Whether it's your first time making it or you're a pasta expert, making your own pasta is a revelation. Here is the perfect al dente homemade pasta recipe with step by step instructions using the Kitchenaid Pasta Attachment. Your Italian red sauce will swoon with delight.
Growing up in an Italian-American house, we ate a lot of pasta. I mean a lot. Pretty much every Sunday our dinner plates were filled to the brim with homemade spaghetti sauce or a thick meat sauce and meatballs. My grandmas especially would have loved how easy this perfect al dente homemade pasta recipe is...we might have had it every week!
p.s. it was a darn good childhood.
What is al dente pasta, anyway?
Al dente translated means “to the tooth”. Which, admittedly, is kind of confusing. When you bite into pasta that has been cooked al dente:
- The pasta will taste firm yet soft.
- There’ll be a noticeable white rim between the outside and inside of the pasta noodle.
- The noodle will hold its shape and not fall apart or be too white in color (both of which mean that the pasta is overcooked).
It’s worth it to make fresh pasta
Here's why:
- It’s easy. Seriously! I wouldn’t tease you. This fresh pasta recipe has only three ingredients (not counting water)!
- Making pasta is soul-touching. Making homemade pasta is as satisfying as painting a room or spinning some perfect pizza dough.
- Accomplishment. When you use a pair of tongs to twirl that luscious al dente pasta on your plate, your heart is literally going to soar. And that first perfect bite is one proud moment.
The Equipment You’ll Need
There are a few different techniques to make homemade pasta. You can use a mixer and dough hook for the whole thing. You can use your hands from start to finish.
You can even use a food processor (my favorite is the Magimix food processor) to mix the dough together and roll the rest by hand or with a rolling pin. And the Atlas hand crank pasta maker was my first pasta machine...it's so easy and old school...the best!
My favorite tools for making pasta are a combo of:
- Your hands. The best tool in your kitchen. Period. And they are also the best tool for making amazing pasta dough at home because feeling the dough is key for knowing when the dough is ready. And the feel is everything, dahling. [see below].
- Kitchenaid pasta attachment. This pasta roller literally changed my pasta-making life. Because there’s no cranking, you can use both hands to run the dough through the machine.
- A clean work surface. Either a clean countertop or cutting board.
- A bench scraper. Comes in handy when gathering the flour on your work surface.
Secrets to making homemade pasta dough
- Confidence. Reading through the recipe not just once but TWICE will help you gain the confidence to make pasta dough. And a good glass of wine.
- Practice. Just like anything, the more you practice making pasta, the simpler it will be. And the more you’ll understand what I mean by feel.
- Good weather. The weather and room temperature does affect how flour absorbs moisture and how the dough responds. When it’s more humid outside, the dough is going to absorb more moisture; conversely when it’s cooler out, you might have to work a little harder or add a little more water to help the dough along.
Why you’ll love using the kitchenaid pasta roller to roll homemade pasta
- Hands free. Ok— well maybe not 100% hands free, but you will have both hands to fold and catch the dough and feed it through the pasta roller vs. cranking a pasta machine with one hand and catching the dough with the other.
- Speed control. Using the first speed setting on the Kitchenaid mixer leads to the perfect tempo and speed for smoothly rolling pasta dough.
- It comes with a cutting attachment. Beautifully cut linguine, fettuccine, spaghetti all can be yours in literally seconds!
What you’ll need for this recipe
Three ingredient homemade pasta? You betchya! If you consider water an ingredient, then it’s technically 4 ingredients but again —that isn’t much!
The beauty of pasta dough is that the ingredients are simple (and ones you probably already have)!
- Large eggs. A combination of whole eggs and egg yolks gives our flour the best texture and the extra yolks bring richness. And large eggs, please!
- Flour. We are using both semolina and "00" flour. More on that below!
- Water. Not really an ingredient but a necessary component that you’ll adjust based on your temperature and humidity in your house and outside. There's that "feel" thing again!
Types of flour for pasta dough
We are going to use a mixture of semolina and "00" flour to make our homemade pasta. If you don't have either of these, feel free to use all-purpose flour.
p.s. I have never used bread flour but if it's all you have, give it a try! Keep in mind it might be a little heavier in texture.
- Semolina. Semolina flour is a finely milled durum wheat flour loaded with protein, a coarse texture and gorgeous yellow color. It’s really got it all. I use Bob's Red Mill Semolina Flour.
- “00” flour. 00 or double zero flour is almost like powdered sugar. It’s soft and fluffy and adds a silky texture to the pasta dough that counterbalances the semolina in the best way. King Arthur's 00 Pizza Flour is what I used for this recipe and it's available at most stores where the King Arthur brand is carried.
How to make homemade pasta
This is the fun part. Put on your favorite music to cook by. [PSA: if you’ve never listened to Brooklyn Duo, you’re in for a treat!].
Step by step instructions
Combine the flours in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Reserve 1 cup of flour [1].
Pour flour onto a clean cutting board or countertop in a mound. Make a well in the center of the flour using the bottom of a measuring cup, leaving flour at the bottom. You don’t want to see the cutting board [2] .
Beat the eggs in a bowl (or if you forget like I did, that’s ok!) Pour the beaten eggs into the well [3].
- Use a fork to pull flour from the sides into the egg, whisking the flour into the eggs [4]. Keep working the flour into the egg until you don’t see any runny egg.
- Surround the dough with your hands and bring it together making a ball [5].
- Add enough water a tablespoon at a time to make a smooth dough [6].
- Keep rolling the dough, adding more flour as needed. Don't worry if you don't use all the flour. The amount might fluctuate based on the weather.
- Roll the dough by pulling it towards you, make a quarter turn, and push it away [8,9].
- Add more flour as needed. You might need as much as a cup more!
- Keep rolling until the pasta dough is smooth (Grandma Nina would say "as a baby's bottom"!)
Allow the dough to relax covered with a damp dish towel or wrapped in plastic wrap for 15-20 minutes.
Flour & Water Balance
Too much flour? Add more water. Too much water? Add more flour. You want a smooth ball of dough.
-Josie + Nina
Let’s get rolling…using the Kitchenaid attachment to roll out fresh pasta dough
Prepare the Kitchenaid
- Lift the round KA logo and loosen the bolt on the right side of the logo to create enough space to accept the pasta roller.
- Fit the end of the roller into the opening and tighten the screw. You might have to turn the roller ¼ turn to fit.
Prepare the dough
Cut the pasta dough into 4 equal pieces.
Work with one piece of dough and return the other three to plastic wrap or cover so as not to dry out.
- Flatten the pasta dough into a rectangle about 2” smaller than the width of the pasta roller, about ½”thick [10]. Your dough might look a little "salty" from the semolina. This will smooth out.
- Turn the dial on the roller to “1” which is the widest setting. Turn on the mixer to “low”.
- Place the short end of the dough into the opening of the pasta roller and allow the power of the pasta roller to pull the dough through the machine [10].
- Catch the dough on the other side of the roller [11].
- “Book” the dough, which means folding each short end towards the middle [12]. Book the dough one more time and run the dough through the pasta roller at setting #1 again.
- Now, turn the knob to “2” and run the dough through the machine.
- Repeat running the dough through the machine to 4-5 for fettuccine, spaghetti or linguine. The piece of dough is going to get longer and longer. You can cut it crosswise if needed for shorter noodles. Run the dough through the machine to the desired thickness.
Pasta Cutter Settings
Go to setting 4 or 5 on your pasta cutter attachment. Thick enough to hold sauce and thin enough to twirl!
How to Cut Pasta
Using the Kitchenaid pasta cutter makes it so easy.
- Place the short end of one piece of dough into the end of the cutter with one hand holding the other end of the dough upright. Turn on the machine to low and allow the machine to grab the dough pulling it through and cut it [13,14].
- Loosely wrap the dough into a “nest” and place on a floured baking sheet and sprinkle the cut pasta with more flour.
- Repeat with the rest of the dough.
You can use a pasta drying rack if you have one but don't run out and buy one. You can lay it over a clean dish towel on the back of a chair!
Time to cook!
The best thing is that fresh pasta cooks quickly so you can have dinner on the table in under an hour from making to cooking! And this al dente pasta homemade pasta recipe delivers in the fast cooking department!
Bring a stockpot of water to a rolling boil. Season generously with kosher salt (generous means a handful!).
Gently add the pasta to the pot, one nest at a time.
Lightly stir with a wooden spoon and cook for 2-3 minutes until the pasta is al dente. Test one piece. It should have a firm bite and not be mushy. You’ll know!
Best sauce for homemade pasta
Storage, Reheating Freezing Tips
Drying pasta dough. To dry it, flour it and leave it uncovered on a floured surface overnight up to 24 hours. Once dry, store in a covered container in a pantry or cabinet.
Storage. Homemade pasta is best cooked the same day as it’s made but can be refrigerated up to a day in an airtight container.
Refrigerate leftover cooked pasta in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheating. Reheat cooked homemade pasta as you would dried pasta either in the microwave in 30 second increments or simmer in a saucepan on the stove with sauce until warm.
Freezing. Freeze uncooked, homemade pasta dough in nests on a baking sheet until firm. Transfer to an airtight container or freezer bags for up to 3 months.
Made this recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Al Dente Homemade Pasta Recipe with Kitchenaid Pasta Attachment
Ingredients
- 2 ⅓ cups 00 flour, I use King Arthur's Pizza Flour; see below
- ⅔ cup semolina flour, I use Bob's Red Mill semolina flour
- 3 egg yolks + 2 eggs
Instructions
Prep the pasta attachment
- Lift the round KA logo and loosen the bolt on the right side of the logo to create enough space to accept the pasta roller. Fit the end of the roller into the opening and tighten the screw. You might have to turn the roller ¼ turn to fit.
Mix the pasta dough
- Combine the flours in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Reserve 1 cup of flour. Pour the flours onto a clean cutting board or countertop in a mound. Make a well in the center of the flour using the bottom of a measuring cup, leaving flour at the bottom. You don’t want to see the cutting board.Beat the eggs in a bowl (or if you forget like I did, that’s ok!) Pour the beaten eggs into the well.
- Use a fork to pull flour from the sides into the egg, whisking the flour into the eggs. Keep working the flour into the egg until you don’t see any runny egg. Surround the dough with your hands and bring it together making a ball.
- Add enough water (a tablespoon at a time) to make a smooth dough. Keep rolling the dough, adding more flour as needed. Don't worry if you don't use all the flour. The amount might fluctuate based on the weather.
- Roll the dough by pulling it towards you, make a quarter turn, and push it away.
- Keep pulling in more flour as needed. You might need as much as a cup more! Keep rolling until the pasta dough is smooth.
- Lightly flour the dough and allow it to relax, covered with a damp dish towel or wrapped in plastic wrap for 15-20 minutes.
- Cut the pasta dough into 4 equal pieces. Work with one piece of dough and return the other three to plastic wrap or cover so as not to dry out.
- Flatten the pasta dough into a rectangle about 2” smaller than the width of the pasta roller, about ½”thick. Your dough might look a little "salty" from the semolina. This will smooth out.
- Turn the dial on the roller to “1” which is the widest setting. Turn on the mixer to “low”.
- Place the short end of the dough into the opening of the pasta roller and allow the power of the pasta roller to pull the dough through the machine. Catch the dough on the other side of the roller.
- “Book” the dough, which means folding each short end towards the middle. Book the dough one more time and run the dough through the pasta roller at setting #1 again.
- Now, turn the knob to “2” and run the dough through the machine.
- Repeat running the dough through the machine to 4-5 for fettuccine, spaghetti or linguine. The piece of dough is going to get longer and longer. You can cut it crosswise if needed for shorter noodles. Run the dough through the machine to the desired thickness.
- Place the short end of one piece of dough into the end of the cutter with one hand holding the other end of the dough upright. Turn on the machine to low and allow the machine to grab the dough pulling it through and cut it.
- Loosely wrap the dough into a “nest” and place on a floured baking sheet and sprinkle the cut pasta with more flour. Repeat with the rest of the dough. The dough can sit out for a couple of hours, covered, as needed if you're cooking the same day.
Cook the pasta
- Bring a stockpot of water to a rolling boil. Season generously with kosher salt (generous means a handful!).
- Gently add the pasta to the pot, one nest at a time.
- Lightly stir with a wooden spoon and cook for 2-3 minutes until the pasta is al dente. Test one piece. It should have a firm bite and not be mushy. You’ll know!
Notes
- You may not use all the flour as it depends on the weather.
- If you only have access to all purpose flour, that's ok to substitute it for the "00" flour but do not substitute for the semolina.
- I typically use AP flour to dust my board.
My favorite tools for making pasta are a combo of:
- Your hands. The best tool in your kitchen. Period. And they are also the best tool for making amazing pasta dough at home because feeling the dough is key for knowing when the dough is ready.
- Kitchenaid pasta attachment. This pasta roller literally changed my pasta-making life. Because there’s no cranking, you can use both hands to run the dough through the machine.
- A clean work surface. Either a clean countertop or cutting board.
- A bench scraper. Comes in handy when gathering the flour on your work surface.
This recipe looks simple and sounds delicious! I was reading the post, and I had a couple of questions.
You write to reserve one cup of flour, so does that mean you're only mixing 1 1/3 cup of the 00 flour, or is that cup of flour additional to the 2 1/3 cup of 00 flour and 2/3 cup of semolina? I was also wondering what type of flour you use for dusting? Is it the semolina or the 00? I guess that question depends on the answer to the first.
My other question is... how many pounds of pasta does this recipe make?
Thank you - I'm super excited to use this recipe 🙂
Hi Giuliana (my Grandma Nina would say your name is "bellisima"!♥️) - you'll mix both flours together and then reserve one cup of the mix. As far as dusting flour, you can use AP flour. This recipe will make enough for 4 people so about a pound. Hope that helps! And please let me know how the recipe works for you...😊
What an amazing resource for making Homemade Pasta! I just read the whole thing and feel like I can confidently make a batch of homemade pasta. My family will LOVE it!
Thanks Susie! And thanks for reading the guide to making homemade pasta because that's really what it became for sure...so much to digest! Make lots of pasta to share with your family...and I'll be over too!🥳