How to Make My Easy Fresh Pasta Recipe

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Today I am sharing my easy fresh pasta recipe which can be used to make any kind of pasta. It’s easy and tastes really good.

I also only use four or five ingredients which makes my easy pasta recipe perfect for the Five-Ingredient Challenge I am doing today.

My Easy Pasta Recipe

If you have never made fresh pasta before, it’s worth giving it a try. You can make it by hand, use an inexpensive pasta roller, or use the attachments for a Kitchenaid mixer.

The good news is it doesn’t matter how you make it … it always tastes good.

What's Cooking?
How to Make Homemade Pasta

Homemade pasta is the best.

In act, there is nothing else like it.

I would guess that last year I made homemade fresh pasta about thirty times. Of course, those thirty times range from Butternut Squash Ravioli to Fig, Gorgonzola and Chicken Ravioli to spaghetti and fettuccine and the Best Marinara Sauce. If I had to guess, I would say I cook pasta at least three times a month. 

I have shared my pasta making on Instagram a gazillion times. So if you haven’t tried my recipe, now is the time to try it.

Today I am part of a blog hop called Five Ingredients. And pasta is about the only thing I make that takes only five ingredients. (Which might be a hint that I need to simplify things.)

Making Homemade Pasta

What You Need to Make My Easy Fresh Pasta Recipe

Equipment

  • Pasta roller or a Kitchen Aid Mixer with pasta attachments (Pasta Roller and Spaghetti Cutter or Fettuccine Cutter).
Three Pasta Attachments

You can also use a less expensive pasta hand roller or a hand crank pasta machine. I have shared some of these options with you below.

  • Pasta Drying Rack
Pasta Drying Rack

Pasta making equipment links here …

Ingredients You Need to Make My Easy Fresh Pasta Recipe

Ingredients to Make Pasta

Every time I make pasta I use these exact ingredients. Flour, eggs, salt, and water. That’s it!

It’s a recipe that is easy to memorize.

When I make Gluten Free Homemade Pasta, I use 1 2/3 cups of Gluten-Free flour, one tsp. xanthan gum, 1/2 tsp. salt, and three eggs. The process is the same, but know without gluten you will likely need to knead the dough a bit longer.

I make the dough in my Kitchen Aid Mixer (and then make the pasta using the attachments). It’s very easy that way.

Pasta Dough

Then I roll it into a ball and cut it into four equal parts.

Cutting the Dough in Quarters

Next, flatten one section of the pasta and using the flat pasta roller attachment, press the pasta through machine. Start on Level 1 and run it through six times, increasing the level by one each time. Stop at the desired thickness, which for me is level 6. 

Homemade Pasta

Select the cutting tool (fettuccine or spaghetti) and cut the pasta.

As you cut each batch, carefully place them on the pasta rack. Cook the pasta immediately or let it dry on the rack.

homemade pasta drying rack
Yield: Serves 6

My Easy Homemade Pasta Recipe

My Easy Pasta Recipe

This is the best fresh pasta recipe. It tastes great and it is a crowd-pleaser every time.

Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • Ingredients
  • 3 ½ cups of flour
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tsp of salt
  • 2 -3 TBL of water

Instructions

    1. Place all of the ingredients in the mixing bowl. Mix on the second speed of the mixer for one to two minutes with the flat beater.
    2. Add the dough hook to the mixer and mix for two minutes. While in the bowl, make a ball with the dough. If the dough stays together and doesn’t stick to your hands, then it is ready. If it’s too dry, add a small amount of water, one tablespoon at a time. Mix again after water is added. If it’s too moist, add some flour.
    3. Place the dough ball on to a mat or surface and knead slightly. Form a ball and cut into fourths.
    4. Put the Pasta Roller Attachment on the KitchenAid.
    5. Flatten one of the dough pieces and push through the roller at setting #1. Fold over the pieces of dough (into the width of the roller) and run the pasta through a few more times.
    6. Continue placing the pasta in the roller changing the setting each time. Continue to setting #7. (At setting #5, you will likely need to cut the pasta piece in half. It’s much easier to handle.)
    7. Remove the roller and place either the Spaghetti or Fettuccini Cutter on the Kitchen Aid Machine.
    8. Carefully feed the pasta through the cutter. Place the pasta on the drying rack.
    9. Continue the same steps for the next three pieces of pasta dough.
    10. Once the dough is ready, cook in boiling water for about five minutes.
    11. If you don’t want to cook the pasta right away, let the pasta dry on the rack overnight. Just be aware that a lot of the pasta will break off onto the counter once dry.
    12. The next morning you can store in a ziplock bag for up to four weeks.

How to Store Fresh Pasta

There are a lot of ways to store fresh pasta. This one is my favorite and it is so easy.

How to Store Fresh Pasta

All you do is place the fresh pasta on the pasta rack, making sure there is a clean surface below. Let the pasta dry over night. It will break while it is drying, so don’t panic when you see it in the morning. When it is completely dry store it in a ziploc bag. It lasts a few weeks but it never even lasts that long as it is always eaten right away.

Fresh Basil Pasta

In the photo below, I cut up basil and put it between two sheets of pasta. Then I ran the pasta through the machine to press the sheets together and then I cut it. Isn’t it fun?

Basil Flavored Fettuccini

Here is what you need to make and serve homemade pasta!

I wanted to share how you can make my easy pasta recipe with fresh basil. It’s fun to infuse the pasta with fresh herbs.

Fresh Basil Fettuccini

Besides, I needed a fifth ingredient anyway. Fresh basil!

These are the simple steps you can follow to make Fresh Basil Pasta.

Basil Flavored Pasta
  • Make the fresh pasta and use the roller attachment to level #5.
  • Chop about one TBL of fresh basil and place it on one side of the pasta sheet.
Making Fresh Basil Pasta
  • Fold over the pasta sheet two to three times.
Folding Basil Pasta
  • Place the pasta back in the roller at level #3 and run the pasta through until you have reached level #7.
Basil Flavored Fettuccini
  • Run the pasta through the cutter and cook accordingly.
Fresh pasta stuffed with basil

Here is one of my favorite pasta sauces.

Brown Butter Basil Recipe

Sauce

1 stick butter

2 TBL chopped fresh basil

Grated parmesan for garnish

Sage Brown Butter Sauce

  1. Melt butter and add chopped basil. Cook over medium heat for five minutes until the butter starts to brown. Do not burn. (Strain if necessary.)
  2. Cook pasta and serve on a plate. Top with butter sauce and parmesan cheese.

I hope you have enjoyed this simple recipe!

Five Ingredient Recipes

Now I am sharing with you eleven more recipes that only have Five Ingredients!

Layered Hummus Dip – Modern Glam

Appetizer Trio With Roasted Rosemary Cashews – Classic Casual Home

Have you Made Pesto Lately? – Most Lovely Things

Homemade Hummus – Lemongrove Lane

How to Make Bubble Tea (Boba Tea) – Happy Happy Nester

Lemon Rosemary Shortbread Cookies – Finding Lovely 

5 Ingredient Blueberry Crepes – Zevy Joy

Raspberry Lemonade Sorbet – Jenna Kate At Home

Easy Pasta Recipe – My 100 Year Old Home

Easy Italian Sausage Pasta – Maison De Pax

Creamy Grape Salad – Twelve on Main

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

5 ingredients
My Easy Fresh Pasta Recipe

For more real-time updates, follow me on Instagram @My100YearOldHome

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14 Comments

  1. Leslie! Reading this post with your step-by-step instructions is making me want to make homemade pasta tonight! It’s the one thing I have never tried making from scratch! Seeing your beautiful pasta drying on the wood rack reminds me of that movie…Letters to Juliet!

  2. Leslie, thank you so much for this recipe and the video. I am so excited and ready to make my own pasta. My husband and I LOVE pasta so this will quickly become our new thing to do together. He doesn’t know it yet!! wink, wink

  3. What kind of gluten free flour do you use? I really appreciate that you included this mention of making gluten free pasta!

    1. Hi Deb! Depending on the type of pasta – fettuccini, ravioli, etc. and appetites, homemade dried pasta would be the same amount per person as purchased dried pasta. I generally use the guide of a healthy restaurant portion 🤗

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