Process published — nice work
What you do next determines whether this becomes real training. Pick one:
How to Make Pasta from Scratch
Fresh pasta has a tender texture and silky bite that dried pasta can't match — and the dough is just flour, eggs, and salt. Total active time is 30-45 minutes, with a 30-minute rest in the middle. A hand-crank machine is the single piece of gear that makes this practical (rolling by hand is theoretically possible but exhausting).
Your Progress
0 of 7 steps completedStep-by-Step Instructions
1 Step 1: Get a pasta machine (or KitchenAid attachment)
Step 1: Get a pasta machine (or KitchenAid attachment)
A hand-crank machine is the practical minimum for fresh pasta. Hand-rolling with a rolling pin works but takes 4× as long. KitchenAid attachments produce equivalent results in less time but require the stand mixer.
Marcato Atlas 150 hand-crank pasta machine
Made in Italy since 1930. Chrome-plated steel, 10 thickness settings, optional cutter attachments. The benchmark home machine. ~$100-130.
KitchenAid Pasta Roller & Cutter 3-piece attachment
Attaches to any KitchenAid stand mixer. Frees up both hands while the mixer cranks. ~$170-200.
Marcato Atlas Motor (motorize your hand-crank)
Plug-in motor attachment that drives the Atlas 150 — both hands free for feeding dough. ~$120-145.
Imperia hand-crank pasta machine (alternative)
Comparable Italian-made machine. Slightly heavier than the Marcato. ~$80-110.
2 Step 2: Pick a flour
Step 2: Pick a flour
Italian '00' flour (finely milled, soft wheat) makes the most tender pasta. Semolina (durum wheat) makes a chewier, sturdier pasta — typical for shapes like cavatelli or orecchiette. All-purpose works in a pinch but won't have the same texture.
Caputo '00' Chef's Flour, 2.2 lb
The classic Italian pasta and pizza flour. Soft, finely milled, makes tender silky pasta. ~$8-12 per bag.
King Arthur Italian-Style '00' Flour
American-made '00'-style flour. Slightly higher protein than Caputo. Easier to find. ~$5-8 per bag.
Semolina flour (Bob's Red Mill)
Durum wheat flour for chewier rustic pasta shapes — orecchiette, cavatelli, fettuccine alla chitarra. ~$5-7.
50/50 '00' + semolina blend
The Emilia-Romagna home cook's blend. Best of both — tender bite + sturdy enough for sauces. Mix half of each.
All-purpose flour (acceptable substitute)
Works fine if you don't have '00' on hand. Slightly chewier, slightly tougher texture but still better than dried pasta. ~$3-5 per 5 lb.
3 Step 3: Mix the dough (the 100/1/0.5 ratio)
Step 3: Mix the dough (the 100/1/0.5 ratio)
Basic ratio for fresh egg pasta: 100g flour : 1 large egg : 0.5g salt. A typical batch (4 servings) is 400g flour + 4 eggs + 2g salt. Mound the flour on a clean counter, make a well in the center, crack eggs into the well, add salt. Whisk eggs with a fork while slowly drawing flour from the inner edge of the well.
Classic well method on a clean counter
Romantic and effective. Flour mound, well, eggs in the middle, fork-whisk while pulling in flour from the wall. Takes 10 minutes.
Food processor method (faster)
Pulse flour and eggs in food processor until dough comes together in a ball. 60 seconds vs 10 minutes. Slightly less developed gluten — finish with hand kneading.
Bench scraper for clean-up
Stainless or plastic bench scraper. Pushes stray flour back into the dough, lifts dough off the counter cleanly. ~$10-15.
4 Step 4: Knead for 10 minutes
Step 4: Knead for 10 minutes
Push the heel of your hand into the dough, fold over, rotate 90°, repeat. After 10 minutes the dough should feel smooth, slightly bouncy, and elastic — pulling on it gives a clean stretch with no tearing. Under-kneaded dough tears during rolling.
Warning: Under-kneading is the #1 cause of pasta-making failure — the dough tears when you roll it. Time the 10 minutes; don't eyeball.
Heel-of-hand knead for 10 minutes
Set a timer. Push, fold, rotate, repeat. Looks like work but goes fast once you're in rhythm.
KitchenAid dough hook (5 minutes on speed 2)
Stand mixer with dough hook. 5 minutes on low speed gets you to the same gluten development. Finish with 30 seconds by hand for feel.
Window-pane test
Pull off a piece of dough and stretch it between your fingers. If it stretches thin without tearing (translucent window), you're done. Tears = keep kneading.
5 Step 5: Rest the dough for 30 minutes
Step 5: Rest the dough for 30 minutes
Wrap the dough ball tightly in plastic wrap or a damp towel. Leave at room temperature for 30 minutes minimum. Resting hydrates the flour evenly and relaxes the gluten — the dough rolls thinner without snapping back.
Wrap in plastic, rest 30 min at room temp
Standard. The dough is much easier to roll after resting.
Refrigerate up to 24 hours for advance prep
Make the dough the day before. Wrap tightly, refrigerate. Bring to room temp for 30 min before rolling.
Freeze raw dough up to 1 month
Wrap tightly. Thaw overnight in fridge, then room temp for 30 min. Roll and cut as fresh.
6 Step 6: Roll through the machine in decreasing thickness
Step 6: Roll through the machine in decreasing thickness
Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Flatten one piece into a rectangle slightly narrower than the machine roller. Pass through setting #1 (thickest). Fold in thirds, pass through #1 again. This is 'sheeting' — develops the dough surface. Then progressively pass through #2, #3, #4, etc. until you hit the target thickness. For fettuccine: #5-6. For ravioli or lasagna: #6-7. For very thin pasta: #7-8.
Sheet at #1 twice (folded in thirds) before progressing
The sheeting pass improves dough structure before thinning. Skip it and the final sheets crack at thin settings.
Dust with flour between passes
Light dust of '00' or semolina between thicknesses prevents sticking to the rollers. Don't overdo — heavy flour makes the dough dry.
Cover finished sheets with a damp towel
While you roll the next sheet, the previous ones dry out fast. Cover with a slightly damp tea towel to keep pliable.
7 Step 7: Cut into your final shape
Step 7: Cut into your final shape
Cut method depends on shape. Fettuccine and tagliatelle use the cutter attachment. Ravioli is cut by hand around fillings. Pappardelle is hand-cut with a knife into wide ribbons. Lasagna sheets are cut to fit the pan.
Fettuccine cutter attachment (Marcato Atlas)
Comes with most pasta machines or as add-on. Crank the rolled sheet through the cutter — perfect even strands. ~$30-45 for the attachment.
Hand-cut pappardelle (knife)
Roll the sheet, dust with flour, fold loosely. Slice into 1" wide strips with a sharp knife. Unfold to wide ribbons.
Ravioli: dollop filling, cover with second sheet, press around fillings
Place teaspoons of filling 1.5" apart on one sheet. Lay second sheet on top. Press around each mound to seal. Cut with a fluted wheel between mounds.
Cook within 2 hours, or dry on a rack for later
Fresh pasta cooks in 1-2 minutes in salted boiling water. To save for later: hang on a wooden drying rack until brittle (12+ hours), then bag and refrigerate up to a week.
Want to create your own processes?
Document your business workflows, train your team, and stop repeating yourself. Free to start.