Since fresh pasta is made primarily of flour, the type you choose can have a profound effect on your results. Want a soft and silky noodle? How about a chewy noodle with a little bite? Choosing the right pasta flour will help you get there.
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
All purpose flour
All purpose flour: This flour is designed to meet all your baking needs (hence the name), so why shouldn't it be great in pasta too? Simply combine with eggs and salt to make fresh, flavorful noodles at home. At 11.7%, the protein content is high enough to support pasta that is still easy to roll; the resulting noodles will be more akin to dry boxed pasta than a finer, lower-protein option like the Italian-style flour, below.
Try it at: Homemade Pasta with Sage Butter AND Homemade cheese ravioli
Italian style flour
Italian style flour: Fine-textured Italian-style flour yields dough that is pliable and easy to shape. It's milled from soft, low-protein red winter wheat, which translates into silky smooth dough and soft pasta. (Learn more about soft wheat and protein here: Hard and Soft Wheat: What's the Difference?) It's especially good for delicate sheet pasta, like lasagna.
Try it at: Fresh pasta
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
'00' Pizza Flour
'00' Pizza Flour: Milled from hard and soft wheat, this Italian-style flour has the strength to support stable dough while still being able to roll easily by hand or in a machine. Its finely milled texture results in soft, satiny noodles.
Try it at: Oatmeal pastawhere it is paired with Oatmeal flour
Strong flour
Strong flour: Milled from very hard wheat (durum comes from the Latin word for hard), this hard flour is rich in protein and fine-textured. Its strength means you can use it for shaped pasta, such as orecchiette, as well as extruded pasta, such as spaghetti. When cooked, pasta made with durum flour maintains an al dente quality; the flour also gives a nice pale yellow shade.
Try it at: Golden Durum Cakewhere it is paired with Pastry flour
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
Oatmeal flour
Oatmeal flour: Made from coarsely ground durum wheat, semolina gives a nutty, sweet flavor and a slightly golden color to homemade noodles. The thick, semolina texture makes for chewy, hearty pasta that rolls easily through apasta machine; it also gives the noodles a slightly thicker texture on the outside so the sauce adheres better.
Try it at: Oatmeal pastawhere it is paired with '00' Pizza Flour
Photography by Kristin Teig; food styling by Liz Neily
Mix with pasta flour
Mix with pasta flour: For toothsome yet tender noodles, make your own homemade pasta with a pasta flour mix that gives you the best of everything. This specially designed blend combines durum flour (for strength), semolina (for color and texture) and all-purpose flour, which adds a touch of softness. This flour blend is a handy way to enjoy the benefits of multiple pasta flours without having to keep several types of flour in your pantry.
Try it at: Fresh pasta
You've got the flour – now how about the tools? Stock in one Pasta machine AND Rack for drying pasta to start.
Cover photo by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne.
