Making fresh pasta dough is a simple, yet impressive culinary technique. It takes a little practice, but once you put in a little effort, it will take your skills in the kitchen to a whole new level. This dough is made with flour, farm fresh eggs and the option to add vegetable purées for vibrant color and unique flavor.

What Type of Flour to Use?

Semolina (Coarse Durum Wheat Flour): Great for pasta with a bit more texture, which gives the sauce something to cling to. It also has natural golden hue to it, which comes from the color of the durum wheat.
00: A soft, finely milled, white flour. This is a good choice for pasta with a smooth, silky texture.
All-Purpose: This flour will work fine for pasta dough in a pinch. It will need a little more kneading to achieve a strong gluten network.

I personally like to do a combination of flour in order to highlight the best characteristics in all of the them. Typically I go for 1:3 ratio of semolina to 00 flour.

Why Whole Egg and Egg Yolks?

Fresh pasta dough can be made using whole eggs, eggs yolks or a combination of both. The more yolks used in the dough, the more vibrant and yellow the dough will be. To obtain the richest, silkiest pasta I like to use whole eggs with the addition of extra egg yolks.

Why No Salt?

A basic rule in pasta making is to ‘salt the water, not the dough’. Salt will decrease water absorption and increase the dough development time. Leaving the salt out of the dough will result in a more uniform gluten structure. However, don’t forget to salt the pasta water when cooking! This is essential to the flavor of your final dish.

Adding Vegetable Purée:

Using vegetable purées in fresh pasta dough can add unique flavor and stunning color. Purées can be made from steamed or roasted vegetables however need to contain enough liquid to be blended very smoothly before adding to the dough. Chunks in the pasta dough could cause problems during the rolling process. When making the dough with the addition of vegetable purée, you’ll need to remove some of the eggs to account for the moisture content in the purée (see the recipe adjustment below). Different vegetable purées will have different textures, so adjust the dough according to how it feels. It should be firm yet pliable and slightly elastic. Add more flour or more vegetable puree as needed to obtain the perfect pasta dough texture.

Fresh Pasta Dough

Recipe by Nadine MossCourse: EntreeDifficulty: Moderate

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Fresh pasta dough made with flour, farm fresh eggs and the option to add vegetable purées for vibrant color and unique flavor.

Ingredients

Egg Pasta Dough
2 cups flour (00, semolina or all-purpose in a pinch)
2 eggs
3 egg yolks
Vegetable & Egg Pasta Dough
2 cups flour (00, semolina or all-purpose in a pinch)
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup vegetable purée (beet, spinach, carrot, leek, tomato, herbs, etc.)

Directions

To make the egg pasta dough: combine flour, eggs and egg yolks in a mixer with a dough hook attachment and mix until a dough forms. Scrape the edges of the bowl and mix again for around 2 minutes. If you don’t have a mixer, you can make the dough by hand. To do this, place the flour on the counter and make a well in the center. Add the eggs and yolks to the well and start slowly mixing in the flour using a finger, working from center outwards. Once a shaggy dough comes together, start kneading using the palms of your hand. Knead until the dough is firm and bounces back when poked. Wrap the dough in plastic and let rest for 30 minutes, or up to overnight in the fridge. Once rested the dough can be rolled out using a pasta roller, or a rolling pin. Dust lightly with semolina and roll to desired thickness.
If making the pasta dough with the addition of vegetable purée, you’ll need to remove some of the egg and replace with the purée (see recipe above). Combine all of the ingredients and mix with a dough hook attachment until a dough forms. Scrape the edges of the bowl and mix again for around 2 minutes. If you don’t have a mixer, you can make the dough by hand. To do this, place the flour on the counter and make a well in the center. Add the eggs and yolks to the well and start slowly mixing in the four using a finger, working from center outwards. Once a shaggy dough comes together, start kneading using the palms of your hand. Knead until the dough is firm and bounces back when poked. Wrap the dough in plastic and let rest for 30 minutes, or up to overnight in the fridge. Once rested the dough can be rolled out using a pasta roller, or a rolling pin. Dust lightly with semolina and roll to desired thickness.
Once your pasta dough is made, rested and rolled out, it’s time to shape. It’s fun to explore different options of cut pasta, such as Tagliatelle and Pappardelle or filled pastas such as Ravioli, Tortellini and Agnolotti. Fresh pasta can be cooked the day that it’s made or stored frozen in an airtight container.