Beginner's Guide to Fresh Homemade Lasagna Noodles

Step 1

Add the flour, eggs and olive oil (if using) to a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process to form dough, about 15-20 seconds. Remove to your work surface and cover with an upturned bowl for 5 minutes. Then, knead the dough into a ball, about 1-2 minutes (don’t worry about technique here, the food processor does most of the kneading for you). Cover again, and let rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour relax the gluten. Use this downtime to set up your work station in the next step.

Step 2

Choose a large, clutter-free work surface to spread out (I like the kitchen table). Dust your work surface and the pasta machine/roller with semolina flour to prevent sticking. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, no overhang. Cut 4 additional pieces to layer in between the lasagna sheets as you roll them out; set aside.

Step 3

Cut the pasta dough into 4 equal pieces. Flatten one piece into an 5×8-inch long disc (re-wrap or cover the remaining pieces so they don’t dry out). A rolling pin helps with this step.

Step 4

Send the disc through the roller on the widest/lowest setting. This is “#1” on the Kitchen Aid attachment. Send it through a second time. Note: remember, if using a hand-crank pasta machine, refer to their specific instructions for rolling pasta sheets for lasagna. The process is the same, but the settings are different.

Step 5

Continue to roll the dough through settings #2-4 (2x on each setting), dusting with semolina flour in between if the pasta gets sticky. You can also cut the sheet in half if it gets too long. The pasta sheet is ready when it’s slightly translucent and you can see your hand underneath, about .60 mm thick. For thinner noodles, go up to setting #Now, you’re ready to make lasagna noodles.

Step 6

Trim the pasta sheet to fit the dimensions of your 9×13-inch baking pan. For reference, I can get about (5×12-inch long lasagna noodles from one rolled out pasta sheet, approximately 38 inches long. Your measurements will differ slightly from mine which is normal (re-read the tip section above). The goal is to end up with 10-12 lasagna noodles.

Step 7

Place lasagna noodles onto your parchment-lined sheet pan in a single layer. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper so they don’t dry out.

Step 8

Repeat to roll and cut the remaining 3 pieces of pasta dough, 1 piece at a time so they don’t dry out. Layer the additional lasagna noodles between the remaining pre-cut sheets of parchment paper. When finished, select a storage option below.

Step 9

arrange lasagna noodles on a parchment-lined sheet pan in a single layer. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper so they don’t dry out. Layer and repeat, ending with parchment paper on top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store at a moderate room temperature for up to 1 hour. Alternatively, use an airtight container.

Step 10

arrange lasagna noodles in between layers of parchment paper as indicated above. Chill up to 12 hours. Fresh pasta tends to oxidize and discolor after this timeframe. However, this will not effect the taste.

Step 11

arrange lasagna noodles in between layers of parchment paper in an air-tight container. Freeze up to 1 month. Defrost before using; they are easier to handle without breaking.