Basic Fresh Pasta
There’s something undeniably satisfying about homemade fresh pasta—a simple blend of flour, eggs, and a bit of skill that transforms into tender, silky noodles. Whether you’re making tagliatelle, fettuccine, or ravioli, fresh pasta offers a texture and flavor that store-bought just can’t match. This recipe guides you through the basic steps to create fresh pasta from scratch, bringing a touch of authentic Italian flavor straight to your kitchen. Let’s get cookin’!
Recipe taken directly from the Marcato Classic Pasta Machine (often referred to as the Marcato Atlas 150) booklet.
500g all-purpose flour (approximately 4 cups), plus extra for processing pasta with machine
5 eggs, room temperature
Few tablespoons of water, as needed if dough begins to dry out
Instructions
Pour flour into a wide bowl, then create a well in the center and add in the eggs.
Beat the eggs with a fork and slowly incorporate the flour to make the dough.
Knead the dough until it is completely smooth and elastic. If too dry, add a tablespoon of water at a time to achieve an elastic consistency; if too wet, add flour.
Allow dough to rest for about 30 minutes before running through the pasta machine.
Cut rested dough into smaller pieces (about the size of a tennis ball or smaller).
Lightly flour the dough piece and the machine rollers to prevent sticking.
Flatten the dough slightly by hand before feeding it into the machine.
Set the machine to the widest setting (usually “0” or “1” depending on the model). Feed the dough through the rollers while turning the handle steadily. Fold the dough in thirds like a letter, turn it 90°, and roll again on the widest setting. Repeat this folding/rolling process 5–6 times to "knead" the dough.
Begin reducing the thickness setting one step at a time (e.g., from 0 → 1 → 2, etc.).
Roll the dough through each setting once, without folding, until you reach your desired thickness. For fettuccine or tagliolini: usually stop at setting 5 or 6. For lasagna or ravioli: settings 6 or thinner, depending on your preference. Let the rolled sheet rest for 5–10 minutes (optional but helpful).
Attach the cutting rollers (usually fettuccine and tagliolini come standard). Lightly flour the dough sheet and feed it through the desired cutting rollers while turning the crank. Toss the cut noodles gently with a bit of flour or semolina to prevent sticking.
Boil for 1-2 minutes in salted boiling water and immediately toss with favorite sauce. Serve and enjoy!
