Basic Pasta Dough (By Hand or Food Processor)
Learn how to make basic fresh pasta dough by hand or in a food processor, with clear guidance on dough feel, hydration, resting, and rolling.
Yield: 2
Materials
Ingredients
- 300 g “00” flour or all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Water or olive oil as needed (for adjustment)
Semolina flour, for dusting
Instructions
Method 1: Pasta Dough by Hand
- This is the slower path — not because it’s harder, but because it asks you to stay present.
Instructions
- Mound the flour on a work surface and make a wide well in the center.
- Add eggs and salt to the well. Beat gently with a fork, gradually drawing in flour.
- When a shaggy dough forms, switch to your hands.
- Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Adjust hydration as needed with a few drops of water or olive oil if the dough feels too dry.
- Wrap tightly and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Method 2: Pasta Dough in the Food Processor
- Same dough. Less mess. The processor gets you most of the way there — judgment finishes the job.
Instructions
- Add flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine.
- Add eggs and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Pinch the dough — if it holds together, it’s ready.
- Turn out onto a work surface and knead briefly (1–2 minutes).
- Adjust hydration with a few drops of water or olive oil if the dough feels crumbly or tight.
- Wrap tightly and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Notes
Chef Notes: Judging Pasta Dough by Feel
Pasta dough is never made by numbers alone. Eggs vary. Flour absorbs differently. Humidity matters. The only reliable test is how the dough feels in your hands.
When mixing by hand or by food processor:
If the dough feels too dry or crumbly, add a few drops of water or olive oil, kneading gently until it comes together.
If the dough feels sticky, dust lightly with flour and keep working — don’t add more eggs.
You’re aiming for a dough that feels:
Firm
Smooth
Dry to the touch, but not cracking
If it resists slightly, then relaxes as you knead, you’re there.
Pasta dough should push back a little — then give in once you’ve earned it.
