How To Make Homemade Pasta (Without A Pasta Maker!)

Why Make This

• You don’t need a pasta maker, just a rolling pin and a sharp knife.  
• You can prep the dough ahead of time and freeze it or refrigerate for convenience.  
• This dough works for many shapes, from linguini to ravioli and lasagna noodles.

I’ve been making pasta from scratch for about eight years now, often with a child standing at each hip, and all without using a pasta maker.

Sometimes gadgets can be barriers to experimentation in the kitchen. But a small kitchen or a lack of funding shouldn’t prevent anyone from making delicious homemade food. I find that most meals can be made with just a few simple tools that serve multiple purposes.

In the case of my homemade pasta, my rolling pin doubles as my pasta roller.

Also, head over to YouTube to watch our Senior Editor Summer Miller make this recipe with her kids as part of our Simply Kids Cook YouTube series!

How to Make Homemade Pasta

Making pasta by hand, you use a rolling pin to mimic the action of a pasta maker: roll out a small piece of dough until it’s paper thin. Then, use a knife to cut it into individual noodles.

It takes a little more muscle and patience, but you can absolutely get the pasta as thin as you would using a machine.

Homemade Pasta on Your Schedule

Making pasta from scratch does take some time, but don’t let this dissuade you from making pasta at home. The dough can be made one day, and either refrigerated overnight or frozen so you can cut and shape your pasta on another day.

Don’t refrigerate pasta dough for more than a day, however. Otherwise, the dough will discolor. If you don’t plan to make your pasta the next day, then freeze it.

• To freeze a ball of pasta dough, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Then, set it inside a zip-top bag with the air squeezed out of it (no need for oil). The morning you plan to make the pasta, just transfer it from the freezer to your countertop. It will be ready for you to roll out and cut later that afternoon.
• You can also freeze the cut noodles. Whenever I make homemade pasta, I always make a big batch and freeze the extra noodles for those moments when life demands more carbohydrates. Even straight from the freezer, homemade noodles cook faster than dried pasta from the store, so this makes for quick weeknight meals.

Tips for Making Homemade Pasa

• If the eggs break through your flour while mixing, don’t panic. Simply push some additional flour up against the break-through with your hand, and continue mixing. A bench scraper is also really useful here because it allows you to scoop up a lot of mess quickly. If you have one, keep it handy.
• It’s important to rest the dough before rolling it out: This gives the gluten in the dough a chance to relax, which makes it easier to roll out. It makes a big difference when rolling out pasta by hand, verses using a machine.
• If your pasta is sticky at any point, add more flour, a teaspoon at a time. When you roll it out, make sure you dust your countertop with flour at regular intervals. It’s also important to thoroughly dust the rolled-out pasta with flour before folding or rolling dough to cut into your desired shape.
• If the dough starts to “snap back” as you roll it out: Pause and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes (to give the gluten a chance to relax). Then, try rolling it again.
• Cooking frozen noodles: Use frozen noodles straight from the freezer without thawing. Don’t leave them to thaw on the counter while you are preparing the rest of your meal. Sometimes, condensation or ice crystals form inside the bag. That will dampen your noodles and cause them to stick together as they thaw.

What to Make With Homemade Pasta

This same recipe and rolling technique can be used to make thin linguini noodles, lasagna noodles, ravioli, tortellini, and any shape of pasta in between.

Pair this pasta with your favorite sauce for a quick and easy weeknight meal, or add them to your favorite homemade chicken noodle soup recipe.

Sauces to Serve With Homemade Pasta

• Basic Tomato Sauce
• Bolognese Meat Sauce
• Make-Ahead Alfredo Sauce
• Fresh Basil Pesto
• Mushroom Sugo