How to make pasta from scratch?

Homemade pasta needs only two ingredients: flour and eggs. The gold standard is Italian "00" flour — finely milled, low-protein, and yielding an exceptionally silky dough. All-purpose flour works as a substitute but produces a slightly chewier result. Use one large egg per 100 grams of flour.

Mound the flour on a clean surface, make a well in the center, crack the eggs into the well, and beat them with a fork while gradually pulling flour in from the walls. Once the dough is shaggy, switch to kneading by hand for 8 to 10 minutes until the surface is smooth and elastic. Wrap tightly in plastic and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes — this relaxes the gluten and makes rolling far easier.

Divide the dough into portions and flatten each with a rolling pin or pasta machine. For machine rolling, start at the widest setting and progress to the desired thickness, typically setting 5 or 6 out of 9. Dust with semolina flour as you go to prevent sticking.

For tagliatelle or fettuccine, fold the sheet loosely and cut into ribbons. For pappardelle, cut wider. Cook fresh pasta in well-salted boiling water for just 2 to 3 minutes — it cooks dramatically faster than dried pasta and will be ready almost as soon as it floats.