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Making fresh fettuccine pasta is a fun and fairly regular occurrence in our household. Once we got the hang of how to make fettuccine, and what to look out for, we were able to whip together some fresh pasta rather quickly. It is hard to get right on your first time, but the more you make it the more fun and delicious it gets. This recipe uses the KitchenAid Pasta Attachment. You could also use a manual pasta roller if that is what you have.
How to Make Fettuccine with the KitchenAid Stand Mixer and KitchenAid Pasta Attachment
One of the main reasons we were able to make pasta so much quicker is because we got a KitchenAid attachment. This made rolling and cutting the pasta dough so much easier. This fettuccine uses very simple ingredients but it makes such a delicious recipe.
The steps to make fresh fettuccine noodles with a KitchenAid:
- Mix your pasta dough (by hand or in the mixer).
- Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Cut the dough into 4 pieces and roll out each one.
- Cut pasta using the KitchenAid fettuccine attachment.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook.
6 Benefits of Making Fresh Pasta Dough
There are so many reasons I love making fresh pasta. Here are a few of the top reasons you should try it.
- Taste and Texture: The best part is that fresh pasta has a delicate and tender texture, which is distinctively different from dried pasta. The rich egg flavor gives the pasta an amazing flavor.
- Versatility: Fresh pasta dough can be shaped into various pasta shapes, such as spaghetti, fettuccine, ravioli, or lasagna sheets, allowing you to explore a wide range of recipes and creations.
- Customization: When making fresh pasta, you have control over the ingredients, allowing you to personalize the dough to suit your preferences or dietary needs. You can choose to use organic or gluten-free flour and incorporate herbs, spices, or vegetable purees to add flavor and color.
- Cooking time: Fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried pasta. It typically takes only a few minutes to cook al dente. It does take much longer to make overall, but having a short cooking time is nice.
- Experience: Making pasta dough from scratch can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience. It allows you to connect with the food preparation process, be creative, and take pride in serving a homemade dish to family and friends. I love making fresh pasta with my husband or when we have friends over.
- Nutritional value: Fresh pasta made with quality ingredients can be a good source of nutrients, including protein, carbohydrates, and essential minerals. It can be a healthier option compared to store-bought dried pasta since it doesn’t have additives or preservatives. Also making it with eggs gives you that extra protein and nutrients in the dough.
Common Mistakes and Tips for Making Fresh Pasta
Pasta Sticking in Machine
One issue I had a lot in the beginning was the pasta sticking to the machine. Once a piece of dough sticks it will mess up all the cuts of pasta. A few tips that helped the pasta not stick:
- Dust the pasta sheet with flour before adding it to the cutter.
- Try to feed it into the machine as straight as possible. If it goes in at an angle it will start to fold and bunch up.
- Before adding a new sheet (with the pasta machine off), brush out any clumps of pasta that may have been collected.
The Dough is Not Stretching Smoothly
The main reason the dough is not stretching easily is that you did not let it rest for long enough. You want your pasta dough to rest for at least 30 minutes. This relaxes the dough and lets everything get hydrated. If you try to roll it out too early, it will start to crack.
Pasta Sticking Together
Once you make your homemade fettuccine you may notice you are getting a clump of pasta in the end. You want to make sure to flour your pasta dough throughout so it doesn’t stick together. Another tip is to use a pasta drying rack. There are a bunch of different options, but I have one similar to this pasta drying rack. This is really nice because you can place your freshly cut fettuccine on here and they will dry slightly as individual strands instead of one large blop.
Another trick I use is when running the pasta through the machine, use a stick from the drying rack or a chopstick and hole it behind the pasta. That way when it falls you will catch it on the stick and you can transfer it to the drying rack easily without squishing it with your hands. You can see how I do this in the video above.
What is the Best Kitchen Aid Pasta Attachment
There are 3 main KitchenAid pasta attachments. The one that I have that I like is the 3-piece Pasta Roller & Cutter Set Attachment. It has a pasta roller attachment, a fettuccine cutter, and a spaghetti attachment.
The next one up is a 5-piece and that includes the ones above as well as a lasagnette cutter and capellini cutter. This is nice, but a lot more expensive for just 2 more pieces.
The other KitchenAid pasta attachment is the pasta extruder. I have not used this but if you are looking to make different pasta shapes like bucatini, rigatoni, fusilli, or macaroni this might be a good option. It comes with 6 different extruder shapes.
What Sauce to Serve with Fettuccine
Since this homemade fettuccine is so fresh and delicious I love to pair it with a simple sauce that will let the pasta shine. Here are a few of my favorites:
What Sides to Serve with Fettuccine
When you have a delicious pasta as the main meal, you might wonder what to serve alongside it. Any type of salad, soup, bread, or roasted vegetable works great. For some side recipe ideas, here are a few:
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