Perfecting pasta dough 

Making homemade pasta is often surprisingly simple. With just a handful of ingredients and a little flour expertise you can make perfect hearty homemade pasta. Uncover the mysteries of making homemade pasta dough and create pasta perfection. 

What flour to use for pasta making? Know your pasta flour   

Every type of flour has its own time to shine in the kitchen. All-purpose flour can work just fine for most purposes in the kitchen, but whether you are into making pastry, bread, cake or pasta, picking the perfect flour for the job can ultimately make or break your final product. 

Two zeros make for much more   

Go for the finest flour also known as 00 for pasta making. Italian milled flour has its own specific grading system that tells you how finely ground the flour is, and how much of the bran and germ have been removed. The grading system includes the numbers 2, 1, 0 and 00, with 00 being the finest. And that is the one you want to go for when you are entering the world of homemade pasta.

If you come across some pasta flour called “Doppio Zero”, it is just another way of referring to 00 flour (double flour). Many food lovers consider 00 flour their go-to choice for both pizza and pasta making. So, if you are planning on making a traditional-style pizza or your favourite pasta dish, 00 or 0 flour is the not-so-secret ingredient to create the best pizza or pasta dough. Type 00 flour is relatively low in gluten content and is favoured by many cooks for its rich texture. And definitely stick with flour that has the two zero digits if you want to make softer pasta like tagliatelle or ravioli. 

Semolina is the name. Structure is the game.   

Semolina is another distinct type of flour typically used for pasta. It is the coarse, purified wheat middlings of durum wheat. The pasta type is defined by its signature yellow colour and its high gluten content. Its special abilities help make your pasta dough less sticky, more elastic and more able to hold its firm shape during cooking. Semolina flour is your weapon of choice for making pasta like penne and rigatoni, where you want the pasta to soak up every drop of your trademark pasta sauce.

How to make pasta dough?  

Bring out 00 flour or semolina. Or let 00 flour and semolina team up in a special mix to benefit from the unique qualities of each. Take your preferred pick of flours and make a nice, classic ‘volcano’ shape directly on your kitchen table. Crack some eggs, grab your fork and mix it slowly into the flour bit by bit.  Let the dough rest on the table for at least 30 minutes or put it in the fridge if it is a hot day.

Now to roll out the pasta dough. Go by hand or crank that pasta machine. Experiment with different mixes to create the result you prefer, cook.

Put your mark on the flavours   

With an understanding of the key elements and skills for homemade pasta dough making in place, it is time for you to up the challenge and experiment with the limitless possibilities of putting your unique mark on taking plain pasta to the next level.

Why stick with the basics? Pick some fresh spinach, work your favourite  kitchen knife, throw it together with the other ingredients and mix it all  passionately into a big, wonderful dough that you can bend to your will to make  glorious homemade pasta.

Pasta also needs a great sauce to truly create a sensorial feast. With a little Lurpak®, you can easily boost your pasta sauce and cook up a tasty sauce that pleases with every bite.

Start making homemade pasta, cook   

Roll up your sleeves, cook, and get to work with pasta making like only you can. Pick your flours, put your love into mixing the pasta dough, sizzle up that sauce and show how glorious the flavour and texture of homemade pasta truly can be.