Easy Homemade Pasta Recipe with Fresh Milled Flour

Making pasta from fresh milled flour in your own kitchen is an easy way to add a kick of nutrition to your daily meals

The first time I made homemade pasta from fresh milled flour, I had this moment… like everything had changed, like I finally had an answer to a problem that had been bugging me for a long time. Pasta, or spaghetti as we refer to anything eaten with noodles, is our favorite meal (Especially with our Browned Butter Parmesan Pasta Sauce). It’s the way I sneak vegetables in when my children decide to be picky. This fresh homemade pasta is the most requested meal in our house. 

I really struggled with the nutritional aspect of feeding my kids so much pasta and felt like we were consuming too many empty calories. I’m not someone who thinks that everything my family eats has to be a super food, but when it’s a staple I want to feel good about it! 

So, in an effort to ease my guilt, I switched us over to whole wheat pasta from the grocery store. I immediately noticed a difference in the popularity of “spaghetti.” Plates were no longer scraped clean. Enthusiasm was down. I just wasn’t completely satisfied. 

Then one morning I was scrolling through Instagram and came to a video of someone rolling out pasta dough and I had this light bulb moment. I could make my own pasta and I could use ANY flour I wanted. I could make homemade fresh pasta with fresh milled whole wheat flour. Maybe, I hoped. So I pulled out my NutriMill which I had previously only considered a bread baking tool, and got to work.  

Discovering the NutriMill

I remember when my mom first came home and told us she was going to buy a grain mill. She had five kids who were consuming a huge amount of sandwich bread and she, like me, was starting to feel like there was a large nutritional gap in our diet. Looking for an answer, she became fast friends with a woman who taught her to make sandwich bread in bulk amounts, six loaves at a time, with freshly ground wheat berries. Here is the recipe she still uses today:)

Now, twenty years later, she still pulls out her NutriMill every few weeks to make the same recipe. Milling types of flour became a way of life for her because of the huge impact it had on the way our family ate and thought about food. Discovering that I could make something as wholesome and functional as homemade pasta dough from fresh milled flour has had a similar impact on my growing family, and I will never go back!

What’s so great about Fresh Milled Flour?

The most obvious but important reason to bake with fresh milled flour is that you know exactly what you’re getting. When using a home mill, you take the whole wheat berry and mill a fine flour that retains every component. Grains in their complete form contain many vital nutrients as well as fiber for belly health.

When you purchase white flour from the store, the bran and germ of the wheat kernels have been removed taking much of the fiber and nutrients with them. Even whole wheat flour is often made by taking white flour and adding bran back in. During the commercial milling process, the oil that is found within the wheat berry is removed in order to extend the shelf life of the flour. Often preservatives are used as well. Just like with anything you make from scratch, there’s security in knowing how food is created from start to finish and milling your own flour gives you this knowledge. 

Additionally, fresh milled flour has a complex flavor profile that’s a little sweeter and a little nuttier than the grains you find on a store shelf. Compare freshly ground wheat berries to coffee beans and you start to understand how time can make them a little stale. For the best flavor, it’s best to use milled wheat within 3 days but it can last on a shelf for 7-10 days. 

Grinding your Fresh Flour

For me, the number one reason to grind my own flour is that I can control how fine to grind the wheat berries. Commercial wheat flour tends to be very course and these large pieces of bran make it more difficult for gluten to develop in a loaf of bread. Finely ground flour is best for smooth pasta noodles that hold their shape when boiled and twirl round and round a fork! For flavor, texture, and nutrition, grinding your own wheat is far superior!

Purchasing a wheat mill is a bit of an investment and it’s not something you will likely do on a whim. You have to believe that this is the next step in your family’s food journey. I have had my Nutrimill for about ten years now and I have always loved making bread with freshly ground flour, but when it really became dear to me was when I realized I could be utilizing the flour for so many other things! I try to keep a couple of days’ worth in my pantry at all times so that I can easily use it for pancakes, flat breads, etc. Feeding your family with whole grains does not have to be a long process. Once you start grinding fresh flour you will start finding so many ways to use it. 

Making Pasta Specific Flour

Traditional Pasta is typically made with type 00 semolina flour which is a very fine European flour. When I first started researching how to mimic this with freshly ground wheat flour, what I found was discouraging. Everything I read basically concluded that you could not mimic it. That if you tried you simply didn’t understand the technicalities of the flour, something about protein content, etc. That was all well and good, but my goal was not authentic Italian pasta. My goal was to make something that would nourish my family and be delicious. I adjusted the settings on my Nutrimill so that I ended up with a fine flour and it worked beautifully.

If you haven’t yet purchased a grain mill but still want to make fresh pasta dough at home, go for it! The beauty of making your own pasta is that it can be whatever you want it to be. Try making it with a whole wheat flour from the store. It may not be quite as smooth or have as fine of a texture, but it can still be delicious! 

My personal favorite wheat to use for pasta is Kamut, or Khorasan, an ancient grain that is similar to durum wheat. It has a beautiful golden color and nutty flavor. In addition to being a delicious choice, Kamut flour can be easier to digest making it a great option if you have a gluten sensitivity. Hard white wheat is another great option that will make great pasta and is a little easier to find, not to mention a more economical choice.   

Making Homemade Pasta Dough from Fresh Milled Flour

Pulling pasta dough together is so simple and requires absolutely no special equipment. You can make your basic pasta dough on your countertop with nothing but your hands and it will turn out fabulously. Alternately, you can mix your ingredients in a large bowl with either your hands or a Dutch Whisk. Dump your freshly ground flour onto your clean surface and make a well in the center of the flour to hold your wet ingredients. Crack your large eggs into the well and then add your salt and oil.

Using your fingers or your whisk, break up the eggs and start mixing your ingredients, starting with the center and working your way out until all of the flour is hydrated. I usually keep a little water on hand and add a little as needed. Continue working until your dough forms a dough ball. There should no longer be bits of dry flour, but the dough should not stick to your fingers. If it becomes to tacky, add a little flour. 

Once the ingredients come together to form a dough ball, you want to give your dough a little time to rest. Whole wheat flour takes a bit longer than all purpose flour to absorb liquid. As flour absorbs the water, gluten activates and begins to strengthen your dough. If you were to immediately start working your dough, it would likely tear very easily and be difficult to work with. Give it some time, about 45 minutes, for the flour to be fully hydrated before you begin kneading the dough. Place your dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Let it sit for 45 minutes. 

Kneading Your Dough

Disclaimer this is no glamorous task. When you knead your dough the gluten will continue to develop and can make your dough become very difficult to knead. This is okay! Simply let your dough rest a little more and it will relax. Then you can go in and continue to knead. If it stiffens again, let it rest again.

Knead your pasta dough for about three minutes by hand or until it starts to feel nice and smooth. I have found that it is easier to knead this dough after dividing it into 4 sections. I start kneading one until it starts to get difficult to knead and then move on to the next. The dough will relax as it sits and it will be easier to knead after you give it time. After your done kneading let your dough rest  for about 15 minutes before attempting to roll it out. Congratulations! You’ve made homemade pasta dough! Now you’re ready for the best part!

Shaping your Pasta from Fresh Milled Flour

Roll out your whole wheat dough using either a rolling pin or a pasta maker. Either will work wonderfully. I use a pasta maker with a hand crank and it does make it a little easier to get nice and thin sheets of pasta. I know they also make a pasta roller attachment and a pasta cutter for the kitchenaid stand mixer. When making whole-wheat pasta I prefer to use thin pasta shapes such as linguine. Thicker noodles tend to taste too wheaty which can compete with the flavor of the sauce. 

If using a pasta maker, divide the dough into six pieces and flatten each piece into an oval that can be run through the machine. Dust lightly with flour to ensure it does not stick to the machine. I start with my pasta maker on the thickest setting and run each piece of dough through. Decreasing the setting by one, I run each piece through again and continue until my dough is the desired thickness. You want the dough to be slightly transparent, enough that you can see light through it. Once you reach this point, use the pasta maker to cut your noodles. 

If rolling your pasta by hand, dust your work surface lightly with flour and begin rolling your dough into a large rectangle. The dough should be thin enough that you can see light through it. If the pasta sheet becomes difficult to work with, let it rest for about 15 minutes then continue to roll out. Once the dough is the desired thickness, dust the surface slightly with flour and roll the dough into a log. Use a sharp knife to cut 1/8-1/4 inch noodles. This is not easy and also require you to consider gluten development. If you notice you dough will not roll out, give it some time for the dough to relax and try again. This recipe is much easier with a pasta maker.

Cooking your Pasta

Now you’re ready to cook your own fresh pasta! Fill a large pot with four quarts of hot water and 3 tablespoons of salt, and bring to a boil. Once your water is at a rolling boil, add in your fresh pasta. Bring the water back to a boil and cook for 2-4 minutes for al dente. Drain and serve to a happy crew!  

I love this pasta with Alfredo sauce, roasted tomato marinara, Browned Butter Parmesan Pasta Sauce or just butter and a little bit of garlic! Making your own pasta requires a little bit more planning and a little bit more time than pulling a box out of the cabinet, but once you start making it a part of your routine it becomes second nature and an easy extra step. It’s an extra step that your family will love, and you can feel really good about! 

I can’t wait to hear what different ways you use your homemade pasta from fresh milled flour!

Catching the Fresh Milled Flour bug

Once you start milling your own flour, all feeling of intimidation disappear. Once this happens you will want to add your gorgeous freshly milled flour to everything! Here are our favorite recipes to use fresh milled flour in…

100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread with Fresh Milled Flour

Best Whole Wheat Bread (6 Loaves!)

Simple and Soft Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies with Fresh Milled Flour

The Best Moist Zucchini Bread Recipe with Whole Wheat

The Best, Healthy All Bran Muffins with Chocolate Chips

Easy Homemade Pasta Recipe with Fresh Milled Flour

Making pasta from fresh milled flour in your own kitchen is an easy way to add a kick of nutrition to your daily meals.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  

• 300 grams of Fresh Milled Flour 2 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

 

• Place flour onto countertop or into a shallow bowl.
• Add salt to the flour and use your fingers to gently mix together.
• Make a well in the middle of your flour pile and add in eggs and oil.
• Using your fingers or a Dutch Whisk, break up eggs and mix wet ingredients together. Working from the center out, continue mixing wet and dry ingredients together until all the flour is hydrated. Form dough into a ball and let rest for twenty minutes.
• Knead dough by hand for three minutes, and let the dough rest for another 15 minutes.
• If using a pasta maker, roll out and shape pasta according to the machine’s directions.
• If making by hand, roll dough out into a large rectangle with a rolling pin until it is transparent enough to let light through. Dust the surface with flour and roll up into a log. Use a sharp knife to cut noodles 1/8-1/4 inch in width.
• Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large stockpot. Place pasta in the water, bring back to a boil and cook for three minutes.
• Drain pasta and serve with your sauce of choice!

Video

Keyword fresh milled flour, whole wheat recipe

Ellen is a mom of four and an experienced baker. After decorating wedding cakes for many years, her dream of opening a bakery came true. This bakery allowed her to experiment with her love of wholesome bread, fresh ingredients and creative flavors. The Flour Barn bakery has always been centered around allowing her and her sister to be full time moms, and part time bakers; perfectly mixing their two passions.