Homemade Semolina Pasta Dough (No Eggs)

This article presents the basic recipe for Italian semolina pasta dough.

It is the most common recipe for pasta in south-Italy and consists of 2 simple ingredients: Durum wheat and water.

This pasta dough works without eggs and is, therefore, vegan. The high protein content of durum wheat ensures that the dough is elastic after kneading and resting.

It also has excellent plasticity, ensuring the pasta retains its shape after production.

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How to Make Semolina Pasta Dough (Step by Step)

This simple recipe for pasta dough with semolina is suitable for making many types of pasta, such as orecchiette, cavatelli or lorighittas.

Stop by the next section if you prefer to make pasta dough with semola and egg. There I present several variations of this recipe, including one with egg.

To make it, you will need the following:

• A fork
• Plastic wrap
• A large worksurface

The working duration is about 15 minutes, after which the dough should rest for 30 minutes.

If you are making pasta for the first time, you should expect about an hour before you can shape it into pasta.

Step 1: Form the flour into a well and gradually add water.

Empty the flour onto the work surface and form a hollow in the middle.

Slowly pour the hot water into the center of the well and mix it with the flour using a fork.

Step 2: Form the crumbly mass into a lump with your hands and knead for 10 minutes.

Press the crumbly mass into a lump of dough and knead it for at least 10 minutes.

Do not add any more water! The dough may appear dry, but the kneading will gradually incorporate all the flour into the dough.

Step 3: Continue kneading until all the flour is incorporated into the dough.

There are several kneading techniques, one of which I find particularly compelling:

Apply forward pressure to the dough with the heel of your hand. Pull the dough back with the other hand, turning it slightly, about 45°. Repeat the process until all the dough crumbs are incorporated.

If, after 10 minutes of kneading, there is still flour on the work surface, add a (tiny!) amount of water to the dough (I use a flower sprayer for this). The remaining flour should then be easy to work into it.

If you need help with this step, you can find tips against brittle pasta dough here.

Step 4: Wrap the pasta dough in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

It is ready only when the pasta dough has a smooth, silky surface and no longer sticks.

Then you have to let it rest for 30 minutes, wrapped airtight. To do this, wrap the dough as airtight as possible in plastic wrap and place it away from direct light to rest.

During the resting time, the gluten network inside the dough will rearrange itself, and the dough will become more elastic.

Continuation: Make Homemade Italian pasta with durum wheat (without eggs)

You have successfully made Italian pasta dough!

Now all you have to do is shape it into delicious pasta and prepare a suitable sauce.

If you want to know how I made the following seven pasta shapes with this pasta dough, then read the following post now:

• Make Italian pasta from durum wheat yourself (Vegan).

Variations for pasta dough with durum wheat

Instead of making a pure pasta dough with semola and water, try a 50/50 mix with wheat flour.

With a little extra egg and wheat flour, you’ll get a more flexible dough with more flavor while keeping the firm semolina texture.

Of course, there are quite a few other possible combinations. So next time, vary the ratio and find out which mixture you like best!

How much pasta dough do you need per person?

On average, you need 200 grams of pasta dough per person for the main course and 100 grams for the appetizer. However, depending on your appetite, you can vary between 150 and 250 grams (main dish) or between 75 and 125 grams (appetizer).

In the following article, I go into more detail about the correct quantities:

Pasta dough quantities: how much pasta dough per person?

Storing pasta dough with durum wheat

You can easily store pasta dough with and without egg for a few days.

For more information, you can read the following articles:

• Storing Pasta Dough: What is the shelf life of pasta dough?
• Freezing and thawing pasta dough with system
• Prepare and store pasta dough in large quantities

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If you have any questions or suggestions about this post, feel free to comment!

Here are three related articles that might interest you:

• Make your own pasta dough: the complete tutorial
• Make your own pasta dough with egg
• Make your own pasta dough with spinach

Have fun making your own pasta!

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