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Homemade White Flour Pasta

Making pasta is so worth trying - delicate and incredible flavor.I realize it is generally considered that semolina shouldn't be used in home made pasta, however, pasta which uses only all purpose flour doesn't cook well in my experience. With semolina added, the outside doesn't have to become mushy in order to have an al denté finish.

What you need

  1. 1 1/4 cup semolina flour (You can use all white all-purpose flour)
  2. 1 cup all purpose flour
  3. 3 eggs

How to make it

  1. Put flours on pastry board and blend well
  2. Make a well in the center and break eggs into it.
  3. Using a fork, begin beating the eggs and work your way from the center toward the outer edge of the flour, until a ball begins to form and you have a soft dough.
  4. Put dough aside while you scrape away any remaining bits of dough attached to board.
  5. Lightly flour the board and your hands
  6. Knead dough 10 to 12 minutes adding flour a little at a time until dough is smooth and pliable.
  7. Insert a finger into the center of the dough and if it comes out nearly dry, dough is ready for the pasta machine
  8. Set pasta machine rollers to their widest.
  9. Cut a piece of dough about the size of an egg and cover the remaining dough with plastic wrap
  10. Flatten the small piece of dough on the board (if slightly sticky, dust with a small amount of flour)
  11. Run through the pasta machine and fold in half - repeat a few times adding flour as needed
  12. Change to next lower setting on machine, fold pasta in half and run through
  13. Repeat until your sheet is approximately 1/16 inch thick
  14. Sprinkle dough with flour between rollings if it gets sticky
  15. When sheet reaches desired thickness, lay out flat or drape on pasta drying rack (a plastic hanger works well for this) and dust lightly with flour. Let dry 12 - 15 minutes. Repeat process for remaining dough.
  16. Attach cutter to machine and run each sheet through or cut by hand
  17. Pasta can be cooked immediately, or allowed to dry. If they will be stored for future use, allow to dry for 24 hours. Place into plastic containers/bags. Seal tightly and store at room temperature.

To cook fresh pasta, use 4 - 5 quarts water to 1 lb of pasta. Bring water to boil, add salt and pasta. Cover, return to boil then remove lid. Stir a few times during cooking. Fresh pasta cooks remarkably fast. When ready, drain (don't rinse) and serve with a light sauce. I like to use a sauce of a small amount of Olive Oil, Butter, Hot red pepper flakes and garlic. Add canned chicken broth if you prefer a wetter sauce. I add freshly ground black pepper over the top of the dish and serve a dish of freshly grated parmesan at the table.

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