Fresh Homemade Lasagna Noodles

I've been wanting to make homemade lasagna sheets for a while and finally took the plunge today to use in this Spinach Lasagna recipe.. It was so easy! I did a quick search last night and this was the first recipe that came up so it's the one I tried. It's similar to the pasta dough I usually make except it calls for 1 egg yolk in addition to 3 whole eggs, rather than all whole eggs. This small change made the dough even easier to work with. As always, I measured the eggs to get to the correct weight of 185 grams. I was pressed for time so I mixed the dough in my KitchenAid mixer before turning it onto my wooden dough board, and then finished kneading it by hand.

While my dough was covered and resting, I blended the tomato sauce (which had been cooking for a while), mixed the ricotta filling, and shredded the mozzarella.

I used my new Marcato Atlas 180 roller and went to thickness setting #8. Once all of my dough was rolled out into long sheets, I cut the sheets the same length as my lasagna dish. I let them rest for 10-15 minutes before I started assembling my lasagna. I did not parboil them - there's no need to as long as there is enough sauce covering them. I used 2 sheets for each of the 3 layers. This was the perfect amount of dough for 1 lasagna plus a long sheet leftover that I cut into pappardelle for my son who doesn't like lasagna. I'm so glad I finally took the time to make these myself. It was very easy and tasted so good!

This was also my first time using my Marcato Atlas 180. This machine produces 180mm (about 7") sheets, compared to the Atlas 150 (150mm or 6"). The wider sheets are very helpful when making dishes likes lasagna, filled pasta like ravioli or hand cutting pasta.

Fresh Homemade Lasagna Noodles

Adapted from Emilie Raffa

 

Soft, silky, homemade lasagna noodles are at your fingertips! My recipe and method yields enough lasagna noodles to fit a standard 9×13-inch pan (or something similar) which feeds up to 6 people. You’ll end up with approximately 10-12 lasagna noodles. I use my Kitchen Aid stand mixer with the roller attachment in the instructions below. However, a hand-crank pasta machine can be used to roll the pasta dough.

 

300 grams Tipo 00 Flour (Molino Grassi or Caputo recommended)

185 grams eggs, room temperature (about 3 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk)

Make Pasta Dough: Add the flour and eggs to a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process to form dough, about 15-20 seconds. Remove to your work surface and cover with an upturned bowl for 5 minutes. Then, knead the dough into a ball, about 1-2 minutes (don’t worry about technique here, the food processor does most of the kneading for you). Cover again, and let rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour to relax the gluten. Use this downtime to set up your work station in the next step.

Set up your work station: Choose a large, clutter-free work surface to spread out (I like the kitchen table). Dust your work surface and the pasta machine/roller with semolina flour to prevent sticking. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, no overhang. Cut 4 additional pieces to layer in between the lasagna sheets as you roll them out; set aside.

Roll Pasta Dough Into Sheets: Cut the pasta dough into 4 equal pieces. Flatten one piece into a 5×8-inch long disc (re-wrap or cover the remaining pieces so they don’t dry out). A rolling pin helps with this step.

Send the disc through the roller on the widest/lowest setting. This is “#1” on the Kitchen Aid attachment, but it might be a “#0” on other machines. Send it through a second time. Note: remember, if using a hand-crank pasta machine, refer to their specific instructions for rolling pasta sheets for lasagna. The process is the same, but the settings are different.

Continue to roll the dough through settings #2-4 (2x on each setting), dusting with semolina flour in between if the pasta gets sticky. You can also cut the sheet in half if it gets too long. The pasta sheet is ready when it’s slightly translucent and you can see your hand underneath, about .60 mm thick. For thinner noodles, go up to setting #5 (again, refer to the instructions for the machine you are using – I go up to #8 on my Marcato Atlas 180). Now, you’re ready to make lasagna noodles.

Cut Lasagna Noodles: Trim the pasta sheet to fit the dimensions of your 9×13-inch baking pan. For reference, I can get about (3) 5×12-inch long lasagna noodles from one rolled out pasta sheet, approximately 38 inches long. Your measurements will differ slightly from mine which is normal. The goal is to end up with 10-12 lasagna noodles.

Place lasagna noodles onto your parchment-lined sheet pan in a single layer. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper so they don’t dry out.

Repeat to roll and cut the remaining 3 pieces of pasta dough, 1 piece at a time so they don’t dry out. Layer the additional lasagna noodles between the remaining pre-cut sheets of parchment paper. When finished, select a storage option below.

How to Store Lasagna Noodles

At Room Temperature (1 hour): arrange lasagna noodles on a parchment-lined sheet pan in a single layer. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper so they don’t dry out. Layer and repeat, ending with parchment paper on top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store at a moderate room temperature for up to 1 hour. Alternatively, use an airtight container.

To Refrigerate (12 hours): arrange lasagna noodles in between layers of parchment paper as indicated above. Chill up to 12 hours. Fresh pasta tends to oxidize and discolor after this timeframe. However, this will not effect the taste.

To Freeze (1 month): arrange lasagna noodles in between layers of parchment paper in an air-tight container. Freeze up to 1 month. Defrost before using; they are easier to handle without breaking.

How to Dry Lasagna Noodles

Line (2) wire cooling racks with kitchen towels. Arrange semolina-dusted lasagna noodles on top in a single layer. It’s important for the air to circulate underneath the lasagna noodles. Let air-dry, at room temperature, for up to 24 hours. The exact drying time will vary according to season (i.e. faster in winter, slower in summer). The lasagna noodles are fully dry when they snap in half with a clean break. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Yield: 10-12 lasagna noodles.