Italy, thanks to its geographic position, has for many millenia been an important crossroads; a converging point of different cuisines and cultures. Today, il bel paese continues to fascinate and inspire; with British households consuming an average of 96g of pasta per week, the UK’s love affair with Italian food is far from understated.
Luckily, making pasta from scratch is both satisfying and simple. While Italians prefer to use tipo 00 flour when making the dough, any home cook can just as easily rustle up a fresh batch with the help of their pantry and a bit of plain white flour.
Serves 2
Prep Time: 60 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Calories per serving: 468 kcal
Utensils
- Fork
- Pasta machine or rolling pin
Ingredients
- 200g plain white flour (plus more for your work surface)
- 2 large eggs
Chef’s Tip: The perfect ratio of eggs to flour is 1 egg for every 100 grams (this amount serves 1-2 people).
Should you need any guidance on how to make your pasta dough, follow along with Chef Roberta as she takes you through the process, step by step. *Note that Chef Roberta uses ‘00’ flour, but this can be substituted with plain white flour, as used in this recipe.
Method
Make the dough
- Place your plain flour onto a clean work surface. Using your hands, make a well in the centre and crack the eggs into it. Beat the eggs with a fork until smooth.
- Using your fork, begin to incorporate the eggs with the flour until everything is roughly combined.
- Start to knead the dough together with your hands. It will look a little scrappy at the start but don’t let this put you off; your dough should come together into a nice, smooth ball after about 5 minutes of kneading. Once the ball feels silky smooth, lightly push your finger into it. If the dough springs back, this means that the gluten has fully developed and it is ready to rest.
- Wrap the dough in cling film and leave it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. After the dough has rested, it is ready to be rolled with either a pasta machine or rolling pin.
Roll out the dough
Before you start: Freshly made pasta dries very quickly, so it’s important to cut or shape it as soon as possible after rolling. As you will have to roll the dough out in batches, ensure to cover it as you go along with a clean, damp tea towel. This will prevent any dryness from taking hold.
Using a pasta machine
- Dust your work surface with a sprinkling of plain white flour. Cut off a small section of the pasta dough and loosely form it into a ball. (Ensure to cover the rest of the dough with cling film, lest it will dry out.)
- Set the pasta machine to the widest setting and roll the ball of pasta dough through it. Click the machine down a setting and continue to roll the pasta through until it is translucent (around setting 6 or 7).
Using a rolling pin
- Rolling by hand follows much the same process as the machine, albeit with a little more elbow grease, or olio di gomito, as the Italians would say. Cut off a small section of the pasta dough and loosely form it into a ball.
- Lightly flour your rolling pin and begin rolling the dough as you would with a pastry crust, starting in the centre and rolling away from you to the outer edge.
- Turn the dough slightly and repeat, working your way around, until the sheet of dough is about the thickness of a 2p coin.
Choosing the right shape for your pasta
Now that you’ve rolled out your dough, why not try your hand at making a new pasta shape? Thick strands of fresh pappardelle are extraordinary simple to hand cut and will make for a delightfully hearty dinner; look no further than our indulgently creamy mushroom pappardelle. Tagliatelle are also a great alternative and pair beautifully with seafood and lighter sauces such our pesto alla Genovese, a Ligurian specialty. If you’re feeling particularly inspired, why not add the ability to make handmade ravioli to your home cooking repertoire? Never a bad idea.
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FAQs
You can use plain flour to make the pasta, but 00 flour gives it a little more bite. This pasta is called pappardelle, the thick, silky ribbons pair really well with everything - from hearty sauces to a simple pesto.
Can I use plain flour instead of flour? ›
Substituting Plain Flour in Your Recipes
For each cup of all-purpose flour, simply use one cup of plain flour. Keep in mind that plain flour in the UK has a slightly lower protein content, which may affect the texture of your final baked goods.
What type of flour is best for pasta? ›
White Flour Is Best for Egg Pasta Dough
Italians make fresh pasta using a particular type of lower-protein white flour called doppio zero, or 00 flour, with a talcum powder–like grind. Its protein content is similar to that of all-purpose flour, but the proprietary blend of wheat makes a difference.
Do you need a certain type of flour for pasta? ›
Either semolina or type “00” flour is the best choice for homemade pasta. You can mix these for varying results that are more suite for different types of fresh pasta.
What is a substitute for pasta flour? ›
Although semolina is the ideal flour for making homemade pasta, other flours can be used instead. Replace the semolina flour called for in the recipe with an equal amount of all-purpose flour, bread flour, or whole-wheat flour.
Do you use strong or plain flour for pasta? ›
You can also make pasta with plain or plain strong flour, but it will be harder to work with. Self-raising flour shouldn't be used to make pasta as it puffs up when cooked. See our guide for how to make pasta for more info on pasta shapes and ingredients.
What happens if you use plain flour instead of strong flour? ›
While plain flours can also be used to make bread, strong bread flour will always have better bread results. Flours with lower amounts of protein will have less structure when baked, resulting in a lighter or more crumbly product, such as cakes and cookies.
What is plain flour best for? ›
Plain flour
It is commonly used for cakes, pastries and biscuits. When used in cakes it is combined with a raising agent such as baking powder or bicarbonate of soda. It is also used in quick breads like soda bread, producing a more densely textured loaf.
What to do if you accidentally use plain flour? ›
Just add 2 teaspoons of baking powder for each 150g/6oz/1 cup plain flour. Sift the flour and baking powder together into a bowl before using, to make sure the baking powder is thoroughly distributed (or you can put both ingredients into a bowl and whisk them together).
What flour do Italians use to make pasta? ›
Semola and semolina flour are mainly used for making pasta, couscous, and some rustic cakes. Semolina has a coarse texture similar to polenta, while semola is flour. You might use semolina to make a breakfast porridge or sweet pudding, or under your pizza dough to keep it from sticking.
Semolina Flour
Semolina's coarse texture makes chewy, hearty pasta that rolls easily through a pasta machine; it also gives the noodles a slightly coarser texture on the exterior so sauce clings better.
Is homemade pasta healthier? ›
One of the greatest myths of all time is that fresh pasta is better than dried pasta. This belief has spread far and wide for many reasons, but unfortunately, it's just not that simple — and it's certainly not true. Dried pasta, in many cases, is created with better ingredients, making it tastier and more nutritious.
Is plain flour fine for pasta? ›
Pasta dough also needs some plasticity for it to be moulded into all of those wonderful shapes. All-purpose flour does what it says on the tin, so it's perfectly fine to use for making pasta. However, most pasta recipes will recommend either semola or “00” flour.
Why do we not rinse pasta after cooking? ›
No, in almost every case, you should not rinse pasta after it's cooked. It's true that rinsing noodles or pasta after cooking halts the cooking process. “This is also known as shocking,” Tiess says. But rinsing also removes the starch water after the noodles are strained, which is what helps adhere sauce to noodles.
Is all pasta made with white flour? ›
The difference between what many people commonly refer to as "white" pasta and "wheat" pasta is that "white" pasta is made using mostly refined wheat flour, while "wheat" pasta is made using mostly whole wheat flour.
Can I use plain flour instead of 00 flour for pasta? ›
Pasta dough also needs some plasticity for it to be moulded into all of those wonderful shapes. All-purpose flour does what it says on the tin, so it's perfectly fine to use for making pasta. However, most pasta recipes will recommend either semola or “00” flour.
What is the difference between 00 flour and all-purpose flour? ›
Besides the level of the grind, the other big difference between “00” flour and all-purpose flour is how the gluten in each flour behaves. The gluten from durum wheat flour tends to be strong but not very elastic, while the gluten in red wheat flour is both strong and elastic.
How do I substitute flour in pasta sauce? ›
There are many thickening agents used in cooking, Corn starch, potato starch, egg yolk are the three alternatives. Each will change the taste of a sauce in subtle and sometimes, not so subtle ways. For pasta sauces the most common method is reduction.
What is the name of the flour used in dried pasta? ›
Semolina is used to make a variety of dishes. The high protein and gluten content of semolina flour means it is uniquely ideal for pasta-making, as these properties help to shape the pasta and maintain its shape when cooked.
