Fresh Pasta Dough Recipe
At the Zani house, there isn’t a Christmas spent without pasta. It’s often hand-cranked, cut, or stuffed. And so while we get ready to prepare the Christmas Eve menu of cavatelli and buttery crabmeat-stuffed sole, I’m simultaneously scavenging for gifts. Except for his year, I was inspired to simplify with handmade fresh pasta. In this instance, it’s not a guessing game of what to get who from where and how much. Rather, I decided to create something creative and hard to deny. Pasta is a love language of its own.
Not Just Any Pasta Dough
I recommend using an eggless pasta base: flour + water. This way, your gift will be shelf-stable at room temperature for up to 3 weeks. And you can make it ahead of time, which is my favorite part of the journey. Once it’s been gifted, advise people that it should be tossed if it smells stale or grows mold- obviously.
The Shapes
Making pasta without a machine is absolutely possible! You need a relaxed dough, a little elbow grease, and a good rolling pin. Whether or not you have a machine, I recommend making the popular linguine (1/8” wide), fettuccine (1/4”), tagliatelle ( 1/3”), pappardelle (3/4” or 1”), lasagna sheets, or some others like pici, garganelli, or bowties. If you want to explore a more explicit resource for pasta doughs, sauces, and shapes, I recommend Misi Robbins.
I’ve updated the Ciao Box series to include Pasta orders, and you can place yours anytime!
Fresh Pasta Dough Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 g. OO flour
- 100 g. semolina flour
- 3/4 c. water
Instructions
- In a medium bowl combine OO flour and semolina. On a large clean surface such as a wooden butcher block or cutting board, pour flour mixture into the center. Using the bottom of the bowl create a diviot in the center of the flour to form a round wall.
- Carefully add water 1/4 c. at a time and using a fork begin to fold flour mixture inward from the wall to the center. Do this until a tacky shaggy dough forms. Add more water 1 tbsp. at a time if needed. The dough should not be wet or too dry.
- Knead dough for about 10 minutes. Wrap in plastic and rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove a small piece of dough and begin by rolling it out into a thin sheet. If you have a pasta maker, you can start on 1 or 2 and work your way to 5 or 6, depending on how thick you want it. Once you've rolled the pasta into a sheet cut it into desired shapes; ie: linguini, pappardelle, bow ties.
- Allow pasta to dry on a pasta tree, mesh surface or wooden cutting board covered in semolina. Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 1 week.
