Homemade Pasta Recipes, Because It's So Much Better Fresh

It's so much better when made fresh.

If you haven't ventured past the convenience of dried pasta, it's time to make some changes in your life. We have nothing against dried pasta -- there is definitely a time and a place for it, and in fact, sometimes there's nothing better for a quick and satisfying weeknight dinner. If you've ever tried homemade pasta, however, you understand what pasta is really all about. Homemade pasta is a little chewy and very tender; it really does just melt in your mouth.

It may sound difficult, but making your own pasta is actually much easier than you might think. If you have a pasta maker, the most difficult part is probably setting up the machinery (you can also make pasta by hand). Whichever route you take, homemade is as simple as mixing together two or three ingredients. The basic process consists of mixing flour and water -- and egg if you want -- together, kneading it into dough, letting the dough rest for a while, and cutting noodles. As author and food blogger David Lebovitz says, pasta dough isn't as fussy as pastry or bread dough. It's "simple and forgiving, [and] one of those recipes that’s more about technique than ingredients or quantities."

If you're still not convinced, here's something to consider: Homemade pasta is so satisfying that it needs little else to make a completely delicious meal, especially if you've added something flavorful, like spinach or beets, to the pasta dough. Sometimes, a drizzle of good, fruity olive oil is all you need. So you can put the energy you might spend on an elaborate sauce into the homemade noodles.

Ready to tackle this deceptively easy challenge? We've rounded up 15 homemade pasta recipes to get you started. We're warning you, though: once you go homemade pasta, you'll have a hard time going back.

1
Kale Pasta
Chasing Delicious
Get the Kale Pasta recipe by Chasing Delicious
2
Homemade Porcini Fettuccini
yuko
Get the Homemade Porcini Fettuccini recipe by yuko via Food52
3
Beet Pasta
A Beautiful Mess
Get the Beet Pasta recipe by A Beautiful Mess
4
Homemade Ginger-Infused Fettuccine
eatswellwithothers
Get the Homemade Ginger-Infused Fettuccine recipe by eatswellwithothers via Food52
5
Homemade Spinach Whole-Wheat Pasta
Spiced Blog
6
Homemade Pasta With KitchenAid
The Little Kitchen
Get the Homemade Pasta With KitchenAid recipe by The Little Kitchen
7
Gluten-Free Fresh Pasta
Gluten-Free Girl
Get the Gluten-Free Fresh Pasta recipe by Gluten-Free Girl
8
Jennie's Homemade Manicotti
Food52
Get Jennie's Homemade Manicotti recipe by Jennifer Perillo from Food52
9
Pici con le Briciole (Pici with breadcrumbs)
Food52
10
Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
bell'alimento
Get the Roasted Red Pepper Pasta recipe from bell'alimento
11
Homemade Orecchiette With A Roasted Tomato Red Wine Sauce And Herbed Pan-Fried Chicken
Adventures In Cooking
12
Basic Pasta
Martha Stewart
Get the Basic Pasta recipe from Martha Stewart
13
Spinach Pasta
bell'alimento
Get the Spinach Pasta recipe from bell'alimento
14
Homemade Pumpkin Pasta
Minimalist Baker
Get the Homemade Pumpkin Pasta recipe from Minimalist Baker
15
Handmade Pasta
Completely Delicious
Get the Handmade Pasta recipe from Completely Delicious

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Before You Go

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