If you have gluten-free flour, eggs, and a pinch of salt, you've got everything you need to make fresh gluten-free egg noodles right at home! This rich dough is pliable and easy to work with. Use it to make homestyle egg noodles or any type of pasta, like lasagna, fettuccini, fusilli, or ravioli!
While I have made fresh egg noodles several times over the years, my journey to perfecting homemade gluten-free pasta really ramped up over the holidays. Between egg noodles for Thanksgiving and fresh pasta for gluten-free lasagna on Christmas, I was making a lot of fresh pasta. That lasagna though... it was the best lasagna we've ever eaten!
With all this pasta on the brain, I finally worked up the gumption to see if this dough would also work in a pasta extruder. I've had one sitting in a box for over a year and had never used it. It just seemed elusive to me! All I could imagine was a sticky gluten-free mess, but I was finally ready to put it to the test. So I lugged the extruder out of the infamous appliance closet, hooked it up, and dropped in a little ball of dough. And wouldn't you know, it worked like a charm!
Now, I am a self-proclaimed pasta-making queen, whipping up four-cheese ravioli, making fresh fettuccini, and delighting my kids with fun shapes like rigatoni and fusilli! Oh, and that bucatini shortage? Ain't got nothin' on me!
It's funny, when you go gluten-free you spend so much time and money trying to find "good pasta". You see posts everywhere of people asking, where can I find good pasta? Which brands taste the best? Which ones taste like regular? And all the while, you could have just been making it yourself, right at home, for not too much effort at all!
That's not to say I'll never buy dried pasta again, but I tell ya, once you've made this, I'm sure you'll be convinced that it's worth the effort!
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Ingredients
To make this delicious homemade pasta, you only need three simple ingredients!
- Gluten-free Flour Blend: For this recipe, I highly recommend using either Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour or Caputo Fioreglut. While I have made noodles with other gluten-free flour blends, these two are the easiest to work with.
- Eggs: this recipe uses a combination of egg yolks and whole eggs for a nice, rich dough.
- Kosher Salt
Equipment
You don't necessarily need to purchase any special equipment to make noodles but you may decide to purchase some equipment if you enjoy making pasta often or want to make other shapes.
- For lasagna, spaghetti, or fettuccini: a pasta machine will give you thinner more consistent results than what you can roll by hand. For this, I have the KitchenAid pasta roller and cutter that attaches to my stand mixer. If you don't have a stand mixer, you can look into a manual pasta machine.
- To make shapes like macaroni, rigatoni, bucatini, or fusilli: you'll want to look into buying a pasta extruder. I have the KitchenAid Pasta Extruder that also attaches to a stand mixer.
- For ravioli: you can start with a ravioli stamp or a ravioli press.
Making the Dough
You can make the dough by hand or in a food processor. The food processor is quick, easy, and less messy on your hands. Mixing the dough by hand is a bit more work but offers more control which makes it easier to get a feel for the dough.
By Hand
- Start by whisking the eggs into the flour.
- Continue to mix until you just can't get any more flour worked in with the fork.
- Then, dump the mixture out of the bowl onto a piece of parchment paper. Knead until you have a smooth ball of dough.
- Once you have a soft, smooth & firm ball of dough, wrap it up and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
In a Food Processor
- Place the flour and salt in the bowl and pour in the whisked eggs.
- Turn on the food processor and let it go until a ball of dough forms and pulls away from the sides.
- Check to see if the dough looks firm and smooth or sticky. If it is sticky, add more flour and mix again.
- Once the dough comes together into a smooth ball, wrap it up and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Important Tips for Making the Dough
It is really important to note that making fresh pasta is more about knowing what texture you need to achieve rather than strictly following a recipe. Many things can affect your dough, from the size of your eggs to all the various types of gluten-free flours. This means you may have to adjust certain elements until you get the right texture. If you don't have the right texture, your dough will be very hard to work with.
So what is the right texture? The dough should be smooth and firm like a stiff ball of play dough.
- The dough should not be sticky. If your dough is sticky, knead more flour into the mixture.
- The dough should not be too dry. If after kneading, your dough is still too dry, crumbly, or just won't come together, work in more water.
- If your dough isn't sticky but is still very soft and pliable, you may still need more flour depending on what you are doing with it. The dough needs to be firm enough to hold its shape, especially when using a pasta extruder.
Rolling and Cutting the Noodles
Now that you've made a perfect ball of dough, it's time to turn it into noodles! You can roll and cut the dough with a pasta machine or if you don't have one you can also do this by hand.
By Hand
Rolling and cutting the dough by hand generally creates a thicker egg noodle with a homestyle, rustic touch.
- Use a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to roll out a portion of the dough as thinly as possible. Keep the surface floured as you work so the dough doesn't stick.
- Once the dough is rolled out, loosely roll it back up into a log shape.
- With a sharp knife, cut noodles to your desired width.
- Then, gently unroll the noodles and toss with a light dusting of flour to keep them separated.
With a Pasta Machine
Using a pasta machine will result in thinner pasta with more consistent results.
If you are going to use a pasta machine, follow the directions that come with your particular machine because they are all a little different.
Generally speaking:
- Start with ¼ of the dough. Run it through the machine on level 1 (or the widest setting). At first, the dough will want to break apart, which is normal.
- Fold the dough in thirds, turn it 90 degrees, and run it through on level 1 again. Do this several times until the dough smooths out into a nice rectangle.
- Once you have a smooth rectangle, turn the dial up 1 step at a time, passing the dough through 1 or 2 times on each level. The dough will get thinner and longer as you go.
- Refer to your instructions for which level to stop at for the type of pasta you want to make.
- For lasagna sheets, you will only use the roller. When you've reached the right thickness, cut the sheets into rectangles to fit the length of your pan.
- To make spaghetti or fettuccini, switch from the roller to the cutting attachment. Run the pasta sheet through the cutter. Toss lightly with flour and twist the dough into nests or lay flat.
Tips for Rolling and Cutting
- Keep the unused dough covered to prevent it from drying out.
- If the dough starts to feel sticky, dust both sides with flour to prevent it from sticking to the pasta maker.
Using a Pasta Extruder
To make shapes like macaroni, rigatoni, bucatini, or fusilli, you will just follow the manufacturer's instructions on your pasta extruder.
Tip: You will want a fairly stiff dough for this. If your dough is too soft or sticky, it will not work well in the extruder and your shapes will not hold. If your shapes are not holding up, knead some more flour into the dough and try again.
Storage
So you've made fresh pasta, now what? Well, the obvious answer would be to eat it! While fresh noodles can be cooked right away, you can also store them for use later!
- After cutting the pasta, toss lightly with flour.
- Allow it to rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature to dry out slightly so it doesn't stick together.
- Wrap or place the pasta in an airtight container and refrigerate. Use within 3 days.
- Fresh pasta can also be frozen in airtight containers for up to 4 weeks.
Cooking Times
Cooking times will vary depending on the size, shape, and thickness of your pasta. The best bet is to use the times as a general guide and taste to see if you think it's done.
- Fresh pasta from a pasta maker or extruder: cook for 4-8 minutes depending on the size and thickness of the pasta.
- Hand-rolled pasta: may take longer to cook, up to 15 minutes, depending on its thickness.
- Lasagna sheets: blanch for 60 seconds in boiling water. Cool the pasta in cold water before layering in lasagna.
FAQ
No, I have found these noodles to be very sturdy. They do not fall apart easily like some dried gluten-free pastas do.
The lasagna sheets though are a little more difficult to work with after they are blanched, but can be pieced together as you layer them if they fall apart.
Yes, this pasta has a similar taste and texture to regular homemade fresh pasta.
Since the main ingredients are eggs and flour, using quality eggs and flour makes a difference. If you notice your flour has a distinct "flavor," then that will also be noticeable in this pasta.
Yes, it is important to refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. This allows the flours to hydrate, which results in a smoother dough that is easier to work with.
The dough should not be sticky. If it is, you need to add more flour.
If after kneading, the dough will not hold together and is crumbly, you need to add more moisture to the dough. Knead in a little water until you get a smooth dough.
This happens when the pasta starts to stick to the rollers.
Lightly dust pasta sheets with flour before passing them through the roller to prevent further sticking.
More Pasta Favorites
If you loved this recipe, check out my recipe for gluten-free tomato sauce to go with it! Use this fresh pasta in homemade lasagna or ravioli to take it to the next level!
Recipe
Gluten-free Egg Noodles
Ingredients
- 300 grams or 2 ¼ cup Gluten-free 1:1 Flour Blend,, Cup4Cup Multipurpose or Caputo Fioreglut recommended.
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large whole eggs
- 3 large egg yolks
- plus enough water to equal 185 grams or ¾ cup total liquid.
Instructions
Make the Dough by Hand
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour and salt together.
- In a measuring cup, whisk eggs and egg yolks together. Add enough water to equal 185 grams or ¾ cup total liquid.
- Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the egg mixture.
- Starting in the center and working out, stir the flour into the eggs.
- When the flour is mostly incorporated, dump the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface or parchment paper. Knead the dough until it comes together into a stiff but smooth ball.
- If the dough is very sticky, knead in more flour. If the dough is crumbly and won't hold together after kneading, knead in additional water a few drops at a time. The dough should be firm, smooth, and soft, like a stiff ball of playdough.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes up to overnight.
Make the Dough in Food Processor
- Place the flour and salt in the bowl and pulse to combine.
- In a measuring cup, whisk eggs and egg yolks together. Add enough water to equal 185 grams or ¾ cup of total liquid.
- Pour the eggs and water into the flour. Turn on and let process until the mixture comes together into a ball.
- Check the dough. If the ball is smooth and firm, you are done. If it appears sticky, add in a little more flour and mix again. If it won't come together, add a few drops of water and process again. Repeat until you have a firm, smooth ball of dough.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Cut Noodles by Hand
- Take ¼ of the dough and place on a lightly floured surface. (Keep the rest of the dough wrapped to prevent it from drying out.) Roll as the dough as thinly as possible, about ⅛ - ¼ inch thick.
- Loosely roll up the dough into a log shape. With a sharp knife, slice strips of dough into desired width.
- Unroll the noodles and toss with a light dusting of flour. Form into nests or lay flat. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Allow to dry for 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature and then store tightly wrapped in the refrigerator. Pasta can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for longer periods.
Cooking Pasta
- Hand cut noodles: cook pasta for 8 - 15 minutes, depending on thickness, in boiling salted water.
- Fresh pasta made with pasta maker or extruder: cook for 4-8 minutes in boiling, salted water.
- Fresh lasagna sheets: blanch for 60 seconds in boiling water. Follow with cold water or ice bath. Then layer in lasagna.
Dawn
I have been wanting to try making my own pasta (again) for some time. Have you ever made this with another gluten free flour blend? While I hear wonderful things about Cup 4 Cup, I can't do dairy. I have King Arthur flour blend right now (might try the other flour blend you recommended, I'm not familiar with it). My worry is I'll end up with noodles that dissolve when cooked, as that's is what has happened before. I want to add them to stewed chicken. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside
Hi Dawn, you can use other flours! I have made these with Pamela’s and Namaste and they both worked pretty well. They held their shape also. King Arthur was the only one I had trouble with but that may be because I just didn’t work in enough moisture. The dough was crumbly. As I continue to test and become more confident recommending other blends I’ll add them to the post!