Main Dishes
Vegan Pasta Recipe (Homemade)
Prep
1 hour
Cook
8 minutes
Yield
4
A big bowl of fresh pasta never gets old. This Vegan Pasta Recipe (Homemade) is vegan-friendly and is perfect with your favorite sauce.🍝 Skip the store-bought pasta and impress everyone with this easy homemade vegan pasta recipe! No eggs needed - just simple ingredients, one hour of your time, and you'll be twirling perfect al dente noodles that taste like they came straight from an Italian grandmother's kitchen.
There is nothing that beats a big bowl of pasta… except for maybe a big bowl of FRESH pasta. This Vegan Pasta Recipe (Homemade) will elevate any pasta dish you’re making. The best part is, it’s vegan! Whip up a batch to enjoy with your favorite sauce on a special occasion, or simply when you want to feel like you’re in Italy!
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Vegan Pasta Recipe (Homemade)
- Vegan: Have no fear! You can finally enjoy fresh pasta as a vegan. This recipe makes it easy.
- Simple: Speaking of easy, this homemade pasta recipe only takes one hour to make.
- Impressive: There’s something magical about serving pasta you made from scratch
🍲 Ingredients
Semolina Flour – The traditional flour used in authentic Italian pasta making, giving this vegan pasta recipe the perfect texture and bite. Semolina is a coarse, purified wheat middling of durum wheat, the same flour used in making couscous. Its high gluten content and yellow hue give homemade pasta that restaurant-quality al dente texture and beautiful golden color.
Olive Oil – A key ingredient that adds both flavor and elasticity to this vegan pasta recipe. The quality of olive oil matters tremendously here – always use extra virgin olive oil in a dark bottle (light is the enemy), check the “best by” date (fresher is better), and avoid bargain brands. This small investment in quality oil will significantly enhance the flavor of your homemade vegan pasta.
👩🍳 How to Make Vegan Pasta Recipe (Homemade)
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together flours and salt. Make a well in the middle of the bowl by pushing the flour towards the sides.
- Pour lukewarm water and olive oil into the well. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined.
- Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes to make a soft and smooth dough. Add more water if the dough is too dry OR add more flour if the dough is too sticky.
- Form the dough into a ball and cover in plastic wrap.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes.
- After refrigeration, cut the dough in half and place one portion onto a lightly floured surface.
- Use a rolling pin or pasta maker to roll the dough out very thin, approximately 1/8 inch thick.
- Dust the top of the rolled-out dough with more flour, and using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into long, thin strips. This will be about ¼ inch in width.
- Loosely take 10 strands of pasta to form nests and set them aside.
- Continue this process until both dough halves are made into pasta nests.
- To cook, boil a large pot with salted water.
- Add the pasta and cook until floating + tender. This will be approximately 3 – 4 minutes.
- Serve with your favorite sauce, cheese, or pesto!
🗒 Tips and Tricks
- Kneading: The dough should be smooth and elastic after kneading – this helps develop the gluten for a perfect texture.
- Thickness: Roll the dough as thin as possible – it will plump up when cooking.
- Flouring: Use plenty of flour when cutting and forming to prevent sticking.
- Cooking Time: Fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried – watch it carefully to avoid overcooking.
🗒 Substitutions
- Flour Options: No semolina? Use cornmeal or a mix of all-purpose flour and cornmeal.
- Oil Alternatives: If you’re out of olive oil, another neutral oil like avocado oil can work.
- Flavor Additions: Add herbs, spices, or vegetable purees to the dough for colored or flavored pasta.
🗒 Best served with
- Grandma’s Vegan Pasta Sauce Recipe
- Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe
- White Wine Pasta Sauce with Garlic & Onion
- Creamy Vegan Truffle Pasta Recipe
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Save your pasta nests by allowing them to dry completely for 12 to 24 hours and storing them in a tightly sealed container. This will last for 2 to 6 months. You can also freeze your fresh vegan pasta by lightly flouring a baking tray, freezing it until solid, and then storing it in an airtight container for up to 8 months.
🤔 Common Questions
This can happen if there’s too much water in the dough. Add more flour a little at a time until you reach a smooth, slightly tacky but not sticky consistency. Humidity in your kitchen can also affect pasta dough, so adjustments may be needed based on your environment.
Absolutely! This dough works perfectly with a pasta machine. Start with the widest setting and gradually work your way to thinner settings until you reach your desired thickness.
Fresh pasta cooks very quickly – typically in 3-4 minutes. It’s done when it floats to the top of the boiling water and has a tender but still slightly firm texture. Always taste a piece to check if it’s done.
Definitely! This versatile dough can be cut into various shapes like fettuccine, pappardelle, or even filled for ravioli or tortellini. Just adjust your cutting technique and have fun with it.
Make sure to dust the cut pasta generously with flour before forming nests. If storing for later, ensure the pasta is thoroughly dried before packaging it. When cooking, use plenty of water and stir gently after adding the pasta to the pot.
Vegan Pasta Recipe (Homemade)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup semolina flour or cornmeal
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together flours and salt. Make a well in the middle of the bowl by pushing the flour towards the sides.
- Pour lukewarm water and olive oil into the well. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined.
- Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes to make a soft and smooth dough. Add more water if the dough is too dry OR add more flour if the dough is too sticky.
- Form the dough into a ball and cover in plastic wrap.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes.
- After refrigeration, cut the dough in half and place one portion onto a lightly floured surface.
- Use a rolling pin or pasta maker to roll the dough out very thin, approximately 1/8 inch thick.
- Dust the top of the rolled-out dough with more flour, and using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into long, thin strips. This will be about ¼ inch in width.
- Loosely take 10 strands of pasta to form nests and set them aside.
- Continue this process until both dough halves are made into pasta nests.
- To cook, boil a large pot with salted water.
- Add the pasta and cook until floating + tender. This will be approximately 3 – 4 minutes.
- Serve with your favorite sauce, cheese, or pesto!
