This step-by-step recipe and video will teach you how to make perfect homemade pappardelle pasta using my fresh homemade pasta dough or sourdough pasta recipe.
In my beginner’s guide to fresh homemade pasta, you learned how to make a simple, egg-based pasta dough. That same dough can transform into many shapes (e.g. fettuccini, tagliatelle, lasagna sheets) and here, pappardelle: long, flat pasta ribbons.
Pappardelle is one of the easiest shapes for beginners because it’s hand-cut and it takes only minutes to do. There’s no intricate shaping involved, and you don’t need a special pasta cutter attachment. Just a large knife!
My family goes crazy over pappardelle with Ragù Bolognese or Italian basil pesto. It’s soft and silky, with just the right bite. You can browse my full collection of Italian pasta sauce recipes here.
Step-By-Step: How to Make Pappardelle Pasta
Step 1: Roll The Dough
To get started, you’ll need (1x) quantity of my homemade pasta dough, rolled into thin sheets, about 1/16 (1-2 mm).
To judge the correct thickness, you should be able the see your hand underneath the pasta sheet when finished.
Step 2: Fold The Pasta Sheet
Dust your surface with fine semolina flour to prevent sticking. I happen to prefer using semolina over Tipo 00 or regular flour at this stage. It’s less absorbent.
Working with one sheet at a time, fold it in half like a book.
Step 2 {Con’t}: Folding
Now, fold it over a few more times to meet the end of the sheet (imagine folding up a carpet). You should have a neat little stack. This makes it easier to cut the pasta into neat and tidy sections.
Step 3: Cut The Pasta
With the fold facing you, cut across into 1- 1 1/2-inch (2.5-3.8 cm) wide sections using a large knife.
Step 4: Separate The Sections
Unfold each pasta section and gently separate the pasta ribbons.
Step 5: Flour & Shake
Dust the pappardelle with more semolina flour. Gather the pasta with your hands and give it a good shake to coat. This will prevent the strands from sticking together later on. Finished!
How To Store Fresh Pappardelle
Arrange your pappardelle ribbons flat on a semolina-dusted sheet pan. This keeps them from curling. Cover with plastic wrap (or another sheet pan) and hold at room temperature if cooking within 1-2 hours. Or, refrigerate until ready to cook, up to 12 hrs.
*Photo credit & styling for Ragù Bolognese sauce: Melina Hammer.
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How to Make Perfect Pappardelle Pasta
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Homemade Pasta
- Method: Handcrafted
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Make homemade pappardelle pasta from scratch with only two ingredients: whole eggs and 00 flour. Hand-cut for wide, silky ribbons that pair perfectly with Bolognese, mushroom ragù or basil pesto.
For timing, the process is broken up into 3 parts: making the dough, rolling the dough into pasta sheets, and cutting the pasta into noodles. Tips shared below for using a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, food processor and doing it by hand.
Ingredients
Pasta Dough
(1x) Fresh Homemade Pasta Dough (ingredients below)
- 300 g Tipo 00 Flour*
- 3 large eggs*
- 1 large egg yolk
- Olive oil
- Semolina flour, for dusting
*Note: For the Tipo 00 flour, I recommend Molino Grassi or Caputo. For the eggs & yolk, the total combined weight (cracked) should be 185 g. Because eggs size vary, make up the difference, if needed, with an extra egg yolk or olive oil. Olive oil makes the dough more soft, supple and satisfying to work with.
Pasta Equipment (choose one to roll the dough)
Instructions
Step #1: Make The Dough
There are 3 different ways to make pasta dough: by hand, in a stand mixer or with a food processor. Choose one of the following options below.
The Traditional Way (by hand):
- Add the flour to a large bowl. Make a well in the center; add the eggs and yolk.
- Whisk together with a fork, and then combine with the flour. When the texture becomes stiff, finish by hand to form a rough dough. If dry bits of flour remain after a few minutes of mixing (be patient, it’s a dry dough) add a few drops of water or olive oil to bring the dough together.
- Form the dough into a ball, cover with an upturned bowl or with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes- it will be easier to knead.
- Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes. Do this by folding the dough over itself, pushing it forward with the heel of your hand, turning slightly as you go. I literally rock the dough back and forth (watch the video). The texture will be very stiff at first- it’s not bread dough. But rest assured, by the 2 minute mark it will start to soften. Keep kneading until the dough is soft, malleable and has a talcum-like finish. It should “bounce back” slowly when poked.
- Form the dough into a ball, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Stand Mixer Instructions:
Fit the machine with the dough hook. Add the flour and eggs to the bowl. Mix until combined. Knead on speed #1 or #2, about 4-5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Food Processor Instructions:
Add the flour and eggs to the bowl. Pulse several times until the dough comes together. Remove the dough to your work surface and let rest for 1 minute. If the dough is a bit sticky after resting, add a sprinkle of flour. Knead by hand for 1-2 minutes (the food processor does most of the kneading for you). Form the dough into a ball, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Step #2: Roll The Dough Into Pasta Sheets
This can be done using a KitchenAid stand mixer with the roller attachment, with a hand crank pasta machine or by hand with a rolling pin.
- Dust your work surface with semolina flour. Cut the pasta dough into 4 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, flatten the dough into a 6-8inch oval patty. Keep the remaining doughs covered in wrap otherwise they will dry out.
- If using a KitchenAid stand mixer, set the pasta roller to #1 which is the lowest/widest setting. With the machine running, send the dough through the roller. Now, send it through again (so, 2x total). Note: if using a hand crank pasta machine instead, refer to the manufacture’s specific instructions for rolling the dough (the settings might differ but the rolling process is the same). You can also use a rolling pin to roll the dough as thin as you can, about 1/16 inch (1-2 mm).
- Continue to roll the dough through settings #2-4, (2x) on each setting. Do not pull on the sheet as it comes through the roller; just guide it along gently. If at any point the dough becomes sticky, dust with semolina flour. I keep my work surface dusted with semolina at all times. This way I can coat both sides of my pasta sheet easily and quickly while I work.
- Your pasta sheet is ready when it’s beautifully thin and somewhat translucent (you should be able to see your hand underneath). Don’t worry if the ends are not perfectly straight; you can always trim them with a knife.
- To finish, dust the pasta sheet generously with semolina, fold it in half, and place onto your floured sheet pan. Cover with a kitchen towel. Repeat the rolling process for the remaining 3 doughs.
Step #3: Cut Pappardelle Pasta
- Before cutting, I like to dry my pasta sheets ever so slightly. This firms up the final texture giving the strands a more “leathery” finish, rather than a soft and doughy feel (this will prevent the pasta from sticking together later on).
- To Semi-Dry: drape the pasta sheets over the back of a chair for about 10-15 minutes or so. Keep your eye on the time; you don’t want the sheets to dry out completely. You will be able to feel the difference.
- To Cut: take a pasta sheet and cut it in half. Trim the ends, if you like. Run the sheet through your desired pasta cutter attachment to create strands. Alternatively, cut the dough by hand.
To Store: Arrange the pasta flat on a sheet pan dusted heavily with semolina flour. Doing so will keep the pappardelle’s broad and flat shape- it won’t curl. Cover with plastic wrap and hold at room temperature if cooking within 1-2 hours. Alternatively, refrigerate until ready to cook, up to 12 hrs. It’s best to cook homemade pasta on the same day it’s made, otherwise it might oxidize, discolor and stick together if chilled past 24 hrs.
To Freeze: Allow the pasta to air-dry, uncovered, for up to 20 minutes before freezing. This helps to prevent sticking. Portion into ziptop bags and freeze, up to 1 month. Cook directly from frozen, no need to defrost first.
To Cook: Add the pasta to a large pot of boiling water. Make sure to generously salt it first. Cooking time will depend on the pasta’s thickness. For pappardelle, plan on 5-7 minutes for al dente (soft but with a bite), but taste it first to be sure it’s ready. When finished, use tongs to transfer the pasta directly into the sauce.
Comments
Susan says
I was just searching for a recipe to make pappardelle, on a sleepless night, and I stumbled across this. I haven’t tried it yet, but I just had to tell you that your writing style is so comforting and inviting. I can’t wait to make this. Bookmarking your site.
Liz says
First time ever making pasta, easy to follow recipe and very tasty. I did it all by hand and need to work on rolling thinner, it does puff up a little while cooking. Had it with sausage ragu flavored with a shot of sambucca.
Emilie Raffa says
Liz, this sounds so SO good. I’m hungry just thinking about it! Rolling pasta dough by hand takes practice; it’s hard to get it thin enough. If you have a stand mixer, Kitchen Aid sells a roller attachment that rolls the dough perfectly thin.
Tony says
Hi,
I have the kitchen Aid and was wondering what is the final setting on the roller before I remove them . Thanks
M says
How long do you cook it for?
ROBIN says
How long to boil finished pasta?
Margaret D. says
Lovely! Exactly the way my mother taught me to make the noodles for our chicken noodle soup – the only difference is we make the noodles thicker so they will soak up the broth the first day. Then we eat it the second day. Absolutely delicious! After you make your own pasta/noodles, you’ll never want to eat store-bought. I remember the first time I had store bought noodles (I was a teenager and was having dinner at a friend’s home). The noodles felt like they were just slithering down my throat with no flavor. I told my mother later that I felt so sorry for them, eating food that tasted so bad – and they didn’t know any better because they’d never had homemade noodles.
eleanor hohman says
How many cups of flour do you use.
Gordon Learn says
1 cup should equal 130g
Yvonne Holmes says
I have always wanted to make home made pasta but thought I needed an expensive machine but thanks to your easy to follow instructions on preparing the “dough” and today on the easy way to cut the beautiful pasta I am going to be making and serving my own pasta (which shall be so much more healthier for us!)
Thank you so much for walking us thru this easy step by step process.
Yvonne
Emilie Raffa says
Yvonne, you are very welcome. You can absolutely make fresh pasta at home, from start to finish, without a machine. In fact, there is a wonderful rhythm to it- the mixing, the rolling, the cutting… I find myself zoning out every time I make something! It tastes incredible too. I’ve noticed our family actually eats more when it’s freshly made. It’s less heavy. Enjoy!
Pati says
Can this be made vegan?
Emilie Raffa says
Yes, absolutely. For vegan pasta, use 330 g semolina flour + 155 g water. Follow the method for rolling and cutting the dough in this post: Beginner’s Guide to Fresh Homemade Pasta Dough.