I’m going to let you in on a little secret. You know that pasta machine you’ve been coveting? The one that makes rolling and cutting pasta incredibly easy? The one that you’ve tried to find cheaply on Amazon or Ebay, but never actually purchased?
(Or, in my case, the one you looked at but figured, “I’m not going to buy it now when I have a wedding registry to put all the kitchen tools I’ve ever wanted onto”?)
Well, you don’t need it. Or, at least, you can get by without it. Like many kitchen tools that seem like necessities, you can make pretty darn good pasta without a special machine. The same way that you can make excellent (better, in fact) bread without a breadmaker, and you can core apples pretty decently without an apple corer, and you can separate eggs quite well without any sort of egg separator gadget.
But I digress. Don’t take that pasta maker off your to-buy list yet, because to get really thinly sliced spaghetti or angel hair, you probably need it. But to make rustic, delicious thick homemade noodles, you’ll get by just fine with a sturdy rolling pin and a sharp knife.
The trick to getting your dough really thin is to let it rest periodically while you’re rolling it. It’s frustrating, however, to actually do that. Like recipes that call for chilling for half an hour, or letting dough rise for several hours, it’s always tempting to cut corners. But don’t, because if you don’t let your dough relax, the gluten will be too tough for you to roll it to the thinness you want.
Once you’ve rolled your dough as thin as you can, roll it up into a spiral. That’s how you cut it! Rather than attempting to drag a knife across the entire length of your pasta dough, slice the rolled-up pasta into thin rounds, then unroll them to get long noodles.
It really couldn’t be easier. So, the next time you’re looking for an extra special pasta dinner, give this a try.
Whole Wheat Pasta
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups 100% whole wheat flour
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
Water, as needed
DIRECTIONS:
Blend together flour, eggs and salt. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together, but is not sticky. Check after each tablespoon to see if dough has firmed. I used about 7 tbsp of water for this recipe, but my whole wheat flour is two months old and really dried out.
Roll dough as thin as you can, forming a rectangle. If dough starts to spring back when rolled, let the dough rest for ten minutes and resume rolling.
Trim the edges of the dough and roll the flat sheet of dough into a jelly roll. Using a very sharp knife, slice the roll into small rounds. Unroll the rounds into long noodles, and toss them with flour on a baking sheet to dry, or serve immediately.
Fresh noodles will only take about 4 minutes to cook — they are done when they float to the top of the water.
Makes two medium-sized portions of pasta, can be doubled.
And Free Ice Cream (Last Chance!)
The winners of the Haagen Dazs gift certificates from the last post are…
- Amanda, Comment #1
- Judy, Comment #18
- Nan, Comment #47
And, in this post, my last three Haagen Dazs gift certificates are up for grabs! To win one this time, leave a comment telling me what your favorite pasta dish is — and feel free to include a link to a recipe on your own blog, if you have one! Leave your comment before Wednesday, June 4th at 5 pm, and I’ll announce the winners on Thursday morning.
Like this post? Try these!
Parmesan Wheat Bread
Oatmeal Wheat Bread
Roasted Pepper Crackers
Cumin Garlic Crackers
Sage Ciabatta Rolls
66 responses so far ↓
1 Sarah // Jun 2, 2008 at 8:16 am
Who knew it was so easy to make pasta?! Looks tasty!
2 Amanda // Jun 2, 2008 at 8:21 am
Great tip. I’ll have to try this although it will be frustrating to wait it out with the rolling.
3 mimi // Jun 2, 2008 at 9:13 am
wow, truly impressed! i know what did people do before there ever was a KA attachment! i love rustic pastas, definitely want to try this.
4 VeggieGirl // Jun 2, 2008 at 10:17 am
Fresh pasta, sans machine?? Katy, you’re brilliant!!
My FAVORITE pasta dish is from a local restaurant called VegiTerranean – it’s Fresh Linguini with a Portabello &Wild Mushroom Ragu. You can see a photograph of it on my blog, here (it’s the 7th photograph in the post):
http://veggiegirlvegan.blogspot.com/2008/04/celebrating-two-decades.html
5 Katherine // Jun 2, 2008 at 10:41 am
My favorite pasta dish…there are really too many to choose among! So I’ll tell you about Brad’s mom’s “spaghetti bordelaise” because it’s so easy that we make it the most often of all pastas. Basically, you put some butter and oil in a pot and cook it on warm/low until the butter has melted. Then you put some garlic cloves in that have been scored with a knife. Their juices should cook/seep into the butter/oil. When they’re done (when the garlic starts to brown ever so slightly, you take them out and add a huge amount of chopped parsley and take the whole thing off of the heat. Meanwhile, you’ve cooked angel hair pasta. Then you mix it all together and add a huge amount of parm cheese, with parm cheese on the table as well. None of the amounts are set in stone so you just have to figure out the proportions each time you make it.
6 Chris // Jun 2, 2008 at 10:41 am
My fav is definitely chicken parmesan
7 PaniniKathy // Jun 2, 2008 at 11:34 am
Great to know I don’t have to master that heavy metal contraption I’ve got in my pantry in order to make pasta! My favorite has got to be my mom’s stuffed shells – lots of cheese, lots of sauce. Yum!
8 Maggie // Jun 2, 2008 at 11:52 am
I’m not a big pasta eater anymore but I love my mom’s cabbage and noodles.
9 Karin // Jun 2, 2008 at 11:59 am
a tuna pasta salad that we have several times every summer— mmmmmm…
10 shannon // Jun 2, 2008 at 12:03 pm
wow, how to choose just one pasta dish? anything with goat cheese and little wilted spinach… how bout some burst tomatoes and sauteed mushrooms thrown in, too! Can’t wait to try making these whole wheat noodles
11 NuJoi // Jun 2, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Looks great! I love pasta tossed with sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, mushrooms, capers and garlic:
http://nujoikitchendiary.blogspot.com/2008/02/this-is-damn-good.html
12 Kristen // Jun 2, 2008 at 2:03 pm
This post reminds me that I need to buy a rolling pin… It’s amazing that I have gotten this far without one.
Favorite pasta? Tough question. Either my mom’s cold tuna pasta or my own homemade lasagna. (This time I hope the random number generator picks me!)
13 Joanna // Jun 2, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Wow, those noodles look awesome – I’m so impressed that you rolled them out by hand! (But then, I’m scared of any recipe that involves a rolling pin at all…) My lazy/lucky solution to fresh pasta cravings is to go around the corner to a store that specializes in fresh pasta, but it’s good to know that it’s not too complicated to make in case I ever move away.
As for my favorite pasta dish, I think I have to go with spaghetti carbonara… pancetta, garlic, wine, eggs, pepper, cheese… I usually throw in some fresh parsley too… what’s not to love?
14 cookinpanda // Jun 2, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Mmm these noodles look great!
15 We Are Never Full // Jun 2, 2008 at 6:24 pm
I was handmaking pasta for 10 years before I was blessed with my maker. Although doing it by hand still has it’s place (making tagliatelle, pappardelle and ravioli, etc.) I covet my pasta roller and wouldn’t give it up for the world. You should give buckwheat pasta a whirl next time! It’s a taste you’d either love or hate – very hearty!
16 Jen // Jun 2, 2008 at 6:48 pm
I will definitely try this out, I love pasta.
I remember seeing it in the forum and thinking how yummy it looked.
btw your opera cake looks fantastic sans refrigeration
My favorite pasta recipe has got to be from my trusty ol’ cordon bleu cookbook : Breast of Chicken with Tarragon and Mustard Sauce.
My posted version is here:
http://delightfuldelicacies.blogspot.com/2008/04/shrimp-and-chicken-with-honey-dijon.html
17 Tony // Jun 2, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Looks great! I don’t have a pasta machine, so I definitely want to try this one out. But I’m curious, what’s the verdict: does handmade or pasta-machine pasta taste better?
My favorite pasta dish – simple chicken breast microwaved with generous amounts of olive oil and fresh basil (the microwaved version has better juices) served with spaghetti. If that doesn’t sound too appetizing, chicken parmesean is always a yummy classic. =)
18 Marc @ No Recipes // Jun 2, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Looks delicious. I just plunked down for a kitchenaid pasta maker a couple weeks ago, but I like the idea of your thicker “rustic” noodles.
19 Cynthia // Jun 2, 2008 at 11:34 pm
You’ve inspired me to try making my own pasta. I’ve been wanting to get a machine but I won’t hurry, I’ll wait. I was thinking also that for many, many years the Italians made great homemade pasta without a pasta machine.
20 Jackie // Jun 3, 2008 at 1:33 am
Nevermind the pasta machine, what I really need is a rolling pin (somehow I don’t think my water bottle is going to work for much longer). I can’t wait to try this recipe out!
My favourite pasta dish is [vegetarian] lasagna, especially when it’s full of mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, fresh herbs and that layer of ricotta cheese/spinach.
21 Christie @ fig&cherry // Jun 3, 2008 at 2:26 am
Fantastic! I’d like to see a video post of you making this – your other one was excellent
22 grace // Jun 3, 2008 at 4:15 am
awesome pasta–homemade, machine-less, and whole wheat to boot!
my favorite pasta dish is pretty straightforward–angel hair with a spicy tomato-based sauce, tossed with lots and lots of sundried tomatoes and herbs. mmm.
23 Donald // Jun 3, 2008 at 6:19 am
Great job on that pasta Katy. There really is something wonderful and satisfying about homemade pasta. My favorite is spaghetti alla carbonara. I love the crispy pork and silky sauce. Simplistic but elegant. Hava a look-see:
http://mrorph.com/foodblog/index.php?title=spaghetti-alla-carbonara&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
24 karmel // Jun 3, 2008 at 8:00 am
Homemade gnocchi with a gorgonzola sauce in a frico cup. HEAVEN!!
25 elra // Jun 3, 2008 at 9:35 am
Katy,
I am so amaze!
I never tried to make whole wheat pasta. How long was it taking you for the actual work of rolling the dough into a very thin dough? I can’t imagine! I’m lucky enough to have 20 yrs old (dilapidated hand crank) machine! I must say your pasta looks really good.
26 Deborah // Jun 3, 2008 at 9:56 am
For some reason, I’m always so scared to try homemade pasta – with or without the pasta maker!! This looks so delicious, though, I’m thinking I will give it a try! I’m not sure what my favorite pasta would be, but I love mixing marinara and alfredo – yum!
27 Andy // Jun 3, 2008 at 10:27 am
Those noodles look great. Thanks for the tip.
28 Madeline // Jun 3, 2008 at 6:36 pm
I can’t wait to try this! Of course one day I’ll get a pasta machine but until then, this is very exciting.
29 sfordinarygirl // Jun 3, 2008 at 7:13 pm
You’re my hero! Homemade pasta without a machine is brilliant! I’m going to give it a try this weekend.
My favorite pasta dish is pesto pasta – nothing fancy or spectacular but good pesto never fails to excite.
30 Susan // Jun 3, 2008 at 7:32 pm
This is too, too easy – must be a trick. ; ) Seriously, I am indebted to anyone who can relieve all the appliance clutter in my kitchen. Besides, the handmade quality is very artisan and lovely.
31 Elle // Jun 3, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Katy, I’m so impressed! The noodles are beautiful, and I’m sure they taste even better!
32 Kevin // Jun 3, 2008 at 9:40 pm
I have been wanting to try making my own pasta but I have been holding off as I do not have a pasta machine. I will have to try this.
33 Garrett // Jun 4, 2008 at 2:23 am
Oh, interesting. I’ve made some thicker pasta before (like gnocchi), but didn’t really put two and two together to make a simple rustic string pasta like this. Wonderful idea, thanks for sharing!
34 Ann // Jun 4, 2008 at 7:55 am
As it happens, my Mom sent me home with a pasta machine (a very old hand-cranked jobbie) which I am very much looking forward to playing with. I agree with you on the hand-rolling, though, unless you’re trying to make very think delicate sheets for ravioli.
So great to see whole wheat! These days you can get such light whole wheat flour that the old issues of heaviness have pretty much been eradicated.
35 Amy // Jun 4, 2008 at 9:19 am
I love whole wheat pasta but I’ve never tried to make it. I’ll have to try this out. And how did you know that I desperately want that pasta machine??
My favorite pasta dish is a spicy shrimp pasta – it has a sauce made with olive oil, anchovies, garlic, red pepper flakes, and white wine. Yum! But I do love ice cream too
36 John B // Jun 4, 2008 at 10:55 am
vermacelli (?) really thin spaghetti. As a dish tho, I do love homemade lasagna.
37 I Got In! « Stacking Pennies // Jun 4, 2008 at 12:24 pm
[...] myself from the grocery store, or I would make Fettuccine with red pepper feta sauce, complete with homemade whole wheat pasta. The only ingredients I’m missing are chicken stock, eggs, and red peppers. It sounds [...]
38 SP // Jun 4, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Very nice, I’m going to try this soon!
My favorite pasta? I like eggplant parmigiana, though more for the eggplant part than the noodle part.
39 Cakespy // Jun 4, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Oooh, I adore thick-cut pasta like this, it looks gorgeous!! Bully to you for making it yourself–wow! My mom and I used to make gnocchi (sp?) when I was younger and the taste was beyond compare–so I can attest that homemade pasta makes a difference!
40 SP // Jun 4, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Oh and um, I totally could see myself trying to run the knife along the whole length of the dough. Rolling it up is so brilliant (though maybe obvious to some!)
41 shannon a // Jun 4, 2008 at 2:43 pm
it’s a toss-up between mushroom ravioli and chicken/cherry poppyseed pasta salad.
42 James // Jun 4, 2008 at 4:18 pm
I loves me some cold sesame noodles! I’m also a bit partial to my own recipe at http://blackberrypockets.blogspot.com/2007/06/epic-noodles.html and I think that your homemade wheat pasta would work really well with it! I know mine does
43 Ana // Jun 4, 2008 at 4:18 pm
I love, love, love gnocchi! Now if only it wasn’t such a pain to make it! PS: Is that 5pm eastern or pacific (those of us out in the golden state want to play too!)?
44 Sophia at Kitchen Caravan // Jun 4, 2008 at 10:55 pm
I am so glad you posted this blog entry Katy! I made hand-cut noodles the other week, and really loved their thick texture. I could have used your tip for rolling the dough up and then slicing the noodles, because I definitely sliced them across the whole length of my counter!!! I will do it your way next time!
45 Hannah @ I Heart Kale // Jun 5, 2008 at 1:17 pm
I saw this post on Tastespotting and ran home to try it–they were delicious! We topped them with a kale pesto: http://iheartkale.blogspot.com/2008/06/kale-pesto.html
46 Breakfast Links Eat Fresh // Jun 7, 2008 at 10:35 am
[...] at Sugarlaws made her own wheat pasta without using a machine. It is quite impressive and something that I’d like to try [...]
47 Karla // Jun 7, 2008 at 6:25 pm
I just made this today for lunch and it was awesome! I replaced the egg with about 3/4 cup flaxseed water mixture (four parts water, one part ground flaxseed) to make it vegan and it was delicious whole wheat flax pasta. It was very good, thanks very much for the recipe!
48 Jaime // Jun 18, 2008 at 2:10 pm
wow i’m so impressed!
49 Gracy // Jul 28, 2008 at 5:42 pm
I love these recipes! Thank you so much for the new & delicious ideas!
50 me // Oct 1, 2008 at 8:52 am
I like it.
51 Marlene // Oct 26, 2008 at 3:01 pm
I’VE MADE HOMEMADE RAVIOLI & NOODLES BEFORE AND BUY ALL OF MY OTHER WHOLE WHEAT PASTAS FROM THE STORE, I NEVER EVEN THOUGHT OF MAKING MY OWN FETTUCHINI. I CAME ACROSS THIS SITE AND I LIKE IT ALOT. NOW I CAN MAKE MY HUSBANDS FAVORITE FETTUCHINI ALFREDO(homemade) FOR HIS BIRTHDAY NEXT MONTH, I WILL USE THIS RECIPE & METHOD. THANKS. I LOVE COOKING & CREATING RECIPES OF MY OWN,(my family teases me & calls my creations, experiments & they are my ginnea pigs) I WILL VISIT THIS SITE OFTEN FOR MORE INSPIRATION ON MY COOKING/BAKING VENTURES.
52 Sophia from Kitchen Caravan // Dec 27, 2008 at 6:20 pm
This week on Kitchen Caravan we are making a few different homemade pastas as well. We made whole wheat Hazelnut Pasta with an Oregonian flare, and homemade Pumpkin Ravioli with a Kale Pepita pesto.
http://www.kitchencaravan.com/recipe/oregonian-hazelnut-pasta-mushroom-sauce
http://www.kitchencaravan.com/segment/pumpkin-ravioli-kale-pumpkin-seed-pesto
BTW- I totally agree about not needing equipment to make great food. Most people don’t have half of the things we invent, and they eat just fine!
53 New Year’s Resolutions « In Good Taste // Jan 1, 2009 at 9:15 pm
[...] all week. 3. Stop at one serving. 4. Try at least two new cuisines. 5. Make fresh hummus. 6. Bake pasta from scratch 7. Try a new recipe that contains cardamom. 8. Beef stroganoff – I’ve never tried [...]
54 Ruth // Jan 4, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Hi,
I enjoyed your post, but have you never seen old Italian women hand ROLLING pasta into fine spaghetti strands on a wooden table outside in the afternoon sun (where the sun dries them in no time – making them much more al denté)?
It is a wonderful sight! Also heard of similar old Asian women doing much the same with noodles — although they tend to throw them about like loops of wound wool to stretch them (like a pizza spinner, if you catch my drift)! LOL!
55 Rita // Feb 23, 2009 at 10:41 am
Ohh.. Gonna make some vegetarian spaghetti and homemade corn bread! Thank you!
56 Vicky // Mar 21, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Great… this is one my mother had used for years. Although my grandmother did it the oldfashioned way with a knife… A pizza cutter works great too… My mom would make not just staight noodle but made them interesting for us as kids.
57 Pasta, Please! « Mozzarella & Merlot // Sep 9, 2009 at 5:46 pm
[...] Which is, really, the part that makes homemade pasta “easy.” So when I saw a recipe for homemade pasta dough without the magic machine, I went for [...]
58 Jody // Sep 30, 2009 at 3:29 pm
My favorite pasta dish is always the one I just invented, and I’m inventing right now.
Your recipe looks perfect for my home-ground flour and the fresh egg one of the geese just left me this morning! (Of course, since there are 4 of us, I’ll have to double the recipe, and use a couple of hen eggs as well, but it’ll still have hat “goosy” taste)
59 Jo // Oct 17, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Hi Katy,
i’m a fellow foodie from Australia…i stumbled across your blog and i love it!
I too spend a significant amount of my weekends/gymtime/trying-to-sleep time thinking up new recipe ideas.
Thankyou for your tips regarding making pasta without a machine…i’m going to attempt making fresh pasta tonight – for the very first time!
congratulations and keep up the great work!
Joanna – Brisbane Australia
60 Balsamic Vinegar Pasta with Goat Cheese and Scallions « The Kitchenette // Oct 23, 2009 at 6:15 am
[...] just a rolling pin, but the noodles won’t be as thin. Katy over at Sugarlaws has excellent instructions for making the noodles by [...]
61 Carter @ The Kitchenette // Oct 23, 2009 at 10:45 am
As you can see, I linked to your blog this morning. Hope that was okay with you!
Love your site. You’re so inspiring =)
62 Greg // Nov 6, 2009 at 5:14 pm
I suspected a pasta machine was a nice but not necessary prerequisite for good (though rustic) pasta making!
Reading customer reviews of the pasta machines that are out there–many more varieties and brands than I ever dreamed possible–is like reading so many stories of disappointment and disaster.
Thank you for giving me rolling-pin pasta confidence-
GregS
63 Sharon // Nov 9, 2009 at 2:34 am
I have been wanting to make my own pasta forever and waiting to get a pasta maker! I will try this recipe this week for sure. We live in West Africa and eat a lot of pasta…but get really tired of the dried packaged stuff. My kids will be so excited!
64 Natalie // Dec 15, 2009 at 12:52 pm
I have to tell you this was WONDERFUL! Made Chicken Noodle Soup with these and everyone has been raving about them for the last 2 weeks. With a 4,6 and 8 year old – it’s hard to get everyone to agree on anything! Thanks for posting this recipe!!
65 Resolution: Slow Christmas meet Slow Life « Slow Christmas // Jan 4, 2010 at 12:36 pm
[...] just pop some in the blender and pulse, et voila! I also found a great recipe for homemade wheat pasta that doesn’t require machinery. The best advice I can give is don’t try to do it all at [...]
66 Tammy // Jan 30, 2010 at 12:40 pm
I actually find it easier to cut the noodes with a nice size pizza cutter (blade about 4 inch in diameter). Just zip through – cut each one noodle as thick or thin as you would like. Then move the noodles to a cotton tea cloth to dry. No unwrapping each noodle.
Leave a Comment