Handmade pasta (without pasta machine)

ByRasa Pelham
Container filled with fresh handmade pasta, dusted with flour, resting before cooking.

I will admit that making your own pasta is a lot of hassle! It takes long and it is soooo messy (with all that flour). But I still like making it as things made from scratch are the way of life for me. Like most of types of pasta such as gnocchi or skryliai (Lithuanian pasta) you can make lots of it over weekend and then freeze it for a quick lunch or dinner later in the week. I have not tried doing this with this pasta, but I believe it should work. Will let you know if I try that out! My favourite pasta is with cabbage (this one is with kale actually, but it is as good!). I know, I know this is a weird preference, but after trying out this recipe I just keep coming back to it!!!

A bowl of handmade pasta mixed with leafy greens, garnished with grated cheese and a fork resting on the side.

I have learned making Italian fresh egg pasta while in Tuscany. Me and Joni took some cooking lessons while on honeymoon. Luckily Joni had some experience with pasta machine before, while I just stood and watched. “Dust the pasta machine with a lot of flour to avoid the dough sticking to it” apparently thats the most important tip! However today I will show you how I made pasta by hand. Same tip applies here as well (lot’s of dusting with flour indeed)!

A cooking class scene showing two people making fresh pasta. One person is stretching a sheet of pasta, while another is operating a pasta machine. Flour is scattered on a kitchen counter.

BASIC HANDMADE PASTA serves one, multiply as needed!

  • 1 medium egg
  • 95g ’00’ flour

1. In the food processor or by hand combine egg with flour. The dough will be crumbly at this stage.

Close-up of a food processor bowl containing crumbly pasta dough made from flour and egg.

2. Kneed the dough into the ball and wrap it into cling film. Let it rest for 1 hour.

A ball of pasta dough wrapped in cling film resting on a wooden surface.

3. Flatten the dough ball with the rolling pin on the well floured surface (flour the rolling pin as well). Roll and lift the dough as many times as it needs. The dough should become as flat as a piece of fabric.

Hands using a rolling pin to flatten dough on a wooden surface.

4. Roll the dough into the roll. If I did this stage again, I would have rolled it into looser roll. Would have been easer to unroll it later on!

A rolled piece of handmade pasta resting on a wooden cutting board, with a rolling pin in the background.

5. Slice the roll into the 7mm slices.

A person slicing freshly made pasta on a wooden cutting board, with flour scattered on the surface.

This has been observed by Leia of course 🙂

A cat wearing a collar is sitting on a couch, watching a person prepare food on a table in a kitchen setting.

6. Unroll the pasta while keeping it well floured. And that’s how it is done!

Freshly cut homemade pasta on a wooden cutting board, with a knife and a rolling pin nearby.

Cook pasta for 4 min in boiling water (longer from frozen) and serve it with your favourite sauce.

A plate of freshly made pasta topped with sautéed greens, bacon, and grated cheese, accompanied by a fork and spoon on a dark background.

Enjoy!
Rasa xoxo

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