You’ll Never Eat Boxed Pasta Again Once You Try This Homemade Pasta Recipe

If you’ve been keeping up with me on the blog you’ll know I was #BookedAndBusy this summer. The travel highlight of my summer was going to Italy. While there, I learned to master the art of making pasta, and in the months since I’ve tried to perfect my craft. I promise you, after making pasta from scratch, you’ll never want to eat boxed pasta again. Quite honestly, I didn’t like eating boxed pasta prior to traveling to Italy, so I’d only save Italian food for going out to authentic restaurants (Olive Garden does not count). But now that I am confident that I can make it myself, I have taken a vow to always make my own pasta. Give this recipe a try and tap into your inner Massimo Bottura.

Homemade Pasta

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup semolina flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 2 pinches of salt

Fresh Tomato Sauce

• 2 cups of cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups of tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1 garlic clove fresh basil

1. Pour both cups of flour and place in the middle of the board. Make a hole in the center using your fingers to gradually build up a wall around the perimeter.
2. Crack the eggs in the middle, add oil and salt. Gently whisk with a fork.
3. Add the flour from the edge into the center little by little, until the mixture in the middle is thick. Sweep the leftover flour on top of the mixture and incorporate with the fork.
4. Knead the dough — fold, press, roll, turn… — on a floured surface until smooth and elastic. Add more flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking.
5. Form a ball and cover the dough with plastic wrap. Place it in the fridge and let it rest for 30 minutes.

While the pasta dough rests, make the pasta sauce.

1. In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add garlic, basil stem, and chilly pepper. Cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
3. Add fresh tomatoes and the puree.
4. Simmer until the sauce is thick and slightly reduced.

While the sauce simmers, start forming your pasta.

1. Remove dough from refrigerator and gently stretch the dough, as you would with pizza dough.
2. Dust your workspace with flour and start rolling the dough into a smooth sheet, but not too thin.
3. Cut up the dough so it can fit the width of the pasta machine. Begin with your machine on a “6” setting. Rolling dough through repeatedly and turning the dial down a notch until your reach desired thinness. I typically like a thinner pasta so I usually go for level 2 or 1, but it can be tricky to not break the dough. Also keep in mind, when you cook the pasta, it will puff so even if it looks thin, it will thicken up a bit once cooked.
4. Continue to lightly flour your dough if it continues to become sticky, if you roll a sticky dough through the machine, it’s a nightmare to clean.
5. Once you’ve reached your desired thinness, start stringing! Crank your dough through the pasta cutter portion and voila! Pasta! 
6. Coat your “strings” in flour to keep from sticking while cooking.

When your pasta is cut, it’s time to cook!

1. Bring a pot of salted water to boil.
2. Cook the spaghetti in salted water for about 5 minutes.
3. Drain the pasta keeping some of the water if you’d like.
4. Pour the pasta into the sauce and coat until covered. If you set water aside, you can add more to make a creamier sauce.
5. Your pasta is done. Top with freshly grated parmesan and basil. Mangia! Mangia!

Have you made pasta before? How’d it go? What other foods do you absolutely love to make from scratch?