Make Great Fresh Pasta at Home: Tips From My Italian Mother-in-Law

We've talked a lot about homemade pasta here on The Kitchn, but I had never made homemade pasta noodles myself. Well, that has changed, and now I'm wondering: why did I wait so long? I did have one secret weapon, though: my Italian mother-in-law. To see what I learned from her about homemade pasta, read on!

When my husband and I were married, we received a wedding gift certificate to a major cookware shop, and I wanted to use it on something we'd both enjoy. A pasta maker was the obvious choice: he's a pasta fiend. Also, his parents were due for a visit, so we figured they could show us the ropes.

My mother-in-law's family is from Southern Italy, and her mother made fresh pasta all the time. It wasn't a gourmet indulgence or special project: it was a daily rhythm of life. Her mother would make huge batches and dry the noodles, then store them in jars or freeze them. Needless to say, there are quite a few pasta essentials she passed along from that history of family pasta-making.

We used the basic recipe Emma shared here:

Weekend Project: Make Pasta! - Here are our notes on a double-batch of this 3-egg pasta.

1. It is all about the dough.
The biggest thing I saw as she worked with the pasta is that it's all about the dough. If you have a smooth, well-worked dough, it's a cinch to roll it through the machine. In fact, that part was ultra-easy. We didn't need any extra flour or time to roll it through. If the dough is strong and supple, you don't even need to re-fold it back on itself as you put it through the machine.

So, how do you get that kind of dough?

2. Kneading is essential.
She worked that dough for at least ten minutes, kneading it and working it over and over again. She broke it in pieces and showed it to me halfway through, and it still had big air pockets (see above). It also still had crumbly bits of unworked flour sticking to the outside. When the dough was finished, on the other hand, it was completely smooth and elastic to the touch.

This is the hard work part! If you work that dough until it's completely smooth to the touch, the rest of the project will be easy. And how do you know when it's ready? Well, she said it was all in how it feels I guess I'm going to need a few years of practice to acquire the instinct!

3. Don't let the dough dry out.
After the dough is kneaded smooth, separate it into a few small balls. We did a double batch so she cut it into 8 portions. She kept each portion covered with a clean kitchen towel while rolling out the first ball of dough. She showed me how to roll the ball into a small oval no wider than the pasta machine. It's important to work quickly, because dry dough is harder to work through the machine.

Also, the dough is hard to roll out at this point, which brings us to the next tip:

4. Pasta-making is better with two (or three, or four) people.
This was a group effort! My father-in-law stepped in to roll the dough portions into ovals, while my husband helped feed the pasta through the machine. It takes two to roll the pasta through the machine, especially as it lengthens. It helps to have one person holding the top of the dough sheet, and another to grab it as it comes out.

We ran the dough through the machine about six times, starting on the first thickness setting, and skipping one or two on our way up the sixth. We kept the noodles slightly thicker to stand up to the robust tomato sauce I was cooking. We finished them up with the fettuccine cutter on the other side of the machine.

I grabbed the "little ribbons" as they came through and immediately shook them into separate strands and laid them flat to dry. You have to shake them free of their clumps right away or they'll dry together.

5. Making homemade pasta is very easy, and very fast.
I couldn't believe how fast it was to make up this huge double batch of pasta. From the time we started to the time we were completely done, with noodles drying all over the house, it was barely 45 minutes. The pasta also cooks faster, of course: these thick noodles took only about five minutes.

It was so worth it, and very cheap, too. My husband and I want to get this good at making pasta; maybe we'll start stocking up on it!

See also: How to dry pasta without a pasta rack!

More on homemade pasta:
Weekend Project: Make Pasta!
Kitchen Equipment: Choosing a Pasta Maker
On Making Your Own Pasta
Look! Patricia's Homemade Pasta Project

(Images: Faith Durand)

(Originally published March 9, 2009.)

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How To Dry Pasta Without a Rack

When I learned how to make fresh pasta (thanks to my Italian mother-in-law) it was so easy that I was definitely encouraged to try it again soon! But we did run into one little snag near the end: my mother-in-law asked if we had a drying rack. Well, no.

Pasta has to be quickly laid out or hung to dry as soon as it comes through the machine or as it's rolled and cut. The thin noodles will dry quickly so you want them in the right shape for that. Many people who make pasta regularly use a pasta rack with many wood dowels to drape the pasta over to dry. Others use laundry racks.

We didn't have either, so we improvised! This solution was actually quite easy in our little kitchen; we just used hangers and draped the pasta over, then hung them from doorknobs and chairbacks.

You can also lay pasta flat on a lightly-floured towel to dry, but it's best to hang it on a rack or hanger to let the air flow freely all around it.

How do you dry your pasta?

Related: How To Make Pasta: Tips From My Italian-Mother-in-Law

(Images: Faith Durand)

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How To Dry Pasta Without a Rack The Kitchn When I learned how to make fresh pasta (thanks to my Italian mother-in-law) it was so easy that I was definitely encouraged to try it again soon! But we did run into ... How to Dry Chili Peppers Without a Dehydrator eHow.com Entire dried chilis are used in many spicy Chinese dishes. Crushed or ground dried pepper is a common ingredient in Mexican dishes. Red chili flakes are used on ... How to Dry Homemade Pasta Suite101.com Homemade pasta is a great meal and homemade noodles are very easy to make. Learn how to dry pasta so you can store it for later. How to Cook Pasta Correctly - Lifehacker, tips and downloads for ... Boiling pasta is supposed to be simple. It's the perennial college student meal because it involves only about four steps, one of which is boiling water. But is it ... the fifth flavor: how to cook pasta without boiling water TLC Cooking "How to Make Homemade Pasta with a Machine" Making homemade pasta by hand is pretty simple; using a pasta machine makes the job even easier. Learn tips on making pasta with a machine here. How to Dry basil and tarragon without them turning brown Spices ... How to Dry basil and tarragon without them turning brown. Drying herbs using this method works well for herbs like basil, mint and tarragon. Herbs that don't have the ... How to Dry Pasta eHow.com Drying your fresh homemade pasta is the perfect way to preserve it for later use. Whether you plan to eat it today, a few days from now or even several weeks down the ... TLC Cooking "How to Make Homemade Pasta by Hand" It is very simple to make your own fresh pasta at home, even without a pasta machine. Just follow these basic steps and discover the delicious taste and satisfaction ... How to Make Fresh Pasta David Lebovitz A step-by-step guide - with photos, to making fresh pasta at home. It's easy!

How to Make Fresh Pasta from Scratch Cooking Lessons from The Kitchn

This weekend, let's all solemnly swear to break out the dusty pasta maker that's been stashed away on a high shelf and get rolling. Do you know how easy it is to make pasta at home? Really easy! Here's a great recipe for a basic egg pasta and a step-by-step guide through the entire process.

In this guide, I'm walking you through every single step in detail, but in reality, fresh pasta comes together quite quickly. Mixing and kneading the dough takes about 10 minutes, then you let it rest for 30 minutes. You can use this resting time to pull together the ingredients for the pasta sauce. After resting, rolling out and cutting the dough takes maybe another 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how fast you go and how many helpers you have.

Speaking of helpers, it helps to have a few. You can definitely do it by yourself, but it's really nice to have an extra set of hands, especially if you're hand-cranking the dough through a counter-top pasta roller. Whether working by yourself or with someone else, I find that you fall into a rhythm of rolling the sheets of pasta, cutting the noodles, and sprinkling everything with flour.

Once you've made your pasta, you can cook it right away, dry it, or freeze it for later. When you do cook it, remember that homemade pasta cooks much more quickly than the dried pasta you buy in stores. Give it about four minutes in salted boiling water, taste it, and keep checking in one-minute increments until the pasta is al dente.

Ready? Let's make some pasta.

Fresh pasta comes together surprisingly quickly: in about an hour.

Fresh Egg Pasta

Makes enough for about 4 to 6 servings

What You Need

Ingredients
2 cups flour, plus extra for rolling the pasta
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs

Equipment
Mixing bowl
Fork or dough whisk
Pasta machine (see Additional Notes for rolling pasta by hand)
Baking sheet
Clean dishtowel

Instructions

1. Combine the Flour and Salt: Whisk together the flour and salt with a fork in a medium mixing bowl.

2. Add the Eggs: Create a deep well in the middle of the flour and crack the eggs into this well. Whisk the eggs with the fork to combine.

Note: You can do this on the counter-top "Italian Grandmother Style" if you prefer, but I find it's easier and less messy to do it in a bowl. For food-processor instructions, see below.

3. Begin Combining the Flour and Eggs: As you whisk the eggs, begin gradually pulling in flour from the bottom and sides of the bowl. Don't rush this step. At first, the eggs will start to look like a slurry. Once enough flour has been added, it will start forming a very soft dough. Don't worry if you haven't used all the flour.

4. Knead the Pasta Dough: Turn the dough and any excess flour out onto a clean counter. Begin gently folding the dough on itself, flattening, and folding again. It will be extremely soft at first, then gradually start to firm up. Once it's firm enough to knead, begin kneading the dough. Incorporate more flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to you or the counter. Slice into the dough with a paring knife; if you see lots of air bubbles, keep kneading. The dough is kneaded when it forms a smooth elastic ball and has very few air bubbles when cut.

5. Rest the Pasta Dough: Clean and dry the mixing bowl. Place the ball of dough inside and cover with a dinner plate or plastic wrap. Rest for at least 30 minutes.

Note: At this point, the pasta dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Let it come back to room temperature before rolling.

6. Divide the Pasta Dough: Sprinkle a baking sheet generously with flour and scrape the ball of dough on top (it will stick to the bowl; use a spatula or bowl scraper if necessary). Divide the dough into four equal portions. Dust the portions with flour and cover with a clean dishtowel.

Note: The name of the game at this point is to keep everything well-floured to prevent the pasta from sticking to itself or the roller as you work. If the dough starts to feel sticky as you roll it, sprinkle it with flour. Also sprinkle flour on any pasta you're not working (rolled, cut or otherwise) with and keep it covered with a dishtowel.

7. Begin Rolling Out the Pasta: Set your pasta machine to the thickest setting (usually marked "1"). Flatten one piece of dough into a thick disk between your hands and feed it through the pasta roller. Repeat once or twice. Fold this piece of dough into thirds, like folding a letter, and press it between your hands again. With the pasta machine still on the widest setting, feed the pasta crosswise between the rollers (see picture). Feed it through once or twice more until smooth. If desired, repeat this folding step. This helps to strengthen the gluten in the flour, giving it a chewier texture when cooked.

8. Thin the Pasta: Begin changing the settings on your roller to roll the pasta thinner and thinner. Roll the pasta two or three times at each setting, and don't skip settings (the pasta tends to snag and warp if you do). If the pasta gets too long to be manageable, lay it on a cutting board and slice it in half. Roll the pasta as thin as you like to go. For linguine and fettuccine, I normally go to 6 or 7 on the KitchenAid attachement; for angel hair or stuffed pastas, I go one or two settings thinner.

9. Cut the Pasta: Cut the long stretch of dough into noodle-length sheets, usually about 12-inches. If making filled pasta or lasagna, proceed with shaping. If cutting into noodles, switch from the pasta roller to the noodle cutter, and run the sheet of pasta through the cutter. Toss the noodles with a little flour to keep them from sticking and gather them into a loose basket. Set this basket on the floured baking sheet and cover with a towel while you finish rolling and cutting the rest of the dough.

Note: I find it easiest to roll all the pasta at once before proceeding to cutting it into noodles. I sprinkle the sheets of pasta liberally with flour and overlap them on a floured baking sheet, covered with a towel.

10. Cooking, Drying, or Freezing the Pasta: To cook the pasta immediately, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt the water, and cook the pasta until al dente, 4-5 minutes. To dry, lay the pasta over a clothes drying rack, coat hangers, or the back of a chair, and let air dry until completely brittle. Store in an airtight container for several weeks. To freeze, either freeze flat in long noodles or in the basket-shape on a baking sheet until completely frozen. Gather into an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Dried and frozen noodles may need an extra minute or two to cook.

Additional Notes:

Pasta Dough in the Food Processor: Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until combined, then run the processor continuously until a dough is formed. Proceed with kneading and shaping the dough as directed.

Rolling and Cutting Pasta by Hand: It can be done! Divide the dough into four pieces and mimic the action of a pasta roller with a rolling pin. Roll as thin as possible, lifting and moving the dough constantly to make sure it doesn't stick. Sprinkle the dough generously with flour and then gently roll it up. Use a very sharp chef knife to cut the roll cross-wise into equal-sized noodles. Shake out the coils, toss with flour, and proceed with cooking.

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(Images: Emma Christensen)

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