All my most frequently asked pasta questions answered & in order i.e. ingredients & dough method can be found towards the top while cooking and storing your pasta can be found towards the bottom! š
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I’ve launched all of my online classes & courses for anyone who wants a more one on one pasta making experience & to learn to perfect their pasta making!
DOES PASTA HAVE EGGS OR CAN YOU MAKE PASTA WITHOUT EGGS?
There are two main types of pasta – pasta made with eggs and pasta made with water. Usually pasta made with eggs are flattened, cut, shaped or filled and pasta made with water is either rolled into ropes and hand formed with a textured tool like a gnocchi board or it is extruded through a machine like the pasta you find at the supermarket.
Pasta made with eggs is most commonly made with a fine white flour, called ’00’ extra fine flour. Using an extra fine flour like ’00’ produces a lighter and silkier pasta like you want for tagliatelle or ravioli. You can also use All Purpose Flour to make pasta, it will just not be as pliable, as easy to roll out thin and as light and silky as pasta made with ’00’ flour.
Pasta made with water as the moisture is most commonly made with a fine semolina flour called semola rimacinata made from durum wheat flour. Using a fine semolina flour for your pasta will produce a much lighter and fluffier pasta instead of a heavy and dense one. This type of pasta is hand formed into shapes like cavatelli or orecchiette or it is extruded through a machine which is how most boxed, dried pasta is made that you find at the store.
The difference in pasta with eggs and pasta with water is regional. Pasta made with eggs is more commonly found in Northern Italy, while pasta with water is more common in Southern Italy.
For both types of pasta recipes & pasta tutorials visit my website or watch me make both types of pasta on my youtube! If you need a little extra one on one help, take one of my online courses to perfect your pasta making!
DO YOU USE THE WHOLE EGG OR JUST THE EGG YOLK TO MAKE EGG PASTA?
Using the whole egg adds water to your dough which helps with the pliability and stretch, and is a better pasta making method for beginners.
Using the whole egg is also the more traditional way to make egg pasta & also the way my family makes it! Itās also my favorite way as youāre not wasting any part of the egg & get 2-3x more pasta using the whole egg!
Using just the yolk is a more fancy or upscale way of making pasta, as it delivers a golden colored pasta with a silkier texture!
DO YOU NEED TO ADD SALT TO YOUR PASTA DOUGH?
No you do not! Adding salt to your pasta dough is completely optional because you season your pasta when you add salt to your water before you cook it!
My egg pasta recipe is a family recipe and we add saltā¦ but as Iām sure youāve realized every recipe is different and there is not one way to make pasta!
It can depend on a few different factors like the region of Italy itās from, the shape of pasta youāre making, the family recipe, your environment changing the ratio of ingredients, the egg size – so many factors!
As for salting your water, there is only one method and that is to salt that water generously!
Iāve always grown up hearing that your pasta water should taste like the sea š So I usually add about a tablespoon of kosher salt for a pound of pasta š
The reason you should ALWAYS salt your pasta water isā¦
It enhances the flavor of the pasta, and seasons the pasta more evenly from the inside out it while it cooks š
Iāve also read that salt helps to reduce the stickiness that can form from the starch while youāre cooking your pasta because salt limits the starch’s ability become gelatinous!
WHAT FLOUR DO YOU USE TO MAKE HOMEMADE EGG PASTA?
For my homemade egg pasta, I almost always use Tipo ā00ā, an extra fine white flour that is ideal for pasta making – and amazing for pizza too! Here is where you can find my favorite 00 flour!
In Italy, flour is categorized from 00 to 2 by the grind of the flour with 00 being the finest grind and 2 being the coarsest
ā00ā produces a super flexible and pliable pasta dough with is a lot easier to work with since it rolls out super thin much easier than other flour
This allows you to get the softest, most silky pasta sheet that is ideal for your more delicate ribbon-like pasta like tagliatelle & fettuccine or filled pasta like ravioli & agnolotti š
CAN YOU USE ALL PURPOSE FLOUR TO MAKE HOMEMADE EGG PASTA?
You can absolutely use regular all purpose flour to make homemade pasta, and you probably wonāt even taste the difference when it comes to most types of pasta, however here are some benefits and reasons I use extra fine ā00ā flour over All Purposeā¦
TEXTURE
Lighter, silkier pasta – ā00ā produces a much lighter & silkier pasta so itās much better to use for pasta like tagliatelle that is rolled out super thin
PLIABILITY
Much easier to knead into a smooth dough ball – because ā00ā is so fine, itās much easier to get your dough super smooth, soft & pliable š
ROLLING OUT PROCESS
ā00ā is much easier to roll out thin! So if youāre having trouble rolling your dough out thin, it could be because youāre not using 00, especially when youāre rolling out your pasta by hand!
You can find the ā00ā flour that I use on my AMZ shop in my bio š comment 00 (two zeros) and Iāll send you the link directly š I make commission when you buy from my shop so itās much appreciated š
If youād rather stick to All Purpose since you already have it on hand, no judgment at all – it will still be absolutely delicious and MUCH better than boxed pasta!! I use it all the time when I canāt get my hands on 00 š hereās my recipe for one serving of pasta using AP flourā¦
1 whole egg
1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp salt [optional]
*I usually donāt add much extra flour when I use AP but if you live in a super humid environment especially with summer around the corner, you may need more!
CAN YOU USE GLUTEN FREE FLOUR TO MAKE HOMEMADE PASTA?
YES! You can definitely use gluten free flour to make homemade pasta! I have found that certain gluten free flour works better than others! Be sure the flour as xanthan gum and tapioca flour – these are both great binding ingredients since you don’t have the gluten to provide stretch in your dough.
Iāve finally figured out the PERFECT gluten free pasta recipe that makes by far the best gluten free pasta Iāve ever made – and Iāve made a lot! š Find my favorite flour here!
ALSO – Iāve just launched my online Beginners Gluten Free & Egg Free Pasta Making Course where you learn 4 different types of pasta and 8 different shapes! Youāll learn to make ravioli, my favorite shaped & formed pasta plus the silkiest gluten free fettuccine / tagliatelle & all you need is a rolling pin and knife!
WHAT TYPE OF FLOUR IS BEST FOR SEMOLINA PASTA WITHOUT EGGS?
Pasta made with water as the moisture is most commonly made with a fine semolina flour called semola rimacinata made from durum wheat flour. Using a fine semolina flour for your pasta will produce a much lighter and fluffier pasta instead of a heavy and dense one.
Here is my favorite fine semolina flour!
The difference in pasta with eggs and pasta with water is regional. Pasta made with eggs is more commonly found in Northern Italy, while pasta with water is more common in Southern Italy.
Pasta made without eggs and made with water as the moisture are usually either hand formed into shapes like cavatelli or orecchiette or extruded through a machine which is how most boxed, dried pasta is made that you find at the store!
WHY IS MY PASTA DOUGH STICKY?
Dough Hydration is really dependent on a few thingsā¦
Environment: Location – someone making homemade pasta in a tropical climate is going to have a much more hydrated dough, or stickier dough than someone making pasta in a drier climate and therefore they may need to add more flour to their dough than someone in a dry climate.
Environment: Time of Year – if youāre making pasta in August youāre going to have way more humidity in the air and therefore a much stickier dough than if youāre making pasta in February with the heat blasting which will dry your dough out!
Egg Size: Every egg is a different size, so if you use two eggs that are on the larger size vs two on the smaller size, youāll need a different amount of flour for each, and you may have a stickier dough if your eggs are larger.
HOW MUCH FLOUR SHOULD I ADD TO MY PASTA DOUGH IF STICKY?
You can add as much flour as you need into your pasta dough until it is no longer sticky. But be sure to add a little at a time since a little does go a long way!
It is much easier to add flour to your dough than add moisture to your dough especially if you’re already in the kneading process.
As mentioned above, if you live in a humid environment you will need to add more flour to your pasta dough to get it to the right consistency and hydration.
You want your dough to be hydrated without sticking to your hands. If your dough is sticking to your fingers with a light poke, and separating from the dough ball and onto your fingers, you need to add more flour.
This also applies to when you’re rolling out your dough. If your ropes or sheets feel sticky, then you can add more flour to all sides of your pasta sheets/ropes. You especially want to add flour before you cut your pasta so that the pasta does not stick to each other! If stick after you cut, toss your finished pasta in flour if they are sticking to each other – this will just add starch to your pasta water which you can use as a sauce thickener!
HOW LONG DO YOU KNEAD YOUR PASTA DOUGH & HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN IT’S READY?
First, you want to make sure to knead your dough for AT LEAST 5 minutes – I recommend kneading for 5-8 minutes or until til your dough is smooth & bouncy!
Through the kneading process youāll most likely need to add a little flour (unless youāre in a super dry environment – See FAQ on dough hydration/environmental effects) until your dough is no longer sticky.
This kneading process activates the gluten in your dough which will provide you that bouncy, stretchy & flexible pasta š
By the end of the kneading process, your dough should be as smooth and it should bounce back with a light finger poke!
For PASTA with glutenā¦
The kneading time is all dependent on the feel of your dough- your dough should be super smooth, without bumps and will bounce back with a light finger poke – this is how you can tell that your gluten is activated!
When using a machine it will be much less time, around 3-5 minutes, and will be super soft and smooth
When rolling out by hand, itāll be more like 5-8 minutes and again will be super soft, without any lumps in your dough!
From what Iāve read, you really canāt over knead your pasta dough, it will just get super smooth and bouncy
For PASTA without glutenā¦
The kneading time is just until your dough comes together!
Because there is no gluten, there is nothing to āactivateā so thereās really no need to knead for an extended time other then getting your dough fully mixed together –
For GNOCCHI with or without glutenā¦
Knead just until ingredients are fully incorporated, since too much kneading will cause your gnocchi to be gummy instead of light and fluffy
DO YOU HAVE TO LET YOUR PASTA DOUGH REST BEFORE ROLLING IT OUT?
ABSOLUTELY you should let your pasta dough rest, covered at room temperature for at least 30 mins!
The reason you rest your dough is so that gluten that youāve put in so much time activating through the kneading process can rest! If you donāt rest your dough, it will be super tight and will be very hard to roll out thin.
A few things you want to rememberā¦
Rest at Room Temperature – I like to explain it by comparing to your muscles, when you apply heat to your muscles, they become relaxed and easier to move and bend and flex – this is the same for your dough šŖ
Cover Your Dough while it Rests – this is so it doesnāt dry out and develop a āskinā on the outer layer. It also helps to keep your dough hydrated!
Rest for at least 30 minutes – and longer if you are having trouble rolling out thin! The longer it rests at room temperature, the more relaxed it will be when you go to roll it out. If you’re resting for longer than a few hours, you can put your dough in the fridge, just be sure to remove it and let it sit at room temperature(covered) for at least 30 mins to warm up!
DO I NEED A PASTA MACHINE TO MAKE HOMEMADE PASTA?
You do not need a pasta machine to make delicious homemade pasta! All you need is a rolling pin and a knife to make homemade egg pasta, and just a fork, textured tool or table top to make hand formed semolina pasta!
Here’s my easy to follow, 6 minute egg pasta making video on how to make homemade egg pasta with just a rolling pin and knife!
Here’s an easy to follow, 6 minute semolina pasta making video on how to make homemade semolina pasta without eggs with just a fork and a few textured tools!
HOW DO YOU ROLL OUT YOUR DOUGH SO THIN?
A few tips for rolling your dough out by hand…
š If you’re having trouble getting your egg dough thin enough, two things you can do…
I’d recommend using ’00’ extra fine flour which produces a more pliable pasta dough, one that is easier to stretch and roll thin.
Let your dough rest longer than the 30 minute timeframe to allow it to relax even longer – be sure it is covered at room temperature, adding to the fridge will cause your dough to tighten up and be much harder to roll it out!
š Donāt let your pasta dry out while youāre rolling the other halfā¦
If youāre working with a larger serving of dough, you can cut in half or quarters but be sure to cover the rest of your dough so it doesnāt develop an outer skin & dry out!
š Be sure to continue to flour your sheet throughout the rolling processā¦
This is so your sheet doesnāt stick to your board which could cause it to crease and become thicker in certain spots which could mess with the cook time
š To get it in the rectangle shapeā¦
I like to roll top to bottom with the sheet laying vertically, then flip it horizontally and roll side by side – this widens the sheet and makes an oval shape. Then I roll the corners which squares them out! Watch my youtube video to see the full process!
š To know whether itās thin enoughā¦
Youāll start to see the colors of your board or grain of the wood if youāre working with a wooden board – they say you should be able to read a newspaper through it aka youād be able to see the text through the sheet not necessarily be able to read it!
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE TOOLS FOR FILLED PASTA OR STUFFED PASTA?
The best tools to get to make filled or stuffed pasta areā¦
Pasta cutters, including straight edge cutters, wavy & scalloped edge cutters
The one I use the most, is the dual cutter that has a straight edge & wavy edge design š
You can totally use a pizza cutter for the straight edge cutter & seal with a fork, but the more zigzag, wavy cutter provides a cutter & sealer in one – this I use for ravioli especially!
The rounded pasta cutter that cuts circles is technically a pierogi cutter – you can also use a round cookie cutter for this!
The round cookie cutters that I like to use for ravioli come in a pack of 12 and go from extra large to extra small circles which come in handy for special designs šĀ
And then thereās some more fun cookie cutter designs Iāve used & love for special holidays š š š§āāļøĀ
And lastly – I love these reusable silicone piping bags that come in a few different sizes! Since I make a lot of pasta I like using a reusable bag for this but you can totally use a ziplock bag and just cut one of the corners if youād rather do that!
You can find all of the above here!
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR PASTA IS STICKY?
First, to avoid thisā¦
Flour both sides of your pasta sheets throughout the rolling process & ESPECIALLY right before you cut!
But if your pasta is still sticky(this happens especially with thin pasta like spaghetti!)ā¦
Sprinkle flour over your cut pasta
GENTLY toss your pasta several times to coat with flour
You may need to help it out & put a few pieces apart
Continue tossing your flour until all pieces are separated & fully coated with flour
A dough scraper helps when tossing smaller pasta like Gnocchetti, shaped or filled pasta
Here’s a video of the process!
From hereā¦
Pasta is ready to cook immediately in salted boiling water for 2-5 or more
DO YOU HAVE TO DRY HOMEMADE PASTA BEFORE COOKING IT?
This may be my most asked question! And the answer isā¦
NOPE, you do not have to dry your fresh pasta before you cook it!
Fresh pasta is ready to cook immediately once rolled out & cut, shaped, filled or formed!
HOW DO YOU COOK HOMEMADE PASTA?
Homemade Pasta is ready to cook immediately once rolled out & cut, shaped or formed.
Once ready to cook, add fresh pasta to salted boiling water & stir immediately to avoid it sticking or clumping together.
For Egg Pasta, cook time is about 2-5+ minutes because it all depends on how thin or thick you rolled your pasta out – if you rolled by hand and itās a bit on the thicker side, you may need to cook for longer than 5 minutes. If you rolled on a machine at level 8 or 9 (thinnest setting) than your pasta may cook in under 2 minutes!
I usually test a noodle after 2-3 minutes and then keep testing every 30 seconds to a minute (depending on how close it is to ready) until itās perfectly Al dente š
For Semolina Pasta, if you made Gnocchetti or Cavatelli, your pasta will be ready in just 1-2 minutes depending on how much dough is in each Gnocchetti š« Just like gnocchi, they will start to float when they are ready
If Iām making a creamy sauce or one that I want the pasta to continue cooking in the sauce – I almost always add the pasta directly to my sauce – Iāll remove when it still has a good bite and let it finish cooking in the sauce – i.e. I love to add my filled pasta or Gnocchetti to the sauce to continue cooking for at least a minute or two š This will also add starch to your sauce which really helps thicken it up!
TIP:
Make sure to fill your pot of water high enough that the pasta is completely submerged – if you donāt, your pasta will cook in the bubbles on top of the water & become slimy from all the starch that comes to the top
HOW DO YOU DRY HOMEMADE PASTA FOR LONG TERM STORAGE?
Drying pasta is the best way to store fresh pasta long term!
For longer Egg Pasta, you can either lie down on a parchment paper lined sheet pan or a drying tower/rack, which helps to dry your pasta more quickly & evenly
If using a pasta drying tower, I remove my pasta after a few hours of hanging, to avoid from becoming too dry & cracking, and transfer to a flat drying rack or sheet pan to finish the drying process – I personally remove after about 4 hours & transfer to a netted drying rack
For thinner formed or shaped pasta like orecchiette, farfalle or smaller Cavatelli, you can transfer to a drying rack or sheet pan & let sit until fully dried. *** For thicker formed semolina pasta, I usually freeze as it takes VERY long to cook them up when dried.
Once completely dried, store pasta in an airtight container in a cool, dry area for several months, up to a year!
Cook time for dried pasta depends on the type & thickness of pasta – cook in salted boiling water until pasta is floating or dancing in your water, and begin testing until perfectly al dente!
If storing for less time, up to a week or twoā¦
You can freeze your fresh pasta instead of drying it, which lessens your cook time significantly & keeps your pasta in the fresh state for longer š this is my go to method when storing for a shorter length of time
HOW TO FREEZE HOMEMADE PASTA FOR STORAGE
Once cut, place homemade pasta(egg, semolina, gluten free, etc.) onto cutting board or freezable surface
Stick in the freezer for 30min – 1hr to harden
Transfer to Freezer bag or freezer container for weeks – vacuum sealing will keep it fresher for longer, just be careful not to vacuum too tight
Enjoy within 1 week for optimal freshness š
Cook time from frozen is almost the same as fresh, just a few minutes & dependent on thickness of pasta!
āļøDO NOT THAW, add frozen pasta directly from freezer – will defrost immediately in the salted boiling water (thawing your pasta could cause it to stick!)