Pasta Dough

Homemade Pasta in Your Thermomix® – Simple, Authentic & So Worth It 🍝

There’s something truly special about fresh pasta… that silky texture, the way it holds sauce, and the satisfaction of making it yourself.

And with your Thermomix®, it’s not just possible — it’s easy, quick, and honestly a little bit addictive!

This is my go-to, never-fails recipe, plus all the little tips that will take you from “giving it a go” to feeling like a pro in your own kitchen.

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My Standard Thermomix® Pasta Dough

Ingredients:

• 200g plain flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt

Method (Thermomix®):

1. Add all ingredients to the bowl
2. Knead 3 minutes / Dough mode
3. Tip onto the bench and bring together into a ball
4. Hand knead/stretch for 1 minute
5. Wrap and rest for 20–30 minutes at room temperature

💡 Resting relaxes the gluten, making your pasta easier to roll and beautifully tender.

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How to Hand Knead (Quick but Important!)

This quick knead is what transforms your dough into something smooth and elastic.

• Use the palm of your hand to push the dough away from you
• Fold it back over itself
• Turn slightly
• Repeat

You’re aiming for a dough that is:
✨ Smooth
✨ Slightly firm
✨ Not sticky

Two Simple Checks:

✔ Pull Test – stretch a small piece, it should stretch without tearing straight away
✔ Prod Test – press it, it should slowly bounce back

👉 If it tears → knead a little more
👉 If it springs back too quickly → let it rest a bit longer

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Rolling Your Pasta (The Game Changer)

This is where beautiful pasta is made.

Step 1: Build Structure First

• Set your machine to the widest setting
• Flatten dough slightly and run it through a few times.

Now the important bit 👇
👉 Fold it like a book (into thirds)
👉 Turn 90 degrees
👉 Run it through again

Repeat this 2-3 times

💡 This step gives you smooth, even, professional-quality pasta

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Step 2: Roll It Down Gradually

• Reduce settings one level at a time
• Run through each setting once or twice

👉 Don’t skip levels — that’s how pasta tears

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Step 3: Manage Stickiness (Without Drying It Out)

• Lightly dust with flour if the pasta feels tacky
• Then rub off any excess

👉 You want the dough slightly tacky, not dry, but you dont want it to stick through the rollers

💡 Too much flour = dry, tough pasta

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Step 4: Keep Dough Covered

• Keep unused dough wrapped or under a bowl
• Prevents drying and cracking

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Pasta Thickness Guide

Thicker sheets (Level 4–5):

• Pappardelle
• Tagliatelle
• Lasagne

Medium (Level 5–6):

• Fettuccine
• Linguine
• Spaghetti

Thin (Level 6–7):

• Ravioli
• Tortellini

👉 Filling pasta = thinner
👉 Cutting pasta = slightly thicker

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Cutting Sizes (Because Size Matters!)

• Spaghetti → very thin
• Linguine → slightly wider
• Fettuccine → ~6mm
• Tagliatelle → ~8mm
• Pappardelle → 2–3cm ribbons

💡 Wide pasta = rich sauces
💡 Thin pasta = lighter sauces

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Tossing Pasta in Semolina

Once cut or shaped:

👉 Lightly toss in semolina

✔ Stops sticking
✔ Keeps strands separate
✔ Holds shape better

Semolina is far better than flour here — no gumminess!

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Plain Flour vs “00” Flour

Both work beautifully — but here’s the difference:

Plain flour:

• Slightly firmer dough
• More bite
• Perfect for everyday pasta

“00” flour:

• Finely milled
• Silkier, softer texture
• Easier to roll thin

👉 Use what you have — “00” is a lovely upgrade, not essential

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Dough Feel Matters

Even with a perfect recipe, dough can vary.

👉 Too sticky? Add a light dusting of flour
👉 Too dry? Wet your hands and knead

✨ You’re aiming for smooth, elastic, and slightly firm

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Storing & Freezing Fresh Pasta

Fridge:

• Airtight container
• Use within 24–48 hours
• Dust lightly with semolina

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Freezer (Brilliant Option!):

1. Toss in semolina
2. Portion into nests
3. Freeze on a tray
4. Transfer to container once frozen

👉 Cook straight from frozen — no defrosting needed

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Cooking Homemade Pasta

Fresh Pasta:

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil
2. Add pasta
3. Stir gently
4. Cook 2–4 minutes

👉 Ready when:

• It floats
• It’s tender with a slight bite

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From Frozen:

1. Add straight to boiling water
2. Stir gently

⏱ Cook 3–5 minutes

💡 Filled pasta may need an extra minute

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Sauce Pairing

• Pappardelle → slow-cooked, rich sauces
• Fettuccine → creamy sauces
• Spaghetti → lighter oil-based sauces
• Filled pasta → simple butter or sage

👉 Let the pasta and sauce work together

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👩‍🍳 Pro Tips for Perfect Pasta

✔ Eggs at room temperature = smoother dough
✔ If dough feels sticky → dust lightly with flour
✔ If too dry → wet your hands and knead
✔ Semolina for dusting (not flour!) helps prevent sticking without making it gummy
✔ Don’t skip the rest time — it’s key

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💡 Nugget #1: Dough Feel Matters More Than Recipe

Even with the perfect recipe, dough can vary depending on:

• Egg size
• Humidity
• Flour type

• Too sticky? Add a light dusting of flour
• Too dry/crumbly? Wet your hands and knead

You’re aiming for:
✨ Smooth
✨ Slightly firm
✨ Not sticky

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💡 Nugget #2: Don’t Rush the Rolling

A lot of people try to skip settings on the pasta machine.

👉 Best practice:

• Go one setting at a time
• Fold and re-roll on the first few passes

This builds structure and gives you that gorgeous, even sheet.

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💡 Nugget #3: Keep Dough Covered

This is a big one people miss.

👉 While working:

• Keep unused dough wrapped or under a bowl or in plastic

Otherwise it dries out → cracks when rolling.

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💡 Nugget #4: Bench vs Machine Balance

Your combo is PERFECT (Thermomix + quick hand knead)

• Thermomix does the heavy lifting
• That 1-minute hand knead builds final elasticity

That’s the magic combo 💫

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💡 Nugget #5: Sauce Pairing

Remember:

• Wide pasta (pappardelle) → rich, slow-cooked sauces
• Long thin (spaghetti) → lighter oil-based sauces
• Ribbon (fettuccine) → creamy sauces
• Filled pasta → simple butter or sage (let it shine!)

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💡 Nugget #6: Don’t Over-Flour When Rolling

A light dusting is good… too much = dry pasta.
Semolina for storing = yes
Flour overload while rolling = no

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💡 Nugget #7: Rustic vs Perfect (Confidence Builder)

👉 Not every strand needs to be perfect
👉 Rustic hand rolled pasta = authentic pasta

Honestly… slightly uneven pasta often holds sauce better!

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Ravioli Anyone?

Now you have have amazing pasta sheets, why not make my Italian Sausage Ravioli with my amazing tomato sauce! A family Fave!

💚 Final Thought

Pasta is one of those skills that gets better every time you make it.

And with your Thermomix® doing the hard work, you’re already halfway there.

Don’t worry about perfection — rustic pasta is often the best pasta.
It holds sauce beautifully and feels exactly like it should… homemade, generous, and full of love.

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