Fresh pasta dough
A step-by-step guide to making fresh homemade pasta from scratch - silky, delicate, and infinitely versatile. Perfect for cutting into any shape and pairing with your favourite sauce for an authentic Italian meal.
Updated : 26 November, 2025
Easy
About 45 min.
Ingredients
400 grams
Flour
4
Eggs
as needed
Semolina
1 tablespoon
Salt
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Place the flour in a mound on a large, clean work surface. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs. Gradually draw the flour into the eggs with your hands until a dough begins to form. As it comes together, it will feel less sticky.
Step 2
Shape the dough into a ball and knead for about 8 minutes, until smooth, elastic, and able to stretch without tearing when you drag your thumb across the surface. Place the dough in an airtight container and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Step 3
Alternatively, you can make the dough in a food processor: add the flour, then the eggs, and pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs - neither dry nor forming a sticky ball. Tip the dough out, knead into a smooth ball, and rest as above.
Step 4
Divide the rested dough into four equal pieces. Dust your work surface with semolina and place one piece of dough on it, keeping the remaining pieces covered with a damp tea towel to prevent drying. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 5mm/¼in thick.
Step 5
Feed the dough through a pasta machine on the widest setting. Fold it and feed it through again. Repeat this folding and rolling process four or five times.
Step 6
Next, continue passing the dough through the rollers, reducing the thickness setting one notch at a time until you reach your desired thinness (usually the penultimate or final setting). If the sheet becomes too long to manage, simply cut it in half. Ideally, the pasta should be thin enough that you can see your fingers through it. (You can roll by hand, but be prepared for a workout!)
Step 7
Cut the pasta into your chosen shape using a pizza wheel, ruler, pasta roller, or one of the machine’s cutting attachments. Alternatively, dust the sheet with semolina and repeatedly fold the ends toward the centre until you form a small parcel. Slice into strips with a sharp knife, then unfold, separate, and toss in more semolina as you continue cutting.
Step 8
To cook, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook for around 2 minutes, or until it floats to the surface. Drain thoroughly, reserving a mug of pasta water to loosen your sauce if needed.
Step 9
Serve immediately with your favourite sauce.
Author note
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