By Fraya Berg for Food Network Kitchen
Fraya is a chef and editor at the Food Network.
Making pasta by hand is as satisfying as having fun with Play-Doh. It is also an enjoyable group dinner activity. Here, we walk you through every step of making pasta, from making the dough to cooking it. Plus, a roundup of our favorite fresh pasta recipes on Food Network.
The answer to this question largely depends on the type of pasta you are making.
All-purpose flour is a completely viable option for making pasta. The same goes for bread flour. You will only have to stir in the egg to add protein to the mixture (for the pasta to keep a shape and have an al dente texture when cooked, the dough must contain starch and protein). Plus, you’ll need to knead the dough a bit longer to activate the gluten and get smooth, springy results.
00 flour is made from finely ground durum wheat into a powder. It contains less protein than semolina flour and gives a soft dough ideal for recipes such as tagliatelle, ravioli and linguine. If you can’t find it in your supermarket, you can substitute it with soft wheat flour.
Semolina flour is also ground from durum wheat. It is coarser and higher in protein than 00 flour, which makes it less elastic. It is best for pasta that needs to retain its grooves and edges when cooking, such as rigatoni or penne.
Pasta flour mixes are also available. For example, King Arthur Baking Company sells one that combines durum flour, semolina flour, and all-purpose flour. This type of mixture can be used to make any dough.
Here we show you how to make pasta with all-purpose flour.
First, pile the flour and salt in the center of your cutting board or bowl. Make a well in the middle and beat your eggs and add them to the well. If your recipe calls for olive oil in the batter, add it now. Use a fork to bring the dry ingredients into the wet, starting at the inside edge of the well. Keep bringing more flour into the egg mixture in the middle until all the egg is completely absorbed.
The dough will form a shaggy mass. Using your hands, bring the dough together, mixing the sticky bits with the dry ones. If the dough is very sticky, add a little flour at a time until it is kneadable. If it is dry, gather the wettest parts and leave the drier parts aside. Form a ball and start kneading it with the heels of your hands. Use flour sparingly or the pasta will be tough.
Once the surface of the dough is slightly smooth and still a bit sticky, form a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes. As the dough rests, the starch in the flour will absorb the water from the egg and the gluten will relax a bit.
While the dough rests, prepare the rest of your workstation. If you’re using a hand-cranked pasta maker, make sure it’s securely fastened to the counter. If you have an electric pasta roller, check that you don’t have long sleeves or hair that could get caught in the machine. Set the pasta roller to the widest position.
You will need a place to put your pasta once it is rolled. For cut pasta such as pappardelle or fettuccini, sprinkle the sheets with cornmeal or rice flour to prevent the pasta from sticking together after being cut and before putting it in the pan. Cornmeal and rice flour may stick to the pasta a bit, but when you drop the cut pasta into the simmering water, the two grains fall out of the noodles and sink to the bottom of the pan, their job is done.
Multiple passes through the pasta maker’s widest setting are a quick and easy way to knead your dough a second time.
Divide the dough into slices. Work with one section at a time and cover the rest. Coax the dough through as you turn the crank to the widest setting. Once the dough has passed through the machine, fold it in thirds as if you were folding a letter that fits in an envelope. Roll the dough again in the machine on the wide setting, with the folded edges pointing towards the sides of the rollers rather than straight up (otherwise you’ll get an air bubble that will burst and make a hole in the dough). If the dough comes out of the machine unkempt, with big dimples and a few holes, it means it’s too moist. Dip the dough in the flour and fold it again in thirds. Continue rolling and folding in thirds until the dough is smooth and silky, dipping it in the flour with each pass if you continue to see any ragged holes.
Now that the dough is completely kneaded, you will need to pass it through the pasta machine several times. Each time you roll the dough in the machine, you push the rollers together until you get the smoothness you need (your recipe should specify this).
At this point, the rolled pieces of dough are perfect for lasagna or any hand-cut pasta like pappardelle. Cut the pasta as soon as it is rolled and place it on the trays prepared with cornmeal or rice flour. For ravioli, it is important to work quickly so that the pasta sticks to itself once garnished and set. Cook the pasta that day or freeze it, sprinkling more cornmeal or rice flour on it and putting it in zip-lock bags.
Fresh pasta cooks much faster than dry pasta, and therefore you’ll want to use a pasta pot with a strainer (called a pentola) if you have one. A pentola will allow you to quickly remove the pasta from the boiling water, leaving any cornmeal or rice flour at the bottom of the pan.
Creamy pumpkin and flour come together in a food processor to make pumpkin pasta. Sage butter is the perfectly simple sauce to serve with.
Fresh pasta streams don’t need to be finished with lots of butter, just butter and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
This paste comes together in a food processor. You will fill the pasta sheets with a mixture of ricotta, gruyère, leeks and bacon bits, then cut ravioli with a pizza wheel (great).
Here, a recipe for fresh pasta that tells you how to roll out a roll made from durum wheat semolina flour with a rolling pin, no need for a pasta machine.
After making the ravioli, you bread them and fry them. Why are fried ravioli called grilled ravioli? You’ll have to ask someone in St. Louis. Either way, they are addictive.
Six cups of baby spinach give this homemade pasta its bright green color and refreshing herbal flavor. When running your handmade dough through your pasta maker, make sure it’s thin but not transparent.
This beloved butterfly pasta is easier to make than you might first think. When forming their signature shape, it’s essential to keep dusting your pasta pieces with flour if they get sticky.
This homemade pappardelle is the perfect base for a variety of delicious sauces like Creamy Mushroom, Saffron Cream, Stew and Classic Bolognese.
A mouth-watering blend of ricotta, parmesan and pecorino cheeses fill this envelope-shaped stuffed pasta.