Last Updated on 22nd April 2022 by
Have you ever tried to make pasta at home on your own? Homemade pasta may seem intimidating at first, but once I break down the process for you and give you step-by-step instructions, it might not seem as difficult anymore.
I will show you how to make lasagna noodles from scratch using a basic recipe. Once you know how to make homemade lasagna noodles, you won’t have to go to the grocery to buy them for lasagna anymore because you will already have them at home. You be able to make your own from basic ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. While it may seem like it takes a while to make homemade lasagna noodles, it could be a lot quicker than taking a run to the grocery when you need them.
How to Make Fresh Lasagna Noodles
For this recipe, we’re going to use 2-2 ½, as well as four large eggs and kosher salt.
This method for how to make lasagna noodles from scratch starts with making the dough. Make sure you have a clean working surface like a kitchen counter or the top of the kitchen island. Put the flour in a mound on the flat surface and then make a well in the center of the flour. You’re making high walls in this well using your hands and creating a well that is 7 to 8 inches in diameter.
Take your eggs and crack them into the well and then beat them gently with a fork. Next, pull flour from the inside edge of the well into the eggs until you start to make a lumpy and soft dough.
Once you start have trouble working to the dough with the fork, you can use your hands to bring the rest of the flour from the well into the center. From there, start kneading the dough gently until it forms into a large, cohesive mass.
Set your ball of dough off to the side and then use a dough scraper to pull off any of the dough that was stuck to where you were working. Using flour, dust the same surface again as well as your hands. Then, start kneading the dough and adding more flour when necessary. You want to keep working and kneading the dough until it starts to become elastic and smooth. It should still be slightly tacky after you work it for about 5 minutes. Cover the dough using a clean towel or a large mixing bowl and allow the dough to rest for about 20 minutes. Keep it on the counter and don’t store it in the fridge during this rest period.
The next step is to roll out the dough. Cut your dough into about 6 pieces and cover those pieces with a towel. Take one piece at a time and shape it into a rectangle that is about half an inch thick. Dust your rectangle with flour lightly and run it through the pasta machine on the widest setting. If the dough doesn’t come out quite right, you can reform it again and pass it through again. Fold the dough into thirds, the same way you would a letter. Pass it through the widest part of the pasta machine again and repeat about 10 times. Make sure you dust the dough with flour if it starts to become too tacky.
Then, pass the dough through the pasta machine’s next smaller setting without folding the dough. Reduce the space of the rollers for each pass, dusting your pasta with flour on each side. You’re wanting to get the pasta down to about a 16th of an inch thick and with a 3-inch width. Roll out all your dough like this and cut it into 11-inch strips.
The next step is to boil the noodles. Boil a large pot of water on high heat and ensure it is well salted, adding at least tablespoon of salt to it. Prepare a bowl of ice water next to the boiling water to use for later. Then, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or kitchen towels and have more parchment standing by.
You can cook three or four noodles in the boiling water at once, and after you put the noodles in, wait for the water to return to a boil. Then cook the noodles for about 30 additional seconds, then pull the noodles from the boiling water to the ice water to keep them from cooking any longer. Do this for all of your noodles.
Once all the noodles have cooled, you can drain off the excess water and rinse them under cold water. Squeeze out the noodles gently to get rid of the excess water and spread them on the baking sheet. Now all you have to do is put the lasagna together.
How to Make Zucchini Lasagna Noodles
One of my favorite alternative recipes for lasagna noodles is to use zucchini to make them. This is pretty simple and a great way to make your pasta noodles without going through the long process of kneading dough and allowing it to rise.
You just cut zucchini into strips and then either bake it or grill it for quick noodles. Then, you can just use these noodles as you would regular lasagna noodles. Just make sure you slice them into strips that are appropriate for lasagna, which are about 11 inches long and three inches wide.
How to Make Lasagna without Boiling Noodles
I also want to share with you an alternative way to make lasagna noodles, showing you how to make lasagna without cooking the noodles. This method gives you fewer dishes to clean and is less messy, and I think you may prefer it once you know how to make lasagna without boiling the noodles. You can prepare the lasagna and bake it all in the oven without having to dirty other pots and pans.
The trick to this method is to be very careful about preparing your lasagna dish. The noodles are brittle and will break easily if you’re not gentle with them. Once you have put together your lasagna dish, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and then bake for an hour at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
That’s all there is to it, and this method for how to make lasagna with no boil noodles is super simple and a lot cleaner than the boiling method.
Can you use the homemade noodles that I gave you directions for up above when you make lasagna without boiling the noodles? You can, and I’ve given you instructions for how to make lasagna with oven ready noodles that can incorporate your homemade noodles.
What about if you want to work with soft noodles but don’t want to go through the process of boiling them? You can do that, but you just need to know how to make oven ready lasagna noodles soft. You simply need to lay them down in some water for a few minutes so that they absorb the water. They will become soft, though, not as soft as if you were to boil them. This is a great way to make them a little more workable and easier to use as you make your lasagna. It reduces the risk that they will break into pieces as you cook with them. Of course, they will be soft and can also break apart because of how soft they are.
I'm Pauline, a mother of four grown children, my passion for cooking stemmed from the joy i get cooking for my family. I love to try new dishes, especially when dining out but creating and sharing my own recipes is my favourite thing to do!