One of my ultimate “let-me-pat-myself-on-the-back” moments is when I make fresh pasta. Pasta is one of my favorite things to eat. There are so many combinations of not only pasta shapes, but sauces that can be put together to create a delicious dish.
There is an art form that comes along with making homemade pasta. But the best part is: ANYONE can make it! Don’t get me wrong, I think the first time I made it the dough was far from perfect, but that’s the charm in anything homemade. It’s rustic, your own hands were kneading (and sometimes with the Kitchenaid’s help) the dough, you cut, you shaped, you filled. It was all you. It was much easier to just boil the water and pour in the dry pasta from the box. But you created so much more, it’s such an accomplishment. There are only a few simple ingredients, but together, they create a silky, smooth dough that you can be proud of.
The ingredients
No matter what shape you pick (with a few exceptions like gnocchi and manicotti), you’re going to start with the same basic dough and ingredients. Flour, egg, salt, and sometimes olive oil depending on the recipe. Since you are only using a few ingredients, some people like to get a little fancy with their flour. Two types you may see in pasta dough recipes: Semolina and “00”.
Semolina is a course, pale yellow flour that is made from durum wheat. It has a high protein and gluten content, which makes it perfect for pasta and pizza dough. The taste is slightly sweet, and has a coarse texture similar to cornmeal. The James Beard Foundation has a great recipe using semolina flour here. You can find semolina pretty much anywhere. One of my favorite’s brands is Bob’s Red Mill.
“00” Flour (doppio zero) is listed in Italian recipes, is not as easy to find. It’s a super ground, powder-like flour, is actually lower in gluten than AP or semolina flour. But the final product is a softer, suppler dough that is very easy to work with. Napoli is the brand that I usually get or see in the Italian speciality stores.
If you can get any of these flours, great!!! If not, DON’T WORRY! Good ole’ AP flour will work perfectly and your homemade pasta will be just as delicious.
My Go-To Recipe
If you google “homemade pasta dough”, you’ll come up with a lot of recipes. Bon Appetit has been my go-to fresh pasta dough. Anything Bon Appetit creates, you know it’s going to be reliable. It consistently has given me melt in your mouth pasta. Their recipe is linked here .
The next time you’re thinking about making pasta, try making it homemade!
