Fresh Pasta from Scratch

Confirm egg-to-flour ratio

Use about 1 large egg per 100 g (3.5 oz) flour as a baseline; adjust for humidity.

Choose and measure 00 flour

Prefer finely milled '00' for silky dough; AP flour works if needed. Measure by weight.

Make a flour well and add eggs

Create a mound with a well, crack eggs into center, keep edges intact while starting to mix.

Mix eggs and flour to form shaggy dough

Use fork or hands to gradually incorporate flour until a rough, cohesive dough forms.

Knead dough until smooth and elastic

Knead 8–12 minutes by hand (or 5–8 min in mixer) until dough bounces back when pressed.

Wrap and rest dough 30 minutes

Cover tightly with plastic or a damp towel to hydrate the dough and relax gluten.

Divide dough and flatten portions

Cut into 2–4 pieces and press each flat so it fits the pasta machine or rolling surface.

Roll dough progressively thinner

Start on widest setting and step down until desired thinness; dust with flour sparingly.

Choose pasta shape based on sauce

Match noodle size to sauce: ribbon shapes for ragù, wider noodles for hearty sauces.

Cut tagliatelle for meat sauces

Slice sheets into ~6–8 mm (1/4 in) ribbons for ragù and tomato-based sauces.

Cut pappardelle for rich or game sauces

Slice wider ribbons (20–30 mm) to hold chunky, hearty sauces.

Cut sheets to chosen shape or width

Use pasta machine cutters or a knife/bench scraper; flour lightly to prevent sticking.

Decide to dry pasta or cook immediately

Short dry (15–30 min) for shape hold or fully dry for storage; fresh cooks in minutes.

Cook fresh pasta in plenty of salted boiling water

Boil 1–3 minutes for thin ribbons; test often — fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried.

Reserve pasta cooking water and finish pasta in sauce

Save 1 cup of cooking water, toss pasta with sauce over heat, add water to emulsify if needed.