Homemade Pasta

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.

Homemade pasta recipe

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.

Flour, eggs, salt, and olive oil

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.

Whisking eggs in mound of flour

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!

Kneading eggs and flour together

Next, use your hands to gently mix in the flour. Continue working the dough to bring it together into a shaggy ball.

Fresh pasta dough

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:

Homemade pasta recipe dough

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.

Fresh pasta dough cut into 4 pieces

After the dough rests, slice it into 4 pieces.

Rolling out homemade pasta

Use a rolling pin or your hands to gently flatten one into an oval disk.

How to make pasta with a stand mixer

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.

Folding ends of dough rectangle to meet in the middle

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.

Rectangle of fresh pasta dough

Then, fold it in half lengthwise to form a rectangle.

How to make fresh pasta with a stand mixer attachment

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!

Homemade pasta dough on a baking sheet

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 recipe

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:

Find more of my favorite pasta recipes here!

Homemade Pasta

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Homemade Pasta

rate this recipe:
4.97 from 1242 votes
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Resting Time: 30 minutes
Serves 3 to 4
This fresh homemade pasta is SO delicious and easy to make! Serve it simply with olive oil and Parmesan cheese, or use it in your favorite pasta recipes.

Equipment

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

Fresh pasta can be stored in the fridge, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days. 

adapted from Serious Eats

644 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Hortence Hidalgo
    04.27.2022

    5 stars
    My grandson just gifted me the pasta maker attachment to my KitchenAid! I can hardly wait to make this recipe! Can I mix the dough in my KitchenAid instead of on the counter?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      04.28.2022

      Hi Hortence, it’s a very stiff dough so it’s actually easier to do by hand (compared to other doughs: bagels, pita, pretzels, that we mix in the KitchenAid mixer).

  2. Monique
    04.25.2022

    5 stars
    Absolutley beautiful reciepe, first time having fresh pasta and I will never go back. Its so good thank you.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      04.27.2022

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  3. Shelly Semrad
    04.17.2022

    5 stars
    This was my first time making pasta (other than potato gnocchi) from scratch- what an easy recipe! I used 00 flour – because I had some hanging around, but what a smooth and elastic dough. Very satisfying to pass through the pasta roller. First time I used since my mother gifted it to me in 1999!! Thanks!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      04.27.2022

      Hi Shelly, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!

  4. Jessica
    04.16.2022

    5 stars
    I followed the recipe almost exactly. The only thing I changed was avocado oil instead of olive oil because that’s all I had on hand. It came out perfect! My three and one year old ate a bowl each with nothing on the pasta. Definitely a repeat recipe in my household.

    Others asked if you can freeze the pasta. I haven’t tried freezing it but my KitchenAid pasta manual says that you can. To air dry for no more than one hour and place in an airtight container and sprinkle with flour. It does not state how long it can last. Hope that is somewhat helpful.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      04.17.2022

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  5. Angelica
    04.09.2022

    Can you freeze it as a ball? And if so, how long will it keep?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      04.11.2022

      Hi Angelica, I haven’t tried that, I’m not sure it’ll work.

    • Torena
      04.24.2022

      5 stars
      I have before and did again today. Then I can thaw and roll out and make ravioli! Yummy I love this recipe.

  6. Jo
    04.01.2022

    Can you freeze this pasta in small nests in advance and then cook later?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      04.02.2022

      Hi Jo, I haven’t tried freezing it, so I’m not sure.

  7. Melissa
    03.29.2022

    Perfect taste and and texture. Thank you

  8. Victoria
    03.27.2022

    5 stars
    I am gonna make this for my mom. It was soooo good and easy to make I’m 12 and I’m gonna tell my friends about this!

  9. Martha Lucia Specht
    03.25.2022

    5 stars
    OMG , we love it , I had my husband helping me with kneading at the end and had to add a few drops of water , End product was amazing,Beautiful texture,great mouth feel Now I have to practice with GF flour.Thanks for sharing it.Lots of my friend saw my posting on FB and are willing to try.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.27.2022

      I’m so glad your pasta turned out so well! And thank you for sharing on FB 🙂

  10. Monk
    03.23.2022

    5 stars
    I vastly overestimated my kitchen skills. I just made absolutely the worst pasta. And then some mostly ok pasta! The recipe works fine! I just don’t.

    But like I just really messed up the first batch, made it way too thick somehow managed to undercook AND overcook it simultaneously. It was also slimy.
    Technically, you could eat it but honestly eating all the raw ingredients separately might be an improvement.

    Second batch worked fine.

    I have much more respect for pasta makers now.

  11. Beth
    03.20.2022

    1 star
    Unfortunately, I’ve made this recipe 4–5 times times and for some reason the dough never forms and falls apart. Too much dough maybe?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.21.2022

      Hi Beth, if you keep adding water until it forms, it’ll eventually come together. It starts out really dry because it’s hard to go back and take out water if too much was added in the beginning. If it becomes too wet, it won’t roll.

  12. Jackie Bella
    03.20.2022

    Can this be made with almond flour?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.21.2022

      Hi Jackie, no it can’t. I might gooogle to find another recipe where someone specifically made pasta with almond flour.

  13. Dan Smith
    03.12.2022

    is it OK to pre-make the dough, like earlier in the day ?

    • Brianna
      03.20.2022

      It can be stored in the fridge for two days

  14. Lidija
    03.06.2022

    5 stars
    This is the only recipe that actually worked for me pefectly! I have tried may and always something was not missing. Thanks much!!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.07.2022

      I’m so glad your pasta turned out well!

  15. William H
    03.06.2022

    4 stars
    I have tried this recipe 3X and each time I have had to add an additional 1 – 2 tsp of additional water to make it kneed without crumbling. I am using unbleached flour though.

    If it is too “wet” to roll out, I just dust with a little flour.

    Pasta made is very good though.

    • Aiden
      03.06.2022

      5 stars
      If you use a scale and ensure it’s 240 grams for two cups of flour, you should have success. Hope this helps.

      • Elle
        03.13.2022

        Could you add the weight measurements to the recipe itself? Makes it a lot easier for those of us that needs grams.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.07.2022

      Hi William, I’m glad your pasta turned out well.

  16. Austin from pretzel-lectern.blogspot.com
    03.02.2022

    5 stars
    I loved this homemade pasta! Super delicious and way better than the store bought dried stuff.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.03.2022

      I’m so glad you loved it!

    • Breeanna
      04.11.2022

      5 stars
      This was so fun and came out great my kids loved it! Thanks for sharing pasta tasted wonderful!!!

      • Jeanine Donofrio
        04.13.2022

        I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it!

  17. Lara
    03.01.2022

    Can I prepare and knead the dough itself in the kitchen aid mixer?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.03.2022

      Hi Lara, it’s a really stiff dough so I think it’s easier to knead this one by hand.

  18. Rondi Savenetti
    02.28.2022

    What if I don’t have any sort of pasta maker, except for my own hands?

    • Dave
      03.01.2022

      Use a rolling pin, get it down to 1/16″ and slice it with a knife or a pizza cutter into strips. Boil approx 2-3 min and eat. It won’t look like the store bought stuff but it will still be delicious. 🙂

  19. Cathy
    02.26.2022

    5 stars
    I bought a pasta maker a few years ago and had a few bad attempts and have avoided trying again since. Tonight I tried your instructions and it worked beautifully! I love fresh pasta and am excited to have it more often at home. Thank you!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      02.27.2022

      Hi Cathy, I’m so glad your pasta worked out well!

  20. Deb Z
    02.21.2022

    Looks good. How about a pasta recipe for vegans?

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.