Recipe

The Homemade 4-Ingredient Vegan Pasta You Must Try

By Karly Wilson at St. Louis University

Pasta has always been one of my all time favorite dishes, but it wasn't until I traveled to Italy that I truly fell in love with pasta and the art of making it. Last December, I took a 2 week course in Italy that focused on the Mediterranean Diet and Lifestyle. Let me tell you they eat GOOD there. It's like bread and pasta heaven. During the 2 week stay, we got to partake in the preparation of several meals, each of which contained a pasta dish. Surprisingly, most of them ended up being vegan pasta dishes. We learned all about pasta, including its origin and the different ways to make and cook it. In Southern Italy, there is really no such thing as boxed pasta. It was all freshly made and eaten within a few hours. There is something so unique about fresh pasta that you could never get from a boxed kind.

After that trip, my love for pasta has never been the same. However, I have also never tasted a pasta similar to what I had in Italy until I made it myself. Most pasta dishes, in Italy and other parts of the world, contain eggs. However, I wanted to make a pasta that didn't use any animal products.

After doing a little research I came up with this super simple homemade vegan pasta. If you're a pasta lover like me, then you have to try making your own pasta at least once. You can even do it without a pasta maker! I promise you won't regret it. 

Homemade Vegan Pasta

  • Prep Time: 1 hr
  • Cook Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
  • Servings: 6
Ingredients
  • 2 cups semolina flour
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cups warm water
  • pinch salt

Karly Wilson

Step 1

First, let me give you a little note about the ingredients. Semolina flour might sound like a rare ingredient, but it's actually pretty common at most grocery stores. I like to use the Bob's Red Mill brand, but any brand will do! If you can't find semolina flour you can make this homemade vegan pasta with just all-purpose flour and achieve a similar result.

Measure out all your ingredients. Place the dry ingredients in a medium size bowl and mix together just enough to combine.

Karly Wilson

Step 2

Slowly add in the warm water and mix with a clean hand or spatula until the dough has started to form.

Karly Wilson

Step 3

Once the water and dry ingredients are almost fully incorporated, dump the dough onto a clean, floured surface. A clean kitchen counter works perfectly for this!

Karly Wilson

Step 4

Knead the dough for 10 minutes until it is smooth and the texture is consistent.

Karly Wilson

Step 5

Separate the dough into 4 equal pieces. Wrap the pieces in plastic wrap and place in a refrigerator for 10-20 minutes.

Karly Wilson

Step 6

Once the dough has set for 10-20 minutes, you are ready to decide how you will roll out the dough. You can either roll it out with a rolling pin or a pasta roller. Either is doable, but if you have a pasta roller, I highly suggest using it! It just makes the whole process a little smoother. If you decide to roll out the dough by hand or use a rolling pin, check the end of this article for a few tips!

Karly Wilson

Step 7

Roll the dough out until it is thin enough to see through slightly, but thick enough so that it doesn't tear. I like to think of it being slightly thinner than copy paper thickness.

Karly Wilson

Step 8

Once you roll out your dough, the opportunities are endless. I chose to make some spinach and mushroom stuffed ravioli and fettuccine, but you can do whatever your pasta-loving heart desires. For some ideas on different types of pasta, you can make check the end of this recipe.

Karly Wilson

Step 9

Now onto cooking your pasta. This is the most speedy part of the process! Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, drop the pasta directly into the water and let cook for 4-5 minutes. Fresh pasta doesn't take nearly as long as boxed pasta so be certain not to over cook it!

Karly Wilson

Step 10

Now you're ready to add whatever sauce you want to your pasta. For homemade pastas, I like to go with a simple red sauce, pesto, or white sauce, but again the choice is totally up to you!

Karly Wilson

Now for a few notes about the recipe! If you don't have a pasta roller and decided to roll the pasta out by hand or with a rolling pin click here for a few tips!

If you are looking for a few ideas on different types of pasta to make, click here to watch a fun and informative video! This video is also really interesting, but a little more advanced. I don't know about you, but I think watching people make pasta is super mesmerizing and relaxing. If you want to make the types of pasta with little ridges and texture, a fork works wonders if you don't have the actual equipment needed! Personally, I think fettuccine is the easiest and most versatile pasta to make, but the options are endless!

Finally, you can't have pasta without some kind of sauce. I'm a big fan of a simple garlic and olive oil sauce, a little pesto, or marinara sauce but its totally your choice! If you're wanting to be a little more adventurous, you can try an avocado pasta sauce, a creamy roasted red pepper sauce, or a vegan alfredo sauce!

I know making fresh pasta is a little ambitious, but I promise it is worth it. It's even more fun if you can do it with a group of people. There's something really special about partaking in the preparation of a delicious meal and eating it together at the end. Best of luck in your pasta making adventures!