Best Recipe for Homemade Pasta

Best homemade pasta recipe from Tuscany

Time for Pasta Recipe! Among the countless and diverse renowned classic Italian and Tuscan dishes and delicious types of food, we can say that pasta rightly ranks at number one!! No doubt pasta is Italy’s and of course Tuscany’s favorite staple 🙂

Pasta is also incredibly popular and appreciated all around the world! That’s also because from this one very simple ingredient you can create an almost infinite variety of exceptional dishes. Whatever your tastes, there’s a pasta dish to meet your preferences. You can also invent endless different pasta recipes.

You can of course buy pasta everywhere, but if you’ve never made your own pasta before, I suggest you try! It takes about 30 minutes preparation time, plus 20 minutes resting.

Ingredients needed to make about 1 kg and half of pasta

• 350 gr wheat flour, preferably italian type 00
• some extra flour for working the dough
• 3 eggs
• 1 little spoon of salt
• 1 spoon of extra virgin olive oil

How to make homemade pasta recipe by hand

Note: I suggest you make your pasta by hand, it requires just a little bit more time, but it’s better!

1. Sift the flour into a mound on a work surface

2. Make a hole in the center and add the eggs lightly beaten, salt and olive oil

3. Using a fork or better with your fingers, beat the eggs gently and gradually begin to incorporate the flour from the sides of the fountain.

4. Continue in this way until the dough becomes smooth and you will have fully absorbed the eggs. It will take about 10 minutes.

5. Shape the dough into a ball and leave to rest for 20 minutes in a covered basin (this prevents it from drying out)

6. Roll it out on a surface using some flour or use a pasta machine to make a thin sheet, and then start to cut out shapes according to your preferences, for lasagne, fettuccine, tagliatelle, pappardelle, spaghetti, and so on.

My tips to have a great pasta:

• Use only first quality ingredients starting from the flour
• The consistency of the dough should be soft and dry, so in case the mixture is too soft add a little extra flour, if it is too firm add a little warm water

How to cook Pasta

To cook pasta you need plenty of water. As a rule at least 1 liter of water per 100gr of  pasta.

Add a little spoon of oil to the water and when it boils, butta la pasta! put the pasta into the water, mix with a wooden fork and then let cook for few minutes. The cooking time of your pasta depends on its thickness, however it shouldn’t be too thick.

Fresh Pasta does not have to be cooked too much, just few minutes will be ok. Anyway, taste your pasta before draining it.

Pasta can be dressed with a quantity of different types of sauce! You may start by using it to make this delicious lasagna recipe! Have fun 🙂