Cooking Social Club: Mastering Homemade Pasta Edition-Pappardelle and Linguini Recipe

Making fresh pasta at home can transform your cooking experience. It’s rewarding, delicious, and surprisingly simple once you know the steps. This week’s recipe focuses on two classic pasta shapes: pappardelle and linguini. Both are versatile and pair beautifully with a variety of sauces, from rich ragù to light olive oil and garlic blends.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn pasta-making from scratch, this guide will walk you through the process clearly and practically. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to refine your skills, you’ll find tips that make the dough come together perfectly every time. Plus, if you’re in Chicago, consider joining us at cooking skills and social for a hands-on cooking class to deepen your pasta expertise.

Freshly made pappardelle and linguini pasta strands ready for cooking

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 10 ounces of fine ground wheat flour

• 2 large eggs

• 2 ounces of olive oil

• 2 ounces of water

• 1 teaspoon of salt

• Additional water (about 1 ounce) if dough is not coming together

  
  

These simple ingredients combine to create a smooth, elastic dough that’s perfect for rolling and cutting into your favorite pasta shapes.

How to Prepare the Dough

You can prepare this dough either by hand in a mixing bowl or using a stand mixer with a dough hook. Both methods work well, but the mixer can save time and effort.

1. Combine dry and wet ingredients

   Start by mixing the flour and salt in your bowl. Add the eggs and olive oil. At this stage, the mixture will look crumbly, like scrambled eggs with some loose flour. This initial step helps distribute the ingredients evenly before kneading.

   
   

2. Add water gradually

   Pour in one ounce of water and continue mixing. The dough will start to form larger clumps but won’t be fully combined yet. Add the remaining water and mix until the dough is nearly fully incorporated.

   
   

3. Knead the dough

   Turn the dough out onto a clean surface. Use a CPR-like motion—press, fold, and rotate—to knead the dough. This technique helps develop gluten, giving the pasta its characteristic chewiness. Continue kneading until the dough feels smooth and elastic.

   
   

4. Rest the dough

   Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or cover it with a bowl. Let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Resting relaxes the gluten, making the dough easier to roll out.

   
   

Shaping Pappardelle and Linguini

Once your dough has rested, it’s time to shape it into pappardelle and linguini.

• Roll out the dough

Use a rolling pin or pasta machine to roll the dough into thin sheets, about 1/16 inch thick. Dust with flour as needed to prevent sticking.

• Cut pappardelle

Pappardelle are wide ribbons, typically about 3/4 to 1 inch wide. Use a sharp knife or a pasta cutter to slice the dough into strips.

• Cut linguini

Linguini are narrower, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide. Cut the dough into thinner strips for this shape.

• Dry or cook immediately

You can cook the pasta fresh or let it dry slightly on a floured surface before boiling.

Cooking Your Fresh Pasta

Fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in your pappardelle or linguini and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until al dente. Fresh pasta should be tender but still have a slight bite.

Drain the pasta and toss it with your favorite sauce. Classic pairings include:

• Pappardelle with a hearty beef or mushroom ragù

• Linguini with clams, garlic, and olive oil

• Both with simple tomato sauce and fresh basil

  
  

Tips for Success

• Use fine ground wheat flour Some look for Pizza Flour or OO flour, but A.P. works well.

• Add water slowly to avoid a sticky dough. You may not need the full additional ounce.

• Knead thoroughly to develop gluten for elasticity.

• Rest the dough to make rolling easier.

• Dust with flour to prevent sticking when rolling and cutting.

  
  

If you want to perfect your technique, consider a cooking class in Chicago. Join us at cooking skills and social to get hands-on experience and personalized tips from expert instructors.