Learn how to make pasta at home! This 4-ingredient homemade pasta recipe is easy to make, and it yields chewy, delicious noodles every time.
This homemade pasta recipe is our new favorite cooking project! Lately, Jack and I have been spending even more time than usual in the kitchen, experimenting with bread, baked goods, and even okonomiyaki. But we keep coming back to homemade pasta. It’s super fun to make together, and it only requires a handful of basic ingredients. Of course, the fact that it’s absolutely delicious doesn’t hurt either. 🙂
My homemade pasta recipe refers to the pasta maker attachment for the KitchenAid Stand Mixer, which is how we roll out our fresh pasta at home. If you don’t have a KitchenAid, don’t worry! You could also roll out this pasta dough according to the instructions on a regular pasta maker. However you make it, I hope you try this recipe. It’s an easy, fun way to spend an hour in the kitchen with someone you love, and at the end, you get to eat a big plate of chewy noodles with a perfect al dente bite.
Homemade Pasta Recipe Ingredients
You only need 4 ingredients to make delicious fresh pasta at home, and there’s a good chance you have all of them on hand already:
- All-purpose flour – In the past, I thought you needed 00 flour or semolina flour to make great fresh pasta, but this homemade pasta recipe proved me wrong. In it, regular all-purpose flour yields chewy, bouncy noodles every time.
- Eggs – The key ingredient for adding richness and moisture to the dough!
- Olive oil – Along with the eggs, a splash of olive oil moistens the dough and helps it come together.
- Salt – Add it to the dough and the pasta water for the best flavor.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Pasta
Ready to learn how to make pasta? Check out this step-by-step guide first, and then find the full recipe at the bottom of this post!
First, make a nest with the flour on a clean work surface. Add the remaining ingredients to the center and use a fork to gently break up the eggs. Try to keep the flour walls intact as best as you can!
Next, use your hands to gently mix in the flour. Continue working the dough to bring it together into a shaggy ball.
Then, knead! At the beginning, the dough should feel pretty dry, but stick with it! It might not feel like it’s going to come together, but after 8-10 minutes of kneading, it should become cohesive and smooth:
If the dough still seems too dry, sprinkle your fingers with water and continue kneading to incorporate it into the dough. If the dough becomes too sticky, dust more flour onto your work surface.
When the dough comes together, shape it into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
After the dough rests, slice it into 4 pieces.
Use a rolling pin or your hands to gently flatten one into an oval disk.
Then, run it through the widest setting of your pasta maker (level 1 on the KitchenAid attachment). I run the dough through the pasta maker 3 times on this setting before proceeding to the next step. If you don’t have the KitchenAid attachment, roll out the dough according to your pasta maker’s instructions.
Next, fold the dough… if you want to. This step is somewhat optional, but it will make your final pasta sheet more rectangular, which will yield more long strands of pasta. Plus, it’s super simple! Just lay the dough flat and fold both short ends in to meet in the center.
Then, fold it in half lengthwise to form a rectangle.
Once you’ve folded the dough, roll it out to your desired thickness. On my KitchenAid attachment, I run it through the pasta roller three times on level 2, three times on level 3, and one time each on levels 4, 5, and 6.
Repeat these steps with the remaining dough pieces. Each time you finish with a piece of dough, lay one half of it on a lightly floured baking sheet. Sprinkle the dough with flour, and fold the other half on top. Sprinkle the top with flour, too!
Finally, cut and cook the pasta. Run the pasta sheets through your desired pasta cutter attachment. Cook the noodles in a pot of boiling salted water for 1 minute, and enjoy!
Homemade Pasta Serving Suggestions
If you’ve never had fresh pasta before, you’re in for a treat! Its chewy, bouncy texture and rich flavor make it so much better than the dried pasta at the store. In fact, these noodles are so good that we usually serve them really simply. They’re fantastic with marinara sauce, pesto, homemade Alfredo sauce, or olive oil and vegan Parmesan or Parmesan cheese.
Of course, they’re delicious in larger pasta dishes, too. Use them instead of dried pasta in any of these recipes:
- Tagliatelle with Asparagus & Peas
- Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
- Fettuccine Alfredo
- Easy Pesto Pasta
- Roasted Vegetable Pasta
- Linguine with Lemon and Tomatoes
- Garlic Herb Mushroom Pasta
Find more of my favorite pasta recipes here!
Homemade Pasta
Equipment
- KitchenAid Mixer (the stand mixer to use the pasta attachment)
- Pasta Attachment (my favorite KitchenAid attachment!)
- Baking Sheets (I use these nonstick ones from Nordic Ware)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
- 3 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Place the flour on a clean work surface and make a nest. Add the eggs, olive oil, and salt to the center and use a fork to gently break up the eggs, keeping the flour walls intact as best as you can. Use your hands to gently bring the flour inward to incorporate. Continue working the dough with your hands to bring it together into a shaggy ball.
- Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes. At the beginning, the dough should feel pretty dry, but stick with it! It might not feel like it’s going to come together, but after 8-10 minutes of kneading, it should become cohesive and smooth. If the dough still seems too dry, sprinkle your fingers with a tiny bit of water to incorporate. If it’s too sticky, dust more flour onto your work surface. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Dust 2 large baking sheets with flour and set aside.
- Slice the dough into four pieces. Gently flatten one into an oval disk. Run the dough through the Pasta Roller Attachment or a pasta maker three times on level 1 (the widest setting).
- Set the dough piece onto a countertop or work surface. Fold both short ends in to meet in the center, then fold the dough in half to form a rectangle (see photo above).
- Run the dough through the pasta roller three times on level 2, three times on level 3, and one time each on levels 4, 5, and 6.
- Lay half of the pasta sheet onto the floured baking sheet and sprinkle with flour before folding the other half on top. Sprinkle more flour on top of the second half. Every side should be floured so that your final pasta noodles won't stick together.
- Repeat with remaining dough.
- Run the pasta sheets through the Pasta Cutter Attachment (pictured is the fettuccine cutter). Repeat with remaining dough. Cook the pasta in a pot of salted boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes.
Notes
adapted from Serious Eats
How many calories per serving? Please and thank you!
Can I use semolina flour?
Hi Pamela, we haven’t tried using semolina flour here, so I’m not sure how it would work.
Semolina is best for pasta. It will change ratios though. I would look up a traditional Italian pasta recipe if using semolina.
Close would be run all purpose through a sifter 3 or 4 times for this recipe. Which I’d recommend for any type of dough if using all purpose any way.
I used Semolina & 00 flour for this recipe & it turned out great. Please see below:
1 cup – Semolina Flour
1 cup – 00 flour
I also added another ½ tbsp of oil.
I made this recipe today. Followed the instructions and came out perfect!
I mixed in standing mixer, and let the dough rest covered for about 3 hours at room temperature.
Dough was easy to roll and wasn’t sticky at all.
Very tasty. Next time I will add more salt to the cooking water and it will be perfect
Hi Natalia, thanks for sharing your method. I’m so glad you loved the pasta!
The recipe works, but in my case, it was far too moist and sticky. I wound up adding about 1/2 cup of flour to get it to the correct consistency so that I could work with it. Even then, after I got it to the pasta roller, I would have preferred it a little stiffer/dryer.
Hi, glad you enjoyed it! The amount of flour you need can vary based on the humidity, how tightly you pack your flour, etc. If the dough is too sticky, I’d recommend doing what you did and kneading in more flour until it becomes cohesive and smooth.
Mama mia
How many would this serve please
3 to 4 people
Hi, this recipe serves 3 to 4.
I had found a recipe that I wasn’t thrilled with. I’m going to try your recipe out. In the other one it said you could dry on the counter between towels for an hour then nest it and freeze it. Would I be able to do the same with yours?
Hi Kristi, I haven’t tried freezing my pasta – I think others have in the comments but I’m not sure how it’ll go.
This recipe is amazing! Just one question, if I want to then dry my pasta to preserve for longer — do I just let it sit on the counter to dry or is there some extra process I should follow to dry the pasta?
Wooden pasta stands will meet your needs. They’re inexpensive and break down for easy storage. Simply lay the pasta over the horizontal arms and allow the pasta to dry completely. Your pasta can then be stored for later use. The key is to make sure the pasta is dried completely. Otherwise, mold can form on your pasta.
I made this using the Kitchen Aid pasta recipe. When I ran it through the pasta roller, it looked like Swiss cheese. What did I do wrong? I am definitely going to try your recipe. Will let you know how it turns out.
Hi Jill, I’m not sure what went wrong, but I hope this recipe turns out well for you!
In my experience, your dough was too thick to run through. Double it over and run it through again.
Dough too thick to pass through the rollers. Try flattening a bit with the hand or a rolling pin, then carry on with the pasta roller. Also important to let the dough rest enough time after mixing, as it allows the gluten to relax and it’s easier to work
I honestly NEVER write reviews when it comes to online recipes, but I just have to say…THANK YOU! I made homemade pasta last week using a different recipe and it was a nightmare. Your recipe made it simple and stress-free and I really wish I had found yours first!
Hi Kristin, I’m so happy you loved the recipe!
Yes
I made this once and it worked really well. The second time I got interrupted, so now I have a ball of saran wrapped dough in my refrigerator. Can I still use it to make noodles, or should I start again?
Hi Christie, I would try letting it sit on the counter until it comes to room temp before trying to roll it out. I haven’t tried it from the fridge, so I’m not sure if it’ll be too dry.
I finally got my KitchenAid attachments Xmas gift out of the box 😉 and made this long awaiting recipe.
It turned out perfectly, as do all your recipes. The clear instructions were a great help to a 1st time pasta maker. Just thrilled with the results. Thank you Jeanine.
I made your Vegan Alfredo Sauce to accompany my fettuccine, also 1st time making the vegan version. The homemade pasta is a great new addition to my from scratch kitchen.
Hi Lainey, amazing! So glad you loved both recipes. What a delicious meal!
The recipe is perfect just the way it is, I had no issues, it came out the perfect consistancy, perfect recipe I doubled it…
So glad you loved it!
This is our family’s go to pasta recipe! I usually mix it in my kitchen aid when I feel lazy😅. Delicious!
Hi Marin, I’m so glad you love it! Great to know you’ve had success making the dough in the mixer too.
Perfection. My go to several times a week
Hi Jules, I’m so glad you love the recipe!
Amazing and simple recipe. Remind me too much of my weak arms because I was in pain for too long trying to knead out the dough. I guess I must have gone to work out at my gym before trying to do this hand triathlon with pasta dough. But the pasta tasted very good!! Will make this a household staple after getting buff
Love this recipe! Have you ever mixed it in the mixer instead of kneading by hand?
I used the kitchen aid hook attachment and it worked. Making it into a ball without having to knead it by hand. Just need to add some water to it.
Do you knead for the same amount of time using the mixer?
Great recipe, but i also had to add water.
Made this simple pasta tonight with my 4 year old granddaughter and my kitchen aide pasta set up. Her Dad is learning too. Dough may seem a bit dry to start but a few sprinkles of water helped, and we all enjoyed a seafood pasta dinner after a bit of work. Easy, basic and just the right amount for 4 generous portions!
I’m so glad you enjoyed making it together!
CANT wait to try this especially reading about the amount of bug particles the FDA now allows in dried, boxed pasta. Think we ALL need to go old school when ever possible
Thank you for this easy to follow recipe. We just got a simple cheap hand pasta maker and my 9 year old daughter made this tonight with very little help and it was delicious! She also loved using the pasta machine! We had the pasta plain with some sausages and a simple Tomato sauce. Will become a new family favourite for sure. 👍
Hi Mandy, I’m so glad you both loved it!