How to Make Basic Homemade Pasta with Durum Flour

A kitchen scale is best for weighing the durum flour. I recommend using a pasta roller/maker to roll and cut the dough, otherwise you can use a rolling pin and a pastry cutter or knife. I use my kitchenaid pasta maker attachment.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour with 1 tsp salt, eggs and oil. Mix with your mixer dough attachment (or your hands) until a smooth ball forms and becomes shiny and elastic. This takes a good 10 minutes. Cover your ball of pasta dough with a towel and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Divide the pasta dough into 4 balls and squish them with your palms. Dust each side with a bit of flour so they do not stick to your pasta maker (or to your rolling pin and board). If you are using a pasta maker, start with the pasta sheet roller on #1. Turn your mixer on to speed 2 and run the past through the roller two times on setting #1, then do it again on setting #3 and then on #4 - this will let the pasta gradually get thinner and it will not tear as easily. I hang my rolled pasta dough on a pasta drying rack while I work on the other batches. If making lasagna, keep the pasta as-is. If making another kind of pasta, attach the desired attachment. For example, for fettuccine pasta noodles, use the fettuccine cutter attachment on speed 2 and feed each piece of rolled pasta through the attachment. (If you think your rolled pasta may stick to the attachment, sprinkle a bit more flour on each side first).

Allow your freshly made pasta to dry a bit before cooking for best results. I usually wait 30 minutes. Boil a large pot of water. Add a good 1 1/2 Tbsp salt to the boiling water. Let the water start boiling again (the salt will bring the temperature down). Then add the pasta - gently stir it around to make sure the noodles do not stick together. Let cook for about 3 minutes only! Drain, then add to your pasta dish or sauce.

Try this homemade durum flour pasta for the Fettuccine noodles in this delicious dish: Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with Fresh Herbs.