Buongiorno! Fresh homemade Italian pasta is quite the treat and a bit different from dried, commercial versions. The far southern regions of Italy, particularly Calabria and Sicily, make pasta using only two ingredients, semolina flour and water. That’s really all you need to make a satisfying, traditional Italian pasta. Why not create a variety of shapes with such a simple recipe?
Different Types of Noodles
There are hundreds of different pasta shapes with their own special sauces throughout the different regions and towns in Italy. This post focuses on southern Italy making the traditional busiate which is a thin, tube, helical-like coiled shaped noodle; it is an authentic shape found in the Italian regions of Calabria and Sicily. I also demonstrate and explain how to make various thicknesses of thin, long pasta like fettucine, tagliatelle, and pappardelle. Once you get the basics of making a tube-shaped pasta and a flat pasta, you can pretty much make whatever shape and thickness you want. Let’s get to it! Andiamo!
How Much Pasta Should I Make?
There’s a pretty good rule of thumb on how much pasta to make per person. If you know how many people you are feeding, you can determine the amount of pasta to make. The recipe in this post makes a total of a ½ pound of pasta which generally feeds two people; double the recipe to feed four people. Keep this ratio in mind to feed one person, 100 grams of flour to 50 milliliters of water. Once you know that ratio, you can make 1 serving or 50 servings.
Southern Italian Pasta Ingredients
Durum Wheat Flour Versus Regular Wheat Flour
Durum wheat is the traditional wheat used in Italy for making pastas and couscous. It’s a different species from regular wheat grown for making bread. Durum wheat is planted in the spring and harvested in the fall making it a spring wheat flour; it’s best grown in warmer climates like in the Mediterranean. It is a hard, high protein, rather high gluten, coarse wheat flour. Once ground down into the coarse flour, it’s called semolina flour. Durum wheat has a slightly different genetic make-up than regular flour as it lacks the D genome allowing it to stretch more easily. However, it’s not great for making bread as it doesn’t have the elasticity needed. Many recipes will use a combination of semolina flour and all-purpose flour for a softer noodle; however, semolina is all you need for a traditional Italian pasta.
Where Can You Find Durum Wheat?
Durum Wheat Semolina Flour is available in most American grocery stores and online through Amazon. Bob’s Red Mill, an American grain company, is one of several that produces durum wheat, and it is usually not difficult to find. Usually, it’s located in the specialty flour section where you can also find special grains and starches in a local grocery store.
Why Not Use Eggs? Many Pastas Contain Eggs…
Pasta varies quite a bit between northern and southern Italy based on ingredient availability decades to centuries ago. In northern Italy, eggs or egg yolks are traditionally added to pasta as they are the liquid in pasta dough. In fact, you may only have semolina flour and eggs for a northern Italian pasta recipe. This was in large part due to how easy it was to keep and maintain chickens in cooler climates. Eggs were in abundance. Common egg pastas are ravioli and fettuccine.
However, in the warmer south, chickens were harder to keep and maintain, making eggs scarce and a luxury. That’s why traditional pasta in southern Italy does not contain eggs. In fact, southern Italian pasta traditionally only includes semolina flour and water. It’s affordable and very simple. For those who have an egg allergy or intolerance, southern Italian pasta recipes are ideal and can be used to make any desired shape. Common egg-free pastas are busiate and spaghetti.
Make the Pasta Dough
Mix Semolina Flour and Water
On a work surface (or in a large bowl), measure out 200 grams (1⅔ cup) durum wheat semolina flour. Make a well in the center of the flour. Measure out 100 milliliters (~½ cup) very warm tap water (100˚F /38˚C). Slowly pour the water in the well of the flour and stir with your fingers (or a spoon if using a bowl) as you pour to moisten the flour. Add enough liquid while stirring until a shaggy dough begins to form. The flour is gritty and grainy, but it will smooth out over the kneading time.
TIP: Making a well in the center of the flour, particularly when mixing on a flat surface, will prevent the liquid from oozing out.
Knead the Dough
Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until the dough reaches a tacky smooth ball adding regular or semolina flour or water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed. Yes, knead the dough like you would regular bread dough. The dough will become soft and pliable; the grittiness will disappear.
TIP: Notice there isn’t any salt in the dough. You certainly could add salt, but you’re going to add plenty of salt to the water when cooking the pasta. The pasta will absorb the salt as it cooks, so I find that salt is not needed in the dough.
Cover Dough & Rest
Cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.
Prepare Baking Pan(s)
Line 1- 2 baking sheets with parchment. Dust the paper with semolina or other flour.
TIP: Parchment paper is not needed; however, it makes transferring the pasta much easier.
Prepare the Work Surface for Shaping
Lightly flour the work surface under the dough. Regular all-purpose flour is fine to use as it’s cheaper than semolina flour. Shape the dough into a disk. At this point, you can roll out the dough to the shape you want for making different pasta noodles.
How to Make Long, Flat Noodles…
Divide the dough disk in half. Place one half on a lightly floured work surface and cover the other. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough flat keeping the work surface floured. The dough should be thin enough to see through it. For this size dough, it should be rolled to a 14-x18- inch rectangle.
TIP: If using a pasta attachment on a pasta machine, flatten dough as described in your machine directions.
Cut Dough into Desired Strips
Simple Thin Strips
Ensure the dough against the work surface is well floured. Use a pizza cutter or knife and cut out long strips (the length of the long side of the rectangle) as thin or as wide as you would like. You can cut as thin as an ⅛-inch-wide strip for a flat-like spaghetti size. As you cut out the strips, place them on the floured baking sheet. You can mound the strips of the same size in a nest or lay them flat if you want to cook them flat.
TIPS: This is your pasta, don’t worry so much about measurements; cut to the width of what you want to eat. For a “prettier” rectangle, trim off (square off) the edges to eliminate odd-shaped pasta for the first cut.
Fettuccine, Tagliatelle, and Pappardelle Sizes
If you want fettucine, cut out strips about a ¼ inch wide. Homemade pasta should look rustic, so width guesses are acceptable. 😊 Mound 6-7 strips of the same width pasta into a nest on the prepared baking sheet. For tagliatelle width pasta, cut strips about a ½ inch wide. For pappardelle width pasta, cut strips about an 1 inch wide. You can vary your sizes, making them thinner or wider depending on your preference.
TIP: Of course, you will likely select only one pasta width for an entire pasta dish meal. If I were making one pasta dish with one sauce, I would make my pasta with all the same shape and size.
Repeat with Remaining Dough
Then, repeat with any remaining dough following your preferred pasta size and shape.
How to Make Busiate (Mini Tube-Like Helical Noodles)…
Divide the dough disk into quarters. Place all but one dough piece on a plate and cover with a towel.
Place a medium-sized bowl near the work surface. Add 1-2 tablespoons of regular flour to the bowl for dredging the pasta to prevent sticking. This may not be traditional, but I have found it helpful to prevent the individual busiate from sticking together and from sticking to the coiled device. You can eliminate this step.
Shape Busiate
Roll into Ropes
Wipe off the work surface to remove any flour. The smooth work surface will provide the friction needed to manipulate the dough. Roll one of the dough pieces into a rope about ⅛ to ¼ inch thick.
TIP: If the rope becomes too long for the surface you are rolling on, cut the rope in half. Set one half aside and continue rolling the other until the appropriate diameter is met. You may need to cut the rope in half again.
Cut Ropes into 6-Inch-Long Pieces
Cut the rope into 6-inch-long pieces. Toss the mini ropes in the bowl with flour to help dry them out and prevent them from sticking to each other and on the skewer.
TIP: If you want a long, tube-shaped pasta like spaghetti, cut the ropes into 12-inch-long pieces and place them on the baking sheet to cook when ready.
Shape the Mini Tubes into Coils
Take a long wooden dowel, skewer, ice pick, or skinny straw. Take one of the floured mini ropes. Place one end of the dough on the skewer. Use the thumb or index finger on the hand holding the skewer to hold the dough in place on the skewer. Roll the dough at a 45-degree angle in a single layer down the skewer to create a spiral. Gently slide the dough off the skewer without mashing the dough. You can rotate the skewer in the opposite direction to help release the dough. Place each busiate on the floured baking sheet.
Repeat with Remaining Dough
Then, repeat with the remaining dough making as many busiate as desired.
Serving Fresh Italian Pasta
The traditional sauce served with busiate is Trapanese pesto (from western Sicily). It’s a pesto pasta sauce made from almonds instead of pine nuts like regular pesto. It also consists of garlic, tomatoes, and basil. Sometimes seafood is added to the pasta after the sauce has been prepared. But of course, with any of these pastas, serve them with whatever sauce you want or have.
Storing Fresh Italian Pasta
While the pasta can be cooked immediately, if not, place the pan(s) of pasta in the fridge for up to 2 days. For longer storage, freeze the pasta on the pan(s) until frozen. Then, transfer the pasta all together in a sealed bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Cooking Fresh or Frozen Italian Pasta
Regardless of how the pasta is stored, it’s cooked the same way. Bring a large pot of 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add about 1 tablespoon of salt, enough that the water has a salty taste like the ocean (salinity of the sea). Add the pasta and reduce the heat to a simmer. Once the pasta rises to the surface, set the timer and cook for 2 minutes. Taste a noodle to check for doneness. It should be “al dente” meaning “to the tooth” and should have small bite to the pasta. If a dense white spot is in the center of the pasta, it needs to cook another 20-30 seconds. Once the pasta is done, drain, and serve it immediately with your preferred sauce.
Fresh Southern Italian Pasta Final Thoughts
Making homemade fresh pasta is really a treat. The work isn’t easy, but the final product is something altogether different from a dried, commercial version. I love using simple, clean ingredients and making the exact shapes I want. You can make many servings at once and freeze them until you’re ready to make a quick meal. There is pride in creating such a simple dish to put on the table. If you go the extra mile to make your own sauce… heaven on a plate.
Baker’s Perspective
Making pasta feels like going back in time when food was simple, and ingredients were few. You can’t “mess” up making pasta; you only need energy to knead and shape the dough. Making busiate is a bit more involved with the steps of rolling, cutting, and coiling. However, it’s fun to make it once in a while. Making simple strips of flat pasta goes very quickly once the dough is rolled flat. I find these flat pasta noodles the easiest to make. Buying dried pasta is obviously easier, but if you get a weekend or a little block of time where you just want to make your own, I highly encourage it. I still buy dried pasta, but homemade elevates the meal and making it is a treat.
Taster’s Perspective
If you’ve never tasted homemade pasta… hmm… it’s quite the experience. It doesn’t taste like dried, commercial brands. I find it a heartier version that holds up well to any sauce (no delicate noodles here). The pasta itself doesn’t have “flavor” per say; however, it’s the texture that I find appealing. I believe homemade pasta is where you truly understand the expression of “al dente”; each noodle has heft and is substantial even in a simple bite. We love homemade pasta. I make it whenever I can find the time and freeze it for a quick meal.
Check out my YouTube video on making this fresh Italian pasta. “2-Ingredient Fresh Southern Italian Pasta: Try These Varieties of Long, Flat Shapes and Busiate”
2-Ingredient Fresh Southern Italian Pasta
Ingredients
- 200 g (1⅔ cup) durum wheat semolina flour
- 100 ml (~½ cup) warm tap water ~100˚F / 38˚C
Instructions
For making all pasta shapes:
- On a work surface or in a large bowl, measure out the semolina flour. Make a well in the center of the flour.TIP: A well in the center helps to prevent liquid from oozing out during mixing.
- Measure the water. Slowly pour the water in the well of the flour and stir with your fingers as you pour to moisten the flour. Add enough liquid while stirring until a shaggy dough begins to form.
- Knead for about 10 minutes until the dough reaches a tacky smooth ball adding regular or semolina flour or water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed.
- Cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.
- Line 1-2 baking sheets with parchment paper and dust with semolina or other flour.TIP: You can simply flour the pans without paper, but the paper helps to manipulate the pasta in and out of the pans.
- Lightly flour the work surface under the dough. Shape the dough into a disk. At this point, you can roll out the dough to the shape you want for making different pasta shapes including using a pasta machine if available.
For making long, flat noodles (like fettuccine, tagliatelle, & pappardelle):
- Divide the dough disk in half. Place one half on a lightly floured work surface and cover the other. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough flat keeping the work surface floured. The dough should be thin enough to see through it. For this amount of dough, roll it into a ~14-x18- inch rectangle.TIP: If using a pasta attachment, flatten as described.
- Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut out long strips that are the full length of the dough. Make them as thin or as wide as desired. For fettuccine, cut out strips ¼ inch wide. For tagliatelle, cut out strips ½ inch wide. For pappardelle, cut out strips 1 inch wide. As you cut out the strips, place them on the floured baking sheet. You can mound the strips of the same size in a nest or lay them flat.TIP: If cutting by hand, don’t worry too much about traditional measurements, cut to the width of what you like to eat. Maybe you prefer a pappardelle that's 2 inches wide. 😊
- Repeat with the remaining dough making as many flat strips as desired.
For making busiate (long, helical shape or mini spiraled spaghetti):
- Divide the dough disk into quarters. Place three of the four dough pieces on a plate and cover.
- Set a medium-sized bowl near the work surface and add 1-2 tablespoons of regular flour.
- Roll the remaining dough piece into a rope about ⅛ to ¼ inch thick.TIP: If the rope is becoming too long for the surface you are rolling on, cut the rope in half. Set one half aside and continue rolling the other until the appropriate diameter is met.
- Cut the rope into 6-inch-long pieces. Toss the mini ropes in the bowl with flour,TIP: Mixing the ropes with flour helps to dry them out and prevent them from sticking to each other and on the skewer.
- Take a long wooden dowel, skewer, ice pick, or skinny straw. Take 1 of the floured mini ropes. Place one end of the dough on the skewer. Use the thumb or index finger on the hand holding the skewer to hold the dough in place on the skewer. Roll the dough at a 45-degree angle in a single layer down the skewer to create a spiral. Gently slide the dough off the skewer without mashing the dough. You can rotate the skewer in the opposite direction to help release the dough. Place each busiate on the floured baking sheet.
- Repeat with the remaining dough making as many noodles as desired.
Video
Notes
You might be interested in these other Italian recipes.
Roasted Garlic White Bean Hummus
Italian Savoiardi Ladyfinger Cookies
Italian Gluten-Free Savoiardi Ladyfinger Cookies
Italian Panettone Christmas Bread
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