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Fresh Pasta Dough

Kitchen Lab Notes • base dough • shape-flexible • stand mixer
Yield: Serves 2 (primo)
Mixing: Stand mixer + hook
Sheet: 1.2 to 1.5 mm
Usage: ribbons or filled pasta
Rest: 45 to 60 min

Firm, elastic egg dough built as a base recipe for multiple fresh pasta shapes. Use this as your core sheeting dough, then choose your cut in the shape guide.

Base egg dough | shape-flexible | guide-linked

Quick Jump

Preflight • Ingredients • Mix + Rest • Roll + Cut • Shape Guide

Preflight

Role in pasta workflow: this is the base dough build for most of the fresh pasta formats on this site.

Shape flexibility: once the dough is mixed and rested, you can sheet and cut it for ribbons, sheet-pan formats, and filled pasta builds.

Prime directive: Build a smooth egg dough. Keep dough firm and smooth. Choose final thickness by shape.

Texture Targets

  • Firm, slightly tacky, not sticky dough.
  • No dry flour pockets after mixing.
  • Sheet should have body, not translucency.
  • Nests stay loose and uncompressed.

Ingredients

ComponentSpecNotes
00 flour200 g
Eggs2 large (about 110 g without shell)
Fine salt2 g
Olive oil (optional)5 gOptional for slightly more supple dough feel.
Optional water5 to 10 g additionalAdd only for hydration correction.

Mix and Rest

STEP 1

Prep the Egg Mixture

Whisk eggs until fully combined. If using olive oil, whisk it in with the eggs before mixing into the flour.

  • Egg mixture should be fully uniform with no streaks.

Checkpoint: egg mixture is smooth and ready to pour.

STEP 2

Mix Dough (Stand Mixer)

Add flour and salt to mixer bowl. Run dough hook on low and slowly pour in the egg mixture.

Mix 2 to 3 minutes until a shaggy mass forms.

  • If too dry after full incorporation, add 5 g water at a time.
  • Target: firm, slightly tacky, not sticky, no dry flour pockets.

Checkpoint: shaggy dough mass is unified and no loose flour remains.

STEP 3

Knead

Increase to low-medium (KitchenAid speed 2 to 3) and knead 5 to 6 minutes.

  • Dough should become smooth.
  • It should bounce back when pressed.
  • It should clear the bowl sides.
  • It should feel tighter than bread dough.

Checkpoint: dough surface is smooth with clear elastic tension.

STEP 4

Rest

Form dough into a tight ball and wrap tightly in plastic.

  • Rest 45 to 60 minutes at room temperature, or
  • Refrigerate up to 24 hours and bring out 45 minutes before rolling.

Resting relaxes gluten and allows full flour hydration.

Checkpoint: dough feels relaxed but still structured when pressed.

Rolling and Cutting for Your Shape

Shape and Thickness Guide

Use this dough for ribbons or filled pasta formats. Reference recommended sheet thickness and cut targets in the Pasta Shape and Thickness Guide.

STEP 5

Divide Dough

Cut dough into 2 equal pieces. Keep one wrapped while working the other.

Checkpoint: each piece stays covered until rolling starts.

STEP 6

Laminate (Important)

Set pasta roller to widest setting.

  • Pass dough through.
  • Fold into thirds like a letter.
  • Rotate 90 degrees.
  • Pass again.
  • Repeat 2 to 3 times.

This builds structure and smoothness.

Checkpoint: sheet edges clean up and surface evens out.

STEP 7

Reduce Thickness Toward Target

Decrease roller setting one step at a time.

  • Reduce roller setting one step at a time until near your target shape thickness.
  • Sheet should not be translucent unless a filled-pasta target requires thinner sheeting.
  • Check exact thickness by shape in the guide page.

Checkpoint: sheet drapes cleanly without tearing or glassy thin spots.

STEP 8

Cut or Form Final Shape

Lightly flour sheet, then cut or form to target format. For ribbon cuts, keep strands separated with light flour and avoid compressing nests.

  • Use the shape guide for width and thickness targets.
  • Work in small batches to prevent sticking.

Checkpoint: final pieces separate cleanly and hold intended shape.

STEP 9

Rest Before Cooking

Let cut pasta sit 15 to 30 minutes uncovered, or up to 2 hours lightly covered with a towel.

  • Surface should dry slightly but stay pliable.

Checkpoint: pasta surface is matte but ribbons still bend without cracking.