We asked celebrity chef Theo Randall to share his secrets for how to make pasta dough in the easiest way and he happily obliged.
There’s a myth surrounding the question of how to make pasta in the best way, that it’s somehow a tricky recipe. Here chef Theo Randall shows you how to make pasta quickly in a food processor, bringing together the core ingredients of flour and eggs.
Theo uses egg yolks as well as whole eggs for a richer, silkier dough that has a gorgeous colour too. Using the freshest, best-quality eggs will ensure you get the best finish on your pasta, in terms of both taste and colour.
How to make pasta
The beauty of making your own pasta dough is that you can then cut it and make it into any shape you like, from lasagne sheets to ravioli squares or thin strips for spaghetti bolognese. Once you’ve mastered the basic recipe you can experiment with how you serve it. One of our favourite ways to serve it is just to stir through some butter, pepper and Parmesan cheese after it has been cooked – simple but so delicious. Another classic is to pair this beautiful homemade pasta with a fresh tomato sauce for a quick comfort food fix.
The best thing about this recipe is you only need three different ingredients – eggs and two types of flour. Hopefully you’ll have these to hand in your store cupboard already, but if not you can pick them up at a supermarket.
Ingredients
- 350g pasta flour
- 25g semolina flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 whole eggs
- 4 egg yolks
Step 1
Mix all the ingredients, plus 1tsp water in a food processor and blitz until well formed.
Step 2
You want the texture to be that of plasticine, so add a little more water if it feels too dry. If you don’t have a food processor then you can do this by hand. Simply make a mound from the flour on a flat surface. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs to the well. Slowly begin to bring the dough together in the centre, gradually pulling all the flour in as you go.
Once your dough has been brought together, by hand or in the food processor, tip on a clean surface and knead until smooth and silky.
Step 3
Divide the mixture into 4 balls.
Step 4
Wrap in cling film or cover with a damp towel. Leave to rest for twenty minutes
Step 5
Flatten one ball of your dough into a rough rectangle. Feed through a pasta machine on the fattest setting about 4-6 times until smooth and elastic.
Step 6
Next begin to work the pasta through the thinner settings, reducing it by one each time you feed the dough through.
When your pasta is thin enough you should be able to see your hand through the dough when you run the sheet of dough over your hand.
Step 7
Cut the dough into long rectangles.
Step 8
Using a pasta machine cutter, cut the strips into whichever size you prefer. You can also do this by hand, if you don't have a pasta machine. Dust with flour or semolina and leave to dry slightly for around twenty minutes before cooking.
Step 9
Cook the fresh pasta in boiling, salted water for 2-3 minutes. Serve with butter, black pepper and Parmesan, or the sauce of your choice.
