How to Make the Best Homemade Pasta

According to chef Nancy Silverton and countless Italian nonnas, the best flour for making fresh homemade pasta by hand is a mix of semolina flour and 00 flour. Semolina is ground from strong durum wheat. It has a coarse texture, golden color, and is very high in gluten, which gives homemade pasta dough extra chew. 00 Flour – also known as doppio zero or pasta flour – is a variety of soft white wheat that is elastic and very finely milled. If you want to cook fresh pasta but don’t have – or can’t find – 00 flour, you can use less expensive, all-purpose flour from your local grocery store instead. 

In the lesson, Nancy is shown the techniques of fresh homemade pasta making from Bruna Strappaghetti and Stefania Belfico, chefs of Risotrante Masolino in Panicale, an ancient hilltop village in the Umbria region of Italy. These two Italian nonnas divulge to Nancy their pasta recipe secrets on how to make homemade pasta by hand, with a particular emphasis on the art of making tagliatelle, a traditional variety of Italian pasta.

Mastering the art of homemade pasta making means being comfortable and confident enough to make fresh pasta by hand. Making fresh homemade pasta is a simple process requiring nothing more than flour, a rolling pin, and a knife – along with a little time and patience. No advanced technology like a KitchenAid stand mixer or food processor is required for this rewarding and meditative process – and the payoff is a fresh homemade pasta dough that is highly superior to the store bought pasta you find at your local supermarket.

To make pasta dough at home, Silverton recommends using a large surface and an extra long and sturdy wooden rolling pin. A sharp knife or pizza cutter will allow you to cut dough into even strips of any level of thickness (which depends on the type of fresh pasta you’re making).

Unlike dried pasta, fresh pasta only takes a few minutes. For the best flavor, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water. Use silicone tongs to remove the fresh pasta noodles from the water and transfer directly into the sauce. Add a ladle or two of pasta water to help cling the sauce to the noodles.

To really allow the homemade pasta noodles to shine, we recommend simple sauces such as pesto, garlic and oil (aglio e olio), cacio e pepe, or carbonara.

For cut pasta, like tagliatelle, you can either air dry or freeze the pasta. To do so, place small nests of fresh pasta noodles on a parchment lined baking sheet dusted with some semolina flour. 

Air Dry: Leave out on your kitchen counter until completely dry, usually overnight. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Freeze: Freeze for 1 hour, then transfer to a plastic freezer storage bag or airtight container. Store for up to 2 weeks. Frozen pasta does not need to be thawed before cooking, just add 1 minute to the cooking time.

For cut pasta, like tagliatelle, you can either air dry or freeze the pasta. To do so, place small nests of fresh pasta noodles on a parchment lined baking sheet dusted with some semolina flour.

Air Dry: Leave the pasta and baking sheet out on your kitchen counter until completely dry, usually overnight. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Freeze: Freeze for 1 hour, then transfer to a plastic freezer storage bag or airtight container. Store for up to 2 weeks. Frozen pasta does not need to be thawed before cooking; just add 1 minute to the cooking time.

A less physically demanding way to make fresh pasta dough is to use a pasta maker or pasta roller. A pasta machine – which can be either hand-cranked or motor-operated – rolls, stretches, and cuts your dough into sheets for you. A pasta machine has different thickness settings, allowing you to set your pasta machine accordingly based on the type of pasta you want. You can also use a stand mixer with a dough hook to make this fresh pasta recipe.