Homemade Pasta Dough Recipes - Making Pasta Dough

Have you ever wondered how pasta is made, the different shapes and flavors that add so much of variety in Italian cuisine? Pasta is made of flour and water, which is kneaded together to make pasta dough. Pasta can be made using a variety of flour, such as wheat, durum, buckwheat, or even milled potatoes. Under Italian law, pasta can only be made from durum wheat flour or durum wheat semolina.

Fresh Pasta Dough

Ingredients

• Plain flour, 1 cup
• Olive oil, 4 tbsps
• Salt, ¼ tsp
• Water, as per requirement

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients, and knead until dough is smooth. Rest the dough under a wet muslin cloth for half an hour, and use as required.

Basic Pasta Dough

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour, 4 cups
• Large eggs, 4
• Large egg yolk, 1
• Extra-virgin olive oil, 1½ tbsps

Preparation

In a large flat cooking plate, mound the flour in the center, and make a well (see image for reference). In that add the eggs, egg yolk and olive oil. Beat well with a fork, taking care not to spill the egg outside the flour well. Mix the flour starting with the inner rim of the well. Once all the flour is combined with the egg and oil mix, start kneading the dough with your hands. One can use a food processor to knead the flour as well. Once the dough is formed, remove it from the flat plate and scrape out and discard all leftover bits. Lightly re-flour the plate and continue kneading for another 5 minutes more or until the dough is elastic and a little sticky. Wrap the dough in plastic, and allow it to rest for half and hour at room temperature. The dough is ready to be shaped as desired.

Fresh Semolina Pasta Dough

Ingredients

• Semolina flour, 2 cups
• All-purpose flour, 2 cups
• Salt, ½ tsp
• Large well-beaten eggs, 5
• Olive oil, 1 tbsp

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine semolina, all-purpose flour, and salt. Using a fork, mix all these ingredients well. Once done, sift into another bowl, and set aside. In a separate bowl, add all eggs and beat well with a fork. Add olive oil to the beaten eggs and mix well with a fork, until stiff and frothy. Use either a food processor or knead with hand to combine the egg mix with the flour, until the dough is formed and is elastic and pliable. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. Remove dough from refrigerator and let it rest for 15 minutes at room temperature. The dough is ready to be shaped as per your choice.

Making pasta dough at home can be a lot of fun, when children are involved. They love to roll them out into different shapes and sizes. With homemade pasta dough, you can try alternating different varieties of flour and spices to change the flavor.