How to Make Homemade Pasta from Scratch — Complete Beginner's Guide

Flour choice defines your pasta's character. Italian 00 flour (doppio zero) is ground extremely fine and has a moderate protein content (around 10–12%), producing an incredibly silky, smooth dough that rolls paper-thin easily. It's the best choice for egg-based pasta (fettuccine, pappardelle, tagliatelle, ravioli).

Semolina flour (milled from durum wheat) has higher protein and creates a rougher, slightly chewy texture. It's traditional for dried pasta shapes (orecchiette, busiate) and eggless pasta. Many Italian pasta recipes blend 00 flour with fine semolina — 70% 00, 30% semolina — to achieve silkiness with structure.

All-purpose flour works well if you can't find 00 flour. The pasta will be slightly less silky but still excellent. Avoid bread flour (too much gluten — the dough becomes elastic and fights back when rolled) and cake flour (too little — the dough tears).

The foundational fresh pasta ratio is 100g flour per egg. For 4 servings, use 400g 00 flour and 4 large eggs (plus 1–2 extra yolks for richness if desired). Salt is optional in the dough — most pasta makers salt the cooking water instead, which seasons the pasta more evenly.

To make the dough: pile the flour on a clean surface, make a well in the centre, and crack the eggs into the well. Use a fork to gradually incorporate flour from the inside edges, then switch to your hands. Knead for 8–10 minutes until the dough is completely smooth, elastic, and springs back when pressed. The dough should not be sticky or dry — if sticky, add flour one tablespoon at a time; if crumbly and dry, add a few drops of water.

Wrap in cling film and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes minimum (up to 2 hours). Resting is non-negotiable — it allows the gluten to relax, making rolling dramatically easier.

Divide rested dough into 4 portions. Keep others covered while you work on one. Flatten the dough with your palm. Starting from the centre and rolling outward, roll the dough into a sheet — working in all directions to maintain an even thickness. Periodically roll the sheet onto the rolling pin and unfurl it to prevent sticking.

For fettuccine and tagliatelle, roll to about 2mm thick. For pappardelle, 2–3mm. For ravioli and other filled pasta, as thin as possible — you should just be able to see your hand through it. Lightly flour the surface if the dough sticks, but don't over-flour — too much flour makes the pasta tough.

For cutting: lightly flour the sheet, fold it loosely into a roll, and cut into strips of the desired width (5mm for tagliolini, 8mm for fettuccine, 15–20mm for pappardelle). Unfurl immediately and dust with semolina to prevent sticking.

Fresh pasta cooks dramatically faster than dried — most shapes take just 2–4 minutes in boiling, heavily salted water (the water should 'taste of the sea'). Start checking at 2 minutes: fresh pasta is done when it floats and the texture has changed from raw-doughy to cooked-silky.

Always reserve a cup of pasta water before draining — the starchy water is essential for creating emulsified sauces that cling to the pasta rather than sliding off. Fresh pasta pairs best with simple, delicate sauces (butter, sage, fresh tomato, light cream) rather than heavy ragu — its delicate texture and egg richness are the star.