My first incredible gluten free pasta experience was at Giada’s restaurant in Las Vegas. It was so incredible that we ate there two days in a row and we were only there for a long weekend! It was made from scratch in their kitchen and my family devoured it. Low and behold, a few years later I found that Giada posted the simple recipe and the flour they use in her restaurants. And so began my family’s love affair with making Homemade Gluten Free Pasta.
Just Two Ingredients
My family tried making pasta many times over the years. We tried countless variations of flour blends. The ratios of flour, eggs, oil and water were also toyed with. Some versions turned out better than others. It turned out that we only needed two simple ingredients to make fantastic Gluten Free Homemade Pasta. Cup4Cup brand gluten free flour and eggs. That’s it! Okay, I use a little salt and water to boil the pasta in, but that doesn’t really count does it?
About the Flour
As I mentioned above, the type of flour you use matters. I tried this same recipe with other gluten free flours and it just doesn’t turn out as well, some turned out kinda icky. So do your taste buds a favor and pick up some Cup4Cup gluten free flour for this recipe. I buy it from Amazon or Target.
How to Make Homemade Gluten Free Pasta
Make a mound of Cup4Cup gluten free flour blend on a clean counter and make a large well in the center. Crack 4 whole eggs and one egg yolk into the center. Sprinkle with a little salt. Use a fork to beat the eggs while bringing a little flour from the sides into the mixture. Continue to bring more and more flour into the center.
Eventually the sides will collapse and the eggs will start to spill out. Just use your hands or a pastry scraper to pull it all together. Eventually a crumbly mixture will form, then begin to knead the dough with your hands until a soft ball forms. Now you will have some fantastic pasta dough on your hands. Or in your hands. To roll and cut or shape however you please!
My Rustic Cut Pasta
I like to cut the ball of dough into 4 pieces and work with one at a time leaving the remainder wrapped in plastic. This makes the process more manageable and faster. You will need a little more flour for your work surface and to dust the dough to keep it from becoming too sticky. I use a rolling pin and roll the dough as thin as I possibly can. Maybe a 1/16th of an inch thick or roughly the thickness of a few sheets of paper. When this dough is boiled, it expands a lot, so you want it as thin as possible.
Then I use a pizza cutter to make strips of pasta. It doesn’t matter if the lines are straight or evenly spaced. That is all the aesthetic and frankly, I like the way a rustic rough cut pasta looks. The important thing is to roll every sheet of pasta out evenly and to the same thickness.
Endless Pastabilities
You can use a hand crank pasta maker or attachments on a stand mixer to roll and cut the dough evenly if you prefer. There are all kinds of contraptions available to shape the dough differently by hand or machine. I have used a hand crank pasta maker with this specific recipe with great results. And I look forward to trying more shaped pastas, gadgets and gizmos in the future for more pasta deliciousness. Let me know in the comments below what you try and feel free to tag me on Instagram or Facebook with photos of your pasta.
Sauce it Up!
This Homemade Gluten Free Pasta is so delicious that you may just want to drizzle it with olive oil and sprinkle some freshly grated parmesan on top. That’s how my son likes it. Jarred sauce will always work too. Also check out my Basil Awesome Sauce which is a lighter take on a basil pesto, my homemade Meat Sauce or sub this pasta in my Pasta with Bacon and Peas.
Homemade Gluten Free Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 cups Cup4Cup brand gluten free flour - plus extra for rolling
- 4 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- salt to taste
- 1 recipe Meat Sauce
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and dust lightly with flour. Set this aside near your work surface for making the pasta.
- Create a mound of flour then make a large well in the middle. Pour all of the eggs, the egg yolk and the salt in the well.
- Use a fork to break up and beat the eggs in the center while gradually pulling in flour from the sides. Continue to gradually bring more and more flour into the egg mixture until it is all combined well. If the eggs manage to break through the mound of flour, just do your best to pull it all together until a ball of dough forms.
- Work the dough with your hands until a soft ball of dough comes together. Cut the dough into 4 roughly even pieces. Work with one at a time while keeping the rest covered in plastic.
- Dust the surface of a clean & dry countertop, a rolling pin and all sides of the ball of dough with Cup4Cup gluten free flour. Use the rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangular shape. Lift the dough and continue to dust with flour as you roll it out to prevent sticking.
- Once rolled as thin as possible. I try to roll it to the thickness of a few sheets of paper. Then take a sharp paring or chef’s knife or pizza cutter and cut long strips approximately ¼-½ inch wide across the dough. This is rustic so don’t worry about cutting perfectly straight lines.
- Pile the cut pasta on the floured parchment paper and dust lightly with additional flour if it is sticky.
- Continue rolling and cutting the remaining dough until all dough is rolled and cut.
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Carefully transfer all of the pasta into the boiling water and gently stir with a spoon to prevent sticking. Let boil for 2-3 minutes (possibly longer depending on the thickness of the pasta).
- Check for doneness, remove the pasta with tongs and place directly into your preferred warmed sauce to coat the pasta and serve. Or plate and drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh grated parmesan cheese.
Chef Jason Putnam says
Really great pasta recipe for us Gluten Free folks. My only suggestion would be to make sure the eggs are at room temperature prior to putting it all together as it makes it much easier in the kneading phase! 🙂
Shay says
Great suggestion Chef!
Anonymous says
Can you freeze some uncooked to use later?
Shay says
You sure can! I would suggest completely making the pasta and cutting into shapes prior to freezing it. I have a friend who made ravioli & froze a portion with this recipe and he says that it worked out great. Let me know how it goes for you!