The short answer: a homemade pasta recipe needs just flour and eggs: 100 g of flour (about ¾ cup) per large egg. Mix 300 g flour with 3 eggs, knead 8–10 minutes, rest 30 minutes, roll thin and cut. Fresh pasta cooks in 2–4 minutes and serves 4.
- Key numbers: 1 egg per person · knead until smooth and springy · rest at least 30 minutes · roll to about 1/16 inch · boil 2–4 minutes in salted water
- No machine? A rolling pin and a sharp knife make great tagliatelle and pappardelle
- Save it: get the free recipe book starter pages (we email it to you), or plan pasta night in the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99)
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Prep time: 15 minCook time: 4 minTotal time: 49 minServings: 4 servingsTotal includes 30 min of resting, chilling or rising.
Food-safety and storage guidance was checked November 13, 2026, against the FDA's flour safety page and the USDA FoodKeeper. Times below are typical and vary with flour, egg size and how thin you roll. The sections cover the recipe, shapes, troubleshooting, sauces and storage.
Homemade pasta ingredients (serves 4)
| Ingredient | Amount | Why |
|---|---|---|
| "00" or all-purpose flour | 300 g (about 2¼ cups), plus extra for dusting | Structure; "00" gives the silkiest texture |
| Large eggs | 3, room temperature | All the liquid and richness |
| Olive oil (optional) | 1 teaspoon | Makes dough a little easier to roll |
| Salt (optional) | ½ teaspoon | Seasons the dough; the cooking water matters more |
Scaling: 1 egg + 100 g flour per person. For 2 people use 2 eggs and 200 g; for 6 use 6 eggs and 600 g.
Homemade pasta method: mix, knead, rest, roll, cut
- Make a well. Mound the flour on a clean counter or in a wide bowl, make a deep well in the center and crack in the eggs (plus oil and salt if using).
- Mix. Beat the eggs with a fork, slowly pulling in flour from the inside wall until a shaggy dough forms. Scrape it together with a bench scraper or your hands.
- Knead 8–10 minutes. Push the dough away with the heel of your hand, fold it back and turn. It's ready when it's smooth, a little springy and no longer sticky.
- Rest 30 minutes. Wrap tightly and leave at room temperature. Skipping this makes the dough fight you when you roll.
- Roll. Cut the dough into 4 pieces and keep the rest covered. Roll by machine (widest setting, fold and repeat twice, then thinner settings one at a time) or by pin until about 1/16 inch thick.
- Cut. Dust the sheet with flour, roll it up loosely and slice: ¼ inch for tagliatelle, ⅛ inch for fettuccine-thin, 1 inch for pappardelle. Toss the ribbons with flour or semolina and form loose nests.
- Cook. Boil in a big pot of well-salted water for 2–4 minutes, save a cup of pasta water, drain and toss with sauce.
Homemade pasta by hand vs with a machine
| Rolling pin + knife | Hand-crank pasta machine | Stand mixer attachment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rolling time for 4 servings | About 15–20 minutes | About 10 minutes | About 10 minutes |
| Best shapes | Tagliatelle, pappardelle, lasagna sheets, farfalle | Thin ribbons, spaghetti-style, ravioli sheets | Same as hand crank, hands-free |
| Learning curve | Moderate: rolling thin and even takes practice | Easy | Easy |
| Extra cost | None | One-time purchase | One-time purchase (needs a compatible mixer) |
8 shapes you can make from one batch of dough
| Shape | How to make it | Best with |
|---|---|---|
| Tagliatelle | ¼-inch ribbons | Ragù, mushroom cream, butter and Parmesan |
| Fettuccine | Slightly narrower ribbons | Alfredo-style cream sauces |
| Pappardelle | 1-inch ribbons | Hearty meat sauces |
| Lasagna sheets | Cut to fit your pan; no boiling needed if sauce is generous | Baked lasagna |
| Ravioli | Two thin sheets, spoon filling, press and cut | Brown butter, light tomato sauce |
| Farfalle | 1½-inch squares pinched in the middle | Pesto, pasta salad |
| Garganelli | Small squares rolled diagonally around a pencil or dowel | Chunky sauces |
| Maltagliati | "Badly cut" scraps in random shapes | Soups and beans |
Troubleshooting homemade pasta dough
- Crumbly or cracking: knead in water ½ teaspoon at a time. Large eggs vary in size, so dough is often a little dry.
- Sticky or tearing in the machine: dust with flour and fold it through the widest setting again.
- Springs back when rolling: it needs more rest. Cover it for another 10–15 minutes.
- Gummy after cooking: it was rolled too thick or overcooked. Pull a test piece at 2 minutes.
- Ribbons stuck together: toss them with more flour or semolina right after cutting.
Food safety: don't taste the raw dough. The FDA says flour is a raw food and that cooking is the only way to be sure foods made with flour and raw eggs are safe. Wash hands, bowls and counters after working with dough.
Sauces for homemade pasta
Fresh pasta soaks up sauce, so keep it simple. Try our spaghetti sauce (which also covers homemade pasta sauce), bolognese, carbonara, cacio e pepe or chicken alfredo. Use lasagna sheets in our lasagna, and serve it all with garlic bread. For dried-pasta weeknights, browse pasta recipes.
Storing and freezing homemade pasta
| Storage | How long | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Dough, wrapped, fridge | Up to 1 day | Let it warm 20–30 minutes before rolling |
| Cut fresh pasta, fridge | 1–2 days | Toss with flour, store in a covered container |
| Cut fresh pasta, freezer | About 2 months for best quality | Freeze nests on a sheet pan, then bag; cook from frozen |
| Dried at home | Dry completely before storing | Hang or lay flat until brittle; humid kitchens can take a day or more |
| Cooked pasta, fridge | 3–5 days | Toss with a little oil so it doesn't clump |
Fridge and freezer times for fresh pasta follow the USDA FoodKeeper. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below.
Plan pasta night on a budget
Flour and eggs are pantry staples, so homemade pasta is a low-cost dinner, especially with a simple tomato or butter sauce. Make a double batch on the weekend and freeze half for a fast weeknight meal. Compare egg and flour prices in a grocery price book, and use meal planning on a budget to slot pasta into the week. Track the grocery total on the Budget Planner Printable ($5.99).
Plan the week on the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99), and keep your dough ratio and favorite sauces in the Family Recipe Binder ($6.99). Browse all Home & organizing printables.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ratio for homemade pasta? The classic ratio for homemade pasta is 100 grams of flour (about ¾ cup) to 1 large egg. For 4 servings, use 300 grams of flour (about 2¼ cups) and 3 large eggs, then adjust with a teaspoon of water or a spoonful of flour until the dough is smooth and not sticky.
What flour is best for homemade pasta? Italian "00" flour makes the silkiest egg pasta, but all-purpose flour works well and is what most home cooks have. Semolina adds bite and is traditional for eggless shapes like orecchiette and cavatelli; a 50/50 mix of all-purpose and semolina is a good middle ground.
Can you make homemade pasta without a pasta machine? Yes. Roll the rested dough with a rolling pin on a lightly floured counter until you can almost see your hand through it, about 1/16 inch thick, then dust with flour, roll it up loosely and slice into ribbons with a sharp knife.
How long should pasta dough rest? Rest pasta dough at least 30 minutes at room temperature, wrapped tightly so it doesn't dry out. Resting relaxes the gluten, so the dough rolls out thin without springing back. You can also refrigerate it up to a day; let it warm up 20 to 30 minutes before rolling.
How long do you cook fresh pasta? Fresh homemade pasta cooks in about 2 to 4 minutes in well-salted boiling water, depending on thickness. Thin ribbons like tagliatelle are often done in 2 minutes, while filled pasta like ravioli takes 3 to 5. Taste a piece; it should be tender with a slight bite.
Why is my pasta dough too dry or too sticky? Dry, crumbly pasta dough needs a little more liquid: add water half a teaspoon at a time while kneading. Sticky dough needs a dusting of flour. Egg size, flour brand and humidity all change the feel, so judge by touch: the dough should feel like firm play dough.
Can you eat raw pasta dough? No. The FDA says never to eat or taste raw flour, dough or batter, because raw flour and raw eggs can carry harmful bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli. Cooking the pasta is the step that makes it safe.
How long does homemade pasta last? Uncooked fresh pasta keeps about 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator and about 2 months in the freezer for best quality, according to the USDA FoodKeeper. Freeze nests on a floured sheet pan first, then bag them, and cook straight from frozen with an extra minute or so.
Can you make homemade pasta without eggs? Yes. Mix 200 grams of semolina flour with about 100 milliliters of warm water, knead 8 to 10 minutes and rest 30 minutes. Eggless dough is firmer and suits hand-formed shapes like orecchiette, cavatelli and pici better than thin ribbons.
How do I fit homemade pasta night into a busy week? Plan homemade pasta for a weekend night on the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) from HomeBase Paper Co., make a double batch and freeze half as nests for a quick weeknight dinner. The sauce can come from the freezer too.
Where can I save a family pasta recipe? The Family Recipe Binder ($6.99) from HomeBase Paper Co. keeps your pasta dough ratio, favorite shapes and sauces together so anyone in the family can make them. You can also start with our free recipe book starter pages, which we email to you.
Is homemade pasta cheaper than store-bought? Basic egg pasta uses only flour and eggs, so it usually costs about the same as boxed dried pasta and less than refrigerated fresh pasta, depending on egg prices where you shop. Track grocery spending on the Budget Planner Printable ($5.99) from HomeBase Paper Co. to see what your batch really costs.
Sources
- FDA: Handling Flour Safely: What You Need to Know fda.gov
- FoodSafety.gov: FoodKeeper App foodsafety.gov