Fresh Pasta Dough

This recipe for fresh homemade pasta dough is designed to be flexible. Instead of the extra egg yolks many recipes call for, it uses oil, giving it a bendy texture ideal for ravioli and agnolotti. But it’s wonderful for fettuccine, lasagna, and pappardelle too. 

Learning how to make pasta dough for the first time? The process is simpler than you might think, but it takes practice. Equipment is key: A stand mixer does most of the kneading in this fresh pasta recipe, and while you can use a rolling pin, a pasta maker with a hand crank or KitchenAid pasta roller attachment makes life easier. 

Let your dough rest at room temperature so the glutens can relax—skip this step, and the dough will spring back each time you roll it. Pass the dough through your pasta maker several times for a smooth, even dough that doesn’t crack. When ready, you should be able to see the shadow of your hand through the dough. Once you’ve cut the pasta into your desired shapes (note that fresh pasta swells quite a bit while cooking), dust it with a little bit of flour or cornmeal to prevent sticking.

The same rules for cooking store-bought spaghetti apply to fresh pasta making: Cook it in a large pot of boiling salted water, but start checking if it’s cooked through after just a minute or two. 

Looking for a pasta dough recipe without eggs? Try one with semolina flour and boiling water. Pair your fresh homemade pasta with our favorite pasta sauce recipes, like white pesto with ricotta and Parmesan cheese, a spinach pasta with preserved lemon, and more.