How to Make Homemade Pasta and the Best Ever Marinara Sauce

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Welcome to In the Kitchen with Leslie. Every Friday I will be sharing something wonderful that is made in my kitchen. Today I am sharing How to Make Homemade Pasta and the Best Ever Marinara Sauce.

Homemade Marinara Sauce
 
It’s the first week in January and I have a goal to share a recipe prepared in my kitchen every Friday. When I found out that tomorrow, January 4th, is National Spaghetti Day, I decided to share my homemade pasta and marinara sauce recipes. 

Homemade Pasta sauce
 
I have probably made homemade pasta at least thirty times. Ok, maybe more. Click here for the recipe to make this Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter Sauce.
 
Homemade Ravioli
 
I also made Fig, Gorgonzola and Chicken Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce for Valentine’s Day dinner last year. Click here for the recipe.
 
Homemade Ravioli Hearts
 
Apparently I have only posted ravioli pasta recipes. I never posted on my blog just the recipe I use to make pasta. Like plain homemade pasta. I have no idea how that happened. So here it is! 
 
Homemade PAsta
Yield: 8 servings

The Best Homemade Pasta

homemade pasta

I use this recipe for all of my pasta dough. It works great for spaghetti, fettuccini, lasagna, and flavored pasta. I absolutely love it.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 3 tbl water

Instructions

  1. Measure all four ingredients in a KitchenAid mixer.
  2. Mix with the flat paddle for two minutes or until the dough is thoroughly mixed. (If it's too dry, add another tbsp. water.)
  3. Switch to the dough hook and run for two more minutes.
  4. Form dough into a ball. If desired, wrap in plastic and store in the refrigerator for twenty minutes.
  5. Cut the dough into quarters.
  6. Using the flat pasta attachment, roll the pasta in the attachment until the thickness is #7.
  7. Switch to the cut pasta attachment and cut the dough.
  8. Hang on a pasta rack until needed.
  9. Let dry overnight and place in a ziploc bag if completely dry.
  10. Cook for approximately 8 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.
 
As I mentioned, I use this recipe to make ravioli, fettuccini, spaghetti, and lasagna. I also used this recipe to make Basil stuffed pasta.
I use a KitchenAid mixer and the pasta attachments which makes the process so much easier!
You can certainly use a hand crank pasta roller if you want.
 
Homemade pasta 2

The Best Marinara Sauce

Nothing is better than a really good homemade Marinara sauce. I love making this sauce because the recipe makes a lot and I can serve my entire family spaghetti and also make lasagna a week later. This is not a complicated recipe but it does take a few hours because the sauce needs to simmer.
 
Recipe for Homemade Pasta
 
The key to a good marinara sauce is tomatoes. In the summertime, I use fresh tomatoes from my garden.  San Marzano tomatoes are a great option if you don’t have enough fresh tomatoes. They are the best canned tomatoes and they really are delicious.
 
homemade tomato sauce

What Makes San Marzano Tomatoes So Good?

The flesh of a San Marzano tomato is much thicker with fewer seeds, and the taste is stronger, sweeter and less acidic. The San Marzano vines are indeterminate and have a somewhat longer season than other paste tomato varieties, making them particularly suitable for warmer climates.

They are one of the most popular tomatoes to create savory sauces and pastes for cooking roasts and fish, and to add to stews. The San Marzano tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is favored for its strong and sweet, almost piquant flavor. It is also one of the easiest to cultivate in wide swaths of the world.

Can You Grow Your Own San Marzano Tomatoes?

San Marzano tomato plants grow best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 10 with the right tending and care. San Marzano tomatoes are typically 4-inch oblong fruits. After you sow the San Marzano tomato seeds, the fruits will ripen and be ready to dress and serve within 75 to 80 days. For the best results, plant the San Marzano tomato seeds indoors at least six to eight weeks before the last frost date of your U.S. Department of Agriculture zone’s recommendations.

The best way to get the San Marzano tomato seeds to grow well is to plant them in soil that is moist and full of nutrients. Fill a bucket filled with rich potting soil and then fill the pot or bucket with water slowly, gently stirring the water into the dirt. When the soil is just moist but not soggy, stop adding water.

(The data above is from Wikipedia.)

homemade tomato sauce

Yield: Four two pint jars of sauce

The Best Ever Homemade Marinara Sauce

Homemade Marinara Sauce

This marinara sauce is simply wonderful.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 10 cloves of minced garlic
  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 4 TBL olive oil
  • 5 28oz cans San Marzano Peeled Tomatoes
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 2 TBL fresh chopped thyme
  • 3 TBL fresh chopped oregano
  • 8 TBL fresh chopped basil

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil and add the two cups of onion. Cook until tender, about five to ten minutes.
  2. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Do not let the garlic burn.
  3. Add the tomatoes and stir.
  4. Add the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and wine.
  5. Cover and cook on low heat for two hours, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. The large tomatoes should break down with the cooking.
  6. Remove the sauce from the heat, add the fresh herbs.
  7. Serve with pasta.

Notes

You can add a lot of things to the pasta once it is cooked. Sauteed vegetables, cooked sausage and mushrooms are a great example.

Store remaining sauce in a glass container with lid in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

I made a huge bowl of fresh pasta (which was one entire recipe of dough.) We still had two and a half jars of pasta sauce left over!

Homemade pasta and tomato sauce
 
Pin the image below to your Recipe or Homemade Food boards on Pinterest (just click the Pin button in the top left corner). You can also follow along with me on Pinterest!
 
Homemade Pasta and Sauce

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22 Comments

  1. Can’t wait to try your recipes out. Keep them coming, you are so inspiring!
    From a fellow so cal girl, happy new year!!

  2. I can’t wait to try the marinara recipe. I’ve been searching for a really good one, this sounds simple and flavorful. Perfect!!

  3. I bought the Kitchenaid Pasta attachments for myself for Christmas! I can’t wait to try your recipes. The timing of this post couldn’t have been better! Thank you and Happy New Year!

  4. I add a tbs of olive oil to my pasta dough, not sure if it makes a difference but enjoy the taste. I also often add cayenne pepper, it looks good!!😂

    1. You can put it in the refrigerator for a week or freeze it for a few months. Just put it in a ziplock bag to freeze.

  5. For your Pumpkin Ravioli filling, do you use a large can of pumpkin puree or a 15oz. can? In the photo, which is a little grainey, it looks like the larger can. Thanks! Love your blog & am so glad I saw the article about your Christmas party in the L.A. Times!! Love your home as well!

  6. Hi Leslie, I’m a new subscriber and so excited to try this recipe! I’ve tried to enter the password in Christmas Party Recipes, but it doesn’t work. Any suggestions?

  7. I made
    This tonight! Sauce is delicious but spicy (to me). Next time I’d halve the red pepper. Thank you so much for posting!

    1. We like it spicy. But I went ahead and changed the recipe to two teaspoons to make it better for everyone. Thanks so much fro your input.

  8. Yes!! We made this tonight too!!
    LOVE the recipe but we too found it to be spicy….
    2 Tablespoons correct???
    BTW Leslie Great job!!

    1. We love it spicy but I just changed the recipe to two teaspoons. Since two of you said it was too spicy I thought I better change it! Thanks.

  9. Hi Leslie,
    I just made the pasta and the sauce. I did cut down the red pepper to one tablespoon because my husband doesn’t like spicy food. How long will the pasta keep? Can I freeze it? And does it need to be refrigerated? ( 1st time making pasta)
    Love your blog and follow you on Instagram

    1. Of course you can. Just make sure you are familiar with and know all of the proper canning procedures to ensure safety!

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