as necessary.
    
2. Gently mix the flours together by hand and make a small mound in the center of the counter. Use your finger to make a well in the middle of the flour.
    
3. Crack an egg into the center of your well. (You only need 1 egg if you are using 2 cups flour, you may increase proportionally if you increased the amount of flour)
   
   
    
4. Add about a teaspoon each of water and olive oil (for 2 cups flour). Add a pinch or two of salt.
    
5. Using a fork, gently beat the egg, making sure not to break the sides of the well.
    
6. Use the fork to gently bring some of the surrounding flour into the center to combine with the egg. Be careful not to break the well initially. As you move further and further out, continue to push flour into the center until you have a pliable dough. (You may not need all of the flour, you still want the dough to be a little moist when you're done)
    
7. Kneed the dough gently in your hands until you have a smooth product. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
    
8. After the dough has rested, cut it into 3-4 small, workable pieces. Flatten each piece with your hands.
    
9. Set up your pasta machine for sheets at the widest setting. Run one piece of dough through the pasta machine, then fold in half and run through again. Repeat this process 6 or 7 times, as this helps to knead the dough properly.
   
   
    
10. Turn the pasta machine to the next largest setting and run the pasta through again. Continue in this manner, decreasing the thickness of the pasta each time. Dust the dough with flour as necessary. Continue until the pasta is paper-thin and you can see your hand through it.
     
11. Repeat this process with all of the dough.
     

Once the dough is rolled out, you can choose what shape of pasta to make depending on the cutters you have. To make ravioli, keep the dough as sheets and drop small amounts of filling several inches apart. Lay a second sheet of pasta on top, push gently around the filling to lock it in and cut your ravioli into squares or rounds.

Cook finished pasta in boiling water for 1-3 minutes.

Toss pasta with your favorite jarred or homemade sauce. Try our Always Easy Tomato Sauce for a quick and simple homemade sauce recipe.