Hi Guys! Today we have a fun recipe for you all…DIY pasta WITH four flavor variations and drying instructions! I really like making my own pasta (part of the DIY food obsession I have that I mentioned earlier this week), but it’s definitely a labor of love. These days I’m lucky enough to have a stand mixer to mix and bring my dough together, plus fancy pasta attachments to easily roll and cut my dough without having to demonstrate my pathetic arm strength, but these things are totally not necessary to make wonderful pasta at home!
We use a blend of all purpose and semolina flours because I like the firm texture the semolina adds to the dough and overall final product and all purpose flour is usually something everyone has on hand. You can get all authentic and serious if you want and pick up or order (via the internets) some “00 flour” (doppio zero flour) which is an Italian flour that is is great for pasta and pizza doughs because of its fine texture, which when used results in a silky, supple dough. I have used it a couple times (specifically ones with lower protein %, because I blend my flour with semolina) and did quite enjoy it, but again I don’t think it’s necessary to go out of your way to find and buy “00 flour” (which can be rather expensive) if you just want to make a quick dough. There are many purists out there who would disagree with me so it’s really up to you!
We included basic drying instructions because I began to notice that almost every time I would make my own pasta, I was unable to use the entire ball of dough quick enough, before it would go bad. I like using the hang dry method over the nesting method because I like the thorough and even drying you achieve where as with the nesting method it’s easier to develop mold due to improper “coiling” and unseen wet spots. If you don’t have a pasta drying rack, you can always use wire hangers, which is what I did for a couple years before finally investing $20 into a wooden drying rack.
Now go make some scratch pasta! Okay? Maybe?! Enjoy! xx, Jenny
More pasta posts you might like:
Homemade Pasta Dough (with variations)
INGREDIENTS
basic pasta dough
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¾ cup semolina flour
- 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoons water if needed
for spinach
- ½ cup thawed frozen spinach, minced and squeezed dry
for saffron
- 5 threads saffron soaked in 2 tablespoons warm water for about 30 minutes
for squid ink
- 1 packet or 2 ½ tablespoons squid ink
for beet
- 1 small roasted red beet, pureed until smooth
INSTRUCTIONS
- For dough: In a mixing bowl combine flours and whisk together. On a clean work surface or in a bowl place 1 ½ cups of flour mixture in a mound. Make a well in the center of flour and crack eggs into well, followed by oil.
- Using a fork gently whisk eggs and oil together while slowly incorporating flour. Once flour and eggs are combined, add more flour little by little to form a ball that is no longer sticky to touch.
- If dough is dry add water, 1 teaspoon at a time. Knead dough for 8-10 minutes (dough should feel very tight and should bounce back when gently pressed), wrap in plastic and let sit for about 20 minutes before using. Follow pasta machine instructions for rolling out the dough and cutting into desired pasta type (or roll pasta dough by hand with a rolling pin until very thin and cut into desired pasta type, using a clean ruler for even noodles).
- To color dough: Add “flavors” to eggs beat together before adding mixture to well of flour mixture. Continue following basic pasta dough instructions.
- To dry: Line freshly cut pasta dough onto a pasta dry rack (or onto clean wire hangers), in a single layer and allow pasta to dry in a cool, dry place for 24 hours. Carefully remove pasta from drying rack and store in an airtight container or jar until ready to use. Dry pasta will hold for up to 1 month if stored in a cool, dry place.
Did you make this recipe? We want to see!
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These are beautiful! I’m going to make some to give as a gift later this week, and I’m planning to do the hang-drying method. But is it safe to leave out dough with raw egg in it for all those hours? Just want to make sure I’m understanding the drying instructions correctly. Thanks!
Yes, it’s perfectly fine and safe to use the hang drying method. I like to think of it this way…bacteria needs 3 things to thrive, water, food and shelter. In this case you’re removing the water from the pasta, so the ‘bad bacteria’ will not be able to thrive in the hang drying process. There are WAY more thorough explanations online, if you want to dabble around the inter webs, but that’s my shortened/easy explanation. :)
Can you freeze the pasta to make the shelf life last longer? Would the pasta spoil quicker in a cellophane bag since it is not completely sealed shut?
You can definitely freeze the pasta, but once it’s fully dry you should be okay to package it in cellophane (or something else that isn’t necessarily 100% sealed) :)
When you give flavour option quantity amounts, are they per lb of pasta? i.e. 1 squid ink sachet per 2 eggs. Or is it the quoted amounts of flavour per 1/4 lb as you have 4 flavours in per recipe?
Each flavor option is for 1 pound of pasta
Does anyone know how long this pasta lasts for? I want to give it as gifts and see theres raw egg in it, so I don’t want to give anyone salmonella.
Hey, it says ‘Dry pasta will hold for up to 1 month if stored in a cool, dry place.’
I just finished making my first homemade spinach pasta but I also added a little Basil and creamed garlic to the dough. I just bought an electric ovente pasta machine so hope it does well, I’ve never used a pasta machine but I think the flavors should be amazing, the color is fantastic. Wish me luck! Thanks for the recipes!
Great pictures, you really captured making pasta by hand. I like to use the leaves of the cauliflower to make a pasta dough, then shape a ravioli into a leaf.
Awwww! Yours pics are so tempting. Feel like making all. Awaiting your reply for my previous post. I have tried only the spinach version as well as the plain one..What will give an orange colour? Carrots, or something more to be added to it?
Hi, why is it that beets have to be roasted prior to adding to the eggs? what if we steam it and puree it fine? Is it anything to do with the raw taste? Pls help.
Steaming it is totally fine. You just want to be able to extract enough ‘juice’ to add a nice color to the pasta and the easiest way to do that is by cooking and puttering the beets (boiling will make it lose it’s color). If you have a juicer you can go that route as well!
sorry didnt see the bottom of the directions for that information
how do you store after you dry? and how do you know when it is fully dry enough to store?
I have an Atlas pasta machine and when I was in Italy I bought the part to make Ravioli but have never tried to make it. Cooking light use to have a recipe for Black Pepper Pasta that was good but it wouldn’t work anymore after I bought a new PC So I don’t have the recipe anymore.
I am looking for a pasta recipe using sundried tomatoes. Any suggestions?
I ran two handfuls of sun dried tomatoes through a food processor with 2 tbsp of olive oil and added it to the base recipe, it worked fine.
I may have missed it but what pasta roller are you using and where would I find one?
If you use this recipe for gifts, how much would you put in one package? The recipe says it makes 1 lb of dough, would you do a quarter of that per package or an 8th? or how much would be a serving, I guess? Trying to figure out how much to make :) Thank you!
I usually fit about 10-12 ounces of pasta into each package.
You are my Master :) It’s absolutely beautiful!
Did anyone think of anything to use besides squid ink? I would like to make the pasta today and no one in town has it. They said they could order it but it would be really expensive. Suggestions?
This is an utterly gorgeous post that makes me want to make obscene amounts of homemade pasta, though I’m sure it wouldn’t end up looking half as gorgeous as yours does!
I’d like rainbow pasta for breakfast, lunch and dinner please! LOVE this.
Omg these colors!!! LOVE.
Stuuuuuunnnniiiinnnnngggggaaaaa. Now I want all of the pasta.
this is awesome – I need to get me a rolling machine – my husband can make a drying wrack. I love the flavored combinations.
Great take on the basic pasta recipe. Thank you. I have been making homemade pasta for years but have never thought of a beet pasta. Tried sweet potato pasta once but never could get it dry enough to knead or put through the pasta machine, it stayed too wet. If anyone knows how to do this, I would appreciate your sharing it.
Hey, have you tried putting it in in a kitchen towel and squeezing the liquid out?
Absolutely beautiful!
OMG. I’m going to try making this ASAP. I love the colors, especially that beet one! Ah, so much inspiration from this site!
Gorgeous! You make it seem so easy lol! I’ve never made my own pasta before but I love the idea! I think homemade dried pasta would make an awesome Christmas gift as well!!