🇮🇹 Italian · Pasta
🍝 Fresh Egg Pasta Dough
Pasta all'Uovo
Fresh Egg Pasta Dough is the foundation of Northern Italian cooking — just flour and eggs, worked into a silky, elastic dough that can become tagliatelle, ravioli, lasagna sheets, or dozens of other classic shapes.
Emilia-Romagna's culinary identity is built on this simple ratio — traditionally 1 egg per 100g of '00' flour — kneaded by hand into a dough smooth enough to roll paper-thin, whether by hand with a long mattarello rolling pin or through a pasta machine.
Ingredients
Equipment: Work surface or large bowl, Fork, Bench scraper, Pasta machine or rolling pin, Plastic wrap
- 400 g (3⅓ cups) '00' flour (or all-purpose flour), plus more for dusting
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp olive oil (optional)
- Pinch of salt
Method
- Mound the flour on a clean work surface and make a well in the center.
- Crack the eggs into the well, adding the olive oil and salt.
- Using a fork, gradually beat the eggs, slowly incorporating flour from the inner walls of the well.
- Once the mixture is too thick for the fork, use a bench scraper and your hands to bring the remaining flour in, forming a shaggy dough.
- Knead the dough for 8–10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky — it should feel like soft, pliable clay.
- Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes — this relaxes the gluten and makes rolling much easier.
- Divide the dough into portions. Working with one at a time (keep the rest wrapped), roll through a pasta machine from the widest setting down to your desired thinness, or roll thin by hand with a long rolling pin.
- Cut into your desired shape — tagliatelle, pappardelle, or sheets for lasagna and ravioli.
- Cook fresh pasta in generously salted boiling water for just 1–3 minutes, until al dente — fresh pasta cooks far faster than dried.
Chef Tips
- Weigh your flour rather than measuring by volume for the most consistent dough.
- Don't skip the resting step — unrested dough fights back and tears when rolled thin.
- If the dough feels too dry while kneading, wet your hands slightly rather than adding more egg or water directly.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Rolling the dough before it has rested, causing it to spring back and tear.
- Over-flouring while rolling, which dries out the sheets and prevents shapes from sealing (important for ravioli).
- Overcooking fresh pasta as if it were dried — it needs only a fraction of the time.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- A good source of protein from the eggs compared to eggless dried pasta.
- No preservatives or additives when made fresh at home.
Cultural Note
In Bologna and across Emilia-Romagna, rolling pasta by hand with a long mattarello is considered a point of pride, passed down through generations of home cooks — a skill referred to affectionately as 'la sfoglia.'
Storage & Serving
Storage: Refrigerate wrapped dough for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. Cut fresh pasta can be dried and stored at room temperature for several weeks.
Reheating: Fresh pasta doesn't reheat — cook to order each time for the best texture.
Serve with: Ragù alla Bolognese, Butter and sage, Pesto alla Genovese, Cacio e pepe