This recipe for homemade pasta noodles uses only 3 ingredients and will teach you step by step on how to use a pasta extruder to make the best homemade noodles.
There is one simple secret that makes my noodles come out better than everyone else's, and today I am sharing that secret with you.
Over the Christmas holiday, my family gifted me with a Kitchenaid Pasta Press attachment -- the one that makes cute little noodle shapes like fusilli, rigatoni, and elbow macaroni. This is not the pasta machine that makes spaghetti and fettuccini noodles. There are two different pasta attachments for the KitchenAid mixer.
Many people have been as frustrated as I have because the recipe in the booklet doesn't always give you the best results for making the noodles.
Finding the right dough recipe for making homemade pasta noodles can be difficult, but I have you covered.
I have finally found the perfect recipe, so today I am going to share my tips and tricks with you!
My Experience With Different Recipes for Making Homemade Pasta Noodles
Using my pasta press for the first time was exciting. The recipe in the book was disappointing at best. So, I kept going until I found one that worked.
The dough in the original recipe sticks to the inside and won't come out of the press.
Then I tried another dough, and it wound up being too dry. I had no clue what I was going to do. I was at the point where I was ready to pack up my pasta press and send it back to Amazon, where it came from.
Another recipe I tried said you could add extra eggs and olive oil to the dough, and it would make all the difference in the world. And you know what? It did!
A Foolproof Recipe for Making Homemade Pasta Noodles
Add the flour to your work surface, make a well in the center, and add the eggs to the center of the flour. Mix a little at a time until the dough comes together, and now you are ready to add it to the pasta press.
Last night, we successfully made over a pound of pasta dough with this easy recipe that uses simple ingredients. You can use this pasta in my Southern Cream Cheese noodles recipe. This dough is much different from the sheet of pasta I use for my homemade lasagna noodles.
What is Extruded Pasta Dough?
Let me take a moment to explain what extruded pasta is and how it’s different from other pastas out there. Extruded pasta is made by forcing dry flour and egg dough through a die, which cuts the pasta into its infamous shapes.
Some extruded pastas that I have used are spaghetti, rotini, fusilli, penne, bucatini, macaroni, and rigatoni. These are all examples of extruded store-bought pasta. Freshly extruded pasta is rare, but most of the dried pasta sold at the grocery store is extruded.
Rolled pasta, like spaghetti and fettuccini, on the other hand, is made by rolling out a flour-and-egg dough using your pasta roller attachment set on the widest setting and dough hook. Then roll the pasta sheet up and cut it into strips with a pizza cutter or bench scraper to the desired width.
Examples of rolled cut pasta include lasagna, linguini, fettuccini, tagliatelle, and pappardelle. When pasta is made at home, it’s usually the rolled type of pasta.
Also, another thing to keep in mind: it can go bad, and there are a few ways to notice it's off.
How to Make the Best Fresh Pasta Dough for Extruding Pasta
So -- are you wondering what my recipe is? Here's the secret:
You need to use 3 ½ cups of all-purpose flour and 5 large eggs to get your dough going. I used whole eggs for this recipe instead of pasta made with just egg yolk. Don't skip this. The whole egg is important.
Instead of using water to make it come together, use olive oil! I use all-purpose flour for this recipe, so do not use semolina flour, which is what most people use for pasta recipes.
The olive oil will help the dough stay dry enough to come together and will keep the dough from sticking to the inside of the attachment. This means your noodles will come out perfect and easily every single time.
Start with two tablespoons of olive oil and move on from there. It took me about 3 tablespoons of oil and 1 tablespoon of water to make my dough come together.
It turned out beautiful and cooked up even better!
To get the dough ball pliable like you want, use a rolling pin to roll it out on a clean surface and then mold it back up. Cover it in plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature on the counter for a bit.
When you are ready to make the pasta, attach the pasta maker to the KitchenAid Mixer. Fresh homemade pasta is the best.
Start by creating a clean work-floured surface. I use a baking sheet that I sprinkle flour on for the pasta to rest on.
Cut off sections of the dough ball and feed it into the extruder. As the pasta comes out, it should fall perfectly onto the baking tray. Cover the rest of the dough with plastic wrap until ready to use.
You will also need a sharp knife, just in case you need to cut the pasta, but the machine should do all the work.
Cook the pasta for about 2 to 3 minutes until al dente, and then serve it with your favorite sauce. My favorite is my homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes.
How to Store Homemade Pasta Dough
You can let the homemade noodles air dry and then store them in packages, or you can freeze the fresh pasta in an airtight container and pull it out when you are ready to use it. I like doing it this way because it takes less time to cook it. Once you dry the pasta out, it takes a lot longer to cook.
Check Out These Other KitchenAid Recipes
- How to make homemade butter
- Cinnamon Swirl Bread
- Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting
- Southern Cream Cheese Noodles
The Best Recipe for Making Homemade Pasta Noodles (plus a look at the Kitchenaid Pasta Press Attachment)
This recipe is a base for making easy homemade extruded pasta noodles from scratch
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
- 5 large eggs
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (may need more depending on the dryness of your dough)
Instructions
- In your Kitchenaid mixer, combine the flour and 5 large eggs and mix. Add in olive oil to make the dough come together just a bit. The dough should be very dry—so dry that it won’t even come together into a single mass.
- Pour the dough out onto the work surface and pinch off walnut-size pieces to feed into the extruder.
- Don't shove it down in there as that will cause a big clog and mess everything up. Larger amounts of dough tend to bind up in the extruder as they reach the auger.
- Using the cutter on your attachment, as the pasta comes out, cut it off and lay it in a single layer on a floured surface to dry.
- Cook the homemade extruded pasta as you would any other pasta, in a large pot of boiling, salted water until al dente. Cooking time will vary depending on how wet the dough was and how long the pasta was dried. Mine took about 4 minutes.
- Finally, disassemble the extruder, remove any large gobs of dough, and let the rest dry overnight before attempting to clean the parts. The dough will flick right off once it’s completely dry.
- Remove using a slotted spoon and add to your sauce
- Toss to coat the pasta and serve
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
2 ouncesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 219Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 36mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 8g
I have to make this! I've never tried making my own pasta before. I think this is going to be fun!
I am so glad you found the perfect pasta recipe, and are sharing it with us! Too many times I've wanted to try to make my own pasta and the recipe wasn't good.
That looks like something to put on the CHristmas wish list here. I love the idea of going hands on for a past that is super yummy and homemade.
We love it when we have the time to make our own. It's always so yummy & love that it's homemade with care <3
These are looking really good. Being able to work with my own homemade pasta sounds super satisfying.
Wow! This is super cool! I have a Kitchen-Aid I so want this! I need to find a low carb recipe to make noodles now!
@Mama to 6 Blessings, try almond flour.
Almond flour will not work in this specific recipe.
@Mama to 6 Blessings, try part wheat and part lupine flour.
If you change this recipe, it will not work.
I'd love to try to make my own pasta. It looks so fun and you can control the ingredients!
Wow, you used this pasta-making attachment so well. So many pasta possibilities! Yum!
I will have to try this recipe. I have the pasta attachment for my KitchenAid, but when I tried to make noodles I made a huge mess.
Homemade pasta is so much fun and very very tasty. I love your tips and how easy is making it at home!
Oh wow. This is amazing! I'm thinking of getting one for me. All of us here loves pasta dishes. It will be more special if pasta is homemade!
Never tried making my own pasta before but you make it look so easy! I think I'm going to have to invest in a pasta press...
This recipe and advice was a huge help! I just got my kitchenaid pasta press for Xmas and mixed up my usual dough to make my first batch of pasta. Right away I knew it wasn’t going to work. I found your recipe and advice and had a rigatoni made in about 45mins! Thank you so much. Just like you I thought I was going to be returning it.
That is so awesome!! So glad to hear I was able to help out. That recipe was tricky but it totally works -- I did a happy dance the day my noodles came out perfect.
@Jennifer Sikora, after making the pasta how long should it dry before cooking it?
You can cook it right away or your can dry it for however long you want --
I made large macaroni using your recipe, and they turned out perfect! I added another Tbsp of olive oil and 1 Tbsp of water because the first little ball I put in there took way too long to extract. I'm in San Diego in January, typically a very cool, dry month here, so I don't know if that will make a difference when I make it in August, typically a more hot, humid month here. This is now my go-to pasta extractor recipe. Printing it up and putting it in my recipe folder to make it official!
I love hearing this!! So glad your pasta came out perfect. Thanks for sharing your win with me!!
This absolutely worked!!! Like everyone else.. I was disappointed in the press because the dough would start breaking or not have a pretty shape. I didn't see how this was going to work being dry and was not sure what the consistency was going to turn out to...but it worked! The rigatoni came out perfect. . Instead of using plain olive oil I used a tuscan herb olive oil... and they smell great. Will add garlic powder to my salted water when I cook them. Thank you SO much for sharing.
I am so happy this worked for you!! I knew other people might have the same issues as me. Your addition of garlic powder and tuscan olive oil sound amazing
@Beverly Martin, I love the idea of a flavored olive oil!!!
That sounds delicious
So excited to try this! I was having a tough time getting the right consistency. Do you think this would work with whole wheat flour too?
I am not sure because I have not tested it with wheat flour. You will have to try it and see how it goes.
Your recipe worked like a gem! I was about to give up on my KA Pasta Press and send it back. My noodles were very sticky and cooked up like a blob! Thank you for sharing!
So glad to hear that. I think we have all been ready to throw that attachment away for sure!
Can you tell me how long the dough needs to be mixed? Does it need to be needed?
It needs to be mixed until it comes together. You can knead it a little if you want, but the machine does most of the work for you.
How long does it take for the dough to process through the press? I just used mine for the first time with the recipe in the manual and it took forever.
The recipe in the manual is ALL WRONG! Trust me. The recipe I share in this post is so different from the one in the manual. If you use this one, it should not take long at all for it to process.
@Jennifer Sikora, Came here to ask this question too! I just used your recipe from this page, and it took SO LONG I am sure I did something wrong. It tasted delicious, though. I was standing at my counter for a solid hour waiting for it to extrude. My poor feet. I added 3 tablespoons of oil and 1 of water and it was still pretty dry, I was thinking that was why it was taking so long? Any advice?
You might needed to add just a touch of water to the pasta dough-- you have to kind of play with it by ear.
I just tried your recipe after a disaster using the recipe that came with the kitchenaid attachment! Although it wasn't perfect (I know it takes trial and error depending on environment humidity, particular ingredients, even the pasta shape etc) but already it is so much better than my first attempt! I made spaghetti and it came out OK but when I hung it on the drying rack it started to break right away. I cooked it anyway,but it then all broke into 1cm pieces... have you ever had this happen? What could I try differently? Thanks for sharing your recipe and experience with it!
I have not tried this recipe with spaghetti. I just did it with the noodles like penne and rigatoni. I usually use my other recipe when I am making spaghetti -- it is a little wetter I think.
How do you suggest I store the pasta once I’ve made it that I don’t cook immediately? I tried with my first batch and it became a crumbly mess. Thanks
I usually lay it out on a sheet pan with parchment paper and put it in the freezer. Once frozen, I store in the freezer until ready to use. It will stay fresh.
I agree with you that the recipe that was provided was not great. Could I use a cup of semolina, and combine it with all-purpose flour? Thanks.
I am sure you can try?? I have not messed around with semolina flour much so I cannot tell you for sure.
Thank you I was about to return my pasta press. Only issue I have now is figuring out how much make per person.
I just make a lot and freeze what we do not use.
Hey, there! I was suuuper excited to find a recipe that seemed to deal with the “shape” challenge. However, this recipe still had the same challenges — very gummy, even with extra flour. I would welcome some comments about what I might have done wrong. Followed as directed, did use 2 TBS oil (maybe this?)
Also, is there any resting time for this?
Maybe?? I am not sure. I have never had the issue of the pasta coming out gummy at all.
You are my new best friend! I was so upset that my auger kept binding up and I was getting no pasta. I threw out the dough made with the recipe from the booklet. Your recipe worked like a dream! Thank you!
So glad to hear that!! So many people have told me that.
This recipe worked like a charm! I tried some other recipes that would just bind up the auger. This one had just the right consistency. I let it rest about 20 minutes because that is what I’m used to (and I had other things to do 😀). I also used half regular flour and half “00” flour. This is now my go to recipe! Thank you!
So glad to hear it worked for you!
I’ve tried this recipe for different shapes, they all come out too thick. The pasta swells too much and it’s not an appetizing bite. Any other way to make the dough so it doesn’t swell up so much?
Are you using all-purpose flour? If you are using self-rising flour that would be why they are swelling. Everyone else that has made this said it has turned out perfect.
Does this pasta need to rest at all in between making and extruding? I just had a DISASTER time making large macaroni with the pasta press and can’t wait to try this recipe!
No it does not need to rest.
Question- do you let your eggs come to room temperature before making extruder pasta dough?
No. I just pull them straight from the refrigerator.
Followup- I left my eggs on the counter about a half hour before making the pasta dough. Figured I'd split the difference. This recipe was PERFECT. Absolutely no problems. First time using my new Christmas present- Kitchenaid extruder- and the rigatoni looks amazing. Now to cook it! Thanks for sharing.
It is my favorite recipe for making noodles. Glad it worked for you.
Made this recipe twice now and both times turned out perfect! Thank you!
So glad to hear that!
Please help. I’ve used various recipies including yours, and when I let the rigatoni dry out, it it splits apart. If I make it and cook it immediately, I have no problem. I experimented with drying it with a fan, no fan, in the oven, or simply leaving it on the counter, and every time they split down the middle when finally dry. I even contacted Kitchenaid and they suggested changing the speed while extruding, nothing worked.
Hi Mary -- after doing some research, other people have had the same problem. Their solution is to just freeze the pasta. I wish I had better news for you but not sure.
I was excited to try this recipe, but unfortunately all my rigatoni was smashed together and misshapen when cut from the extruder. This recipe makes pasta that is too soft for this pasta attachment.
I am sorry that you had issues Lindsey. Try again because 95% of the people who have used this recipe have no issues and it turns out perfect for them.
This recipe saved me a return and made me fall in love with my pasta press. It was perfect right out of the gate! Thanks Jen!
You are so welcome. I was ready to return ours too. So glad it worked for you!
So... I hate to go against the grain with my comment, but this recipe didn't work at ALL for me. I've been making my own roll / cut pasta for about 4 years, and have that pretty much mastered. I basically substituted olive oil for the water that I usually use, and the dough was kind of a mess. Now, a couple of caveats... First, I was using "00" flour, which I know has a higher protein % than all purpose. Second, I live in Colorado, so the amount of olive oil I used was much more than what the recipe called for, but it just wasn't coming together. Dough was stiff, oily and somehow STILL dry. Kind of blew my mind. The amount of olive oil also really screwed up how it cooked. Total bummer.
Anyhow, I just made another batch of dough with the help from a chef friend of mine who does recipe optimization in an industrial production setting, and I basically did 50g semolina flour and 50g of all purpose flour per egg. I did that 4x (400g flour + 4 eggs) along with a shot glass of water. Dough is resting in the fridge right now, and looks just like hers usually does.
I still may use an olive oil spray to coat the extruder well and auger if it's still a bit tacky, will have to see. Regardless, just wanted to provide my experience and provide the alternative I'm taking...
Had you made it exactly like I did with what I used, it would have come out. But since you changed it completely it is no wonder it did not work for you.
@Eric,
Go back to school some more and try to figure out something better with you life than trying to discreted someone who actually cares and sharing secrets on how to make noodles from scratch..
You have a friend that is a Chef(????)
I'm used to making my pasta by hand... first time using making macaroni with machine..
Recipe is amazing
Thank you!!
Thank you! It's my favorite too!
You a genius!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So much faster to make that fettuccine! Holy cow! I'd pretty much written this attachment off as a loss, like everyone else here! Thank you! Going to make my farmers market booth a real hit with the kiddos for macaroni!
It is a life saver for sure.
I used this for my first time making pasta! I used a combo of flours we had on hand and added olive oil as I went due to our weather today. Thank you!!
You are so welcome!
I love this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing it. I used your example of 3 T olive oil and 1T water. The proportions were on point with no additions needed. The dough extruded beautifully. I used my go to noodle flour mix of half semolina and half 00. I used my food processor to pulse the dough together as I have found it is easier on my mixer so the motor is cool for attachments. I cranked the speed to high and *bam* perfect noodles!
I'll be making this again and again. I already made it twice this morning. Would make more but I ran out of eggs. Lol
I love hearing that! This has been a perfect recipe for a lot of people 🙂
I made this tonight and found my noodles came out super dough like. I used the rigatoni attachment.
Any ideas as to what I did wrong? They were just super dense and almost dumpling like.
Thanks!
I am not sure. Usually that means not enough flour I think??
Worst recipe ever
Look for the kitchen aid one that comes in the book
If you had read the post instead of just commenting something hateful, you would have seen that i did indeed tried to use that recipe and it was horrible. Sorry if you had a bad experience but everyone has said this recipe is perfect for them.
Just made this and it made 2 pounds for me. Cooked 1 pound and froze the other but vacuum sealed it not thinking😅 has anyone done this and the noodles be fine?
You need to let them air dry before freezing but maybe they will be ok?? All I can tell you is to give it a try and see what happens.
Oh, thank you! My hubby got me a pasta press for my birthday, and when I saw how dry the dough was using their recipe, I switched to mine, which turned out to be too wet and did exactly what you said it would. It was a B-and-half to clean out my press. The pasta still tasted good with mine, but it was just so sticky and thick. Yours is the first recipe I've found that warns of the issues I had and how to address them.
Thank you so much for that. I've come across too many recipes that promise a perfect outcome but end up nothing like they were supposed to, making me think steps were left out or the cook is assuming the people making their recipe have a certain level of knowledge.
I am so glad it worked for you. SO many have had issues. I am just glad we all have the perfect recipe now so we can use our presses without wanting to throw it out!
You lost me when you gave flour measurement in volume, instead of grams. Measure volume. Pour that into a container. Do it a dozen more times. Weigh each. They will all weigh different, especially as you get near the bottom of the flour bag. None of those measurements are correct. They all will cause some degree of MESSING WITH THE LIQUID...adding more...OR ADDING MORE FLOUR.
DOES it hurt to weigh your ingredients, including the liquids? So you are PRECISE? THen only humidity and altitude has to be adjusted for.
I am southern and we measure with our heart and cups. If you do not want to hang around, that is your choice!
I finally used my extruded (had it a few years!) and this recipe made delicious bucatini. A lot of it! I’m glad it was good because I have soooo much leftover. Thank you! This is a great recipe.
I am so glad that this worked for you too! Now...I am off to make some homemade pasta for today.
What speed are you using on the KitchenAid stand mixer when using the pasta press?
I usually have it on 2 or 3