Guide · Italian cuisine
Make pasta from scratch
Fresh pasta needs only flour, egg and a little patience. Here is the step-by-step guide from head chef Ervin Trungu – and if you'd like to see the techniques live, you can learn them in our course Mani in Pasta in Ratingen.
Step by step
1Knead the dough
About 100 g flour (Tipo 00) and 1 egg per person. Tip the flour onto the work surface, form a well, crack in the egg and knead from the inside out. Knead for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
2Let it rest
Wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature. This relaxes the gluten and makes the dough easier to roll out.
3Roll it out
Roll the dough out thinly in portions – with a pasta machine or rolling pin. Thin enough that you can faintly see your hand behind it. Dust lightly with flour in between.
4Shape it
Tagliatelle: roll the sheet up loosely, cut into strips and fluff them apart. Or by hand: orecchiette, cavatelli. Spread out on a floured cloth.
5Cook it
Cook in plenty of boiling salted water for just 2–4 minutes – fresh pasta is ready far faster than dried. Drain al dente and toss straight away with the sauce.
Frequently asked questions
Which flour for fresh pasta?
Classically Tipo 00 (finely milled wheat flour) for silky pasta. For more bite, a blend with durum wheat semolina (semola) works well.
Pasta without egg – is that possible?
Yes. Southern Italian pasta is often made from just durum wheat semolina and water (e.g. orecchiette). The ratio is roughly 2:1 semolina to warm water.
How long does fresh pasta cook?
Just 2–4 minutes in vigorously boiling salted water. Fresh pasta cooks noticeably faster than dried – always taste to check.
Can I learn pasta in a course?
Yes – in our Mani in Pasta course in Ratingen you'll make the dough and shapes by hand under the guidance of chef Ervin Trungu. Ideal for seeing the techniques live once.
Prefer to cook together?
In the "Mani in Pasta" course you'll make fresh pasta by hand – with guidance, in a small group, in Ratingen near Düsseldorf.
View pasta course