The Ideal Flour For Pasta Dough With Or Without Eggs

Flour and water. These two essential staple ingredients are the foundation of infinite recipes and boundless culinary bliss. It's a simple formula that sometimes includes eggs, but whether it's a simple, classic bucatini cacio e pepe or you're using a pro tip to make store-bought pasta sauce taste homemade, there's nothing like from-scratch pasta. Fortunately, making pasta dough is pretty simple thanks to this brief ingredient list, however given that flour is such a major part of the recipe, you may wonder what type of flour is best for your pasta project. The answer depends whether you're making an egg-based or egg-free dough.

When working with eggs, you're looking for classic white flour. While the low-protein 00 flour is a gold standard and favored by Italian pasta makers, it may be a bit tougher to find, in which case your go-to all-purpose brand is totally acceptable in a pinch. Just avoid the bleached stuff, since that style can yield less satisfactory results, as it produces less stable starches.

In terms of eggless dough, a higher protein option is your best bet — and the sunny yellow semolina fits the bill here. Steer clear of the standard stuff which is a coarse grind, and grab a bag that's labeled fine, extra fancy, rimacinata, or #1 for a finer flour.

Perhaps another question is what informs whether or not you use eggs in your dough. Typically, you'll want egg doughs for fresh options like linguine or pappardelle, or filled pastas like ravioli or tortellini. This stuff produces silky and luscious pastas, and the egg adds that signature supple richness. Eggless dough, on the other hand, is sturdier and better suited for extruded noodles like rigatoni, penne, or even hand-shaped farfalle or orecchiette, and will allow you to get a more al dente cook.

No matter what, you always want to use high-quality, fresh flour. Although commercial grocery stores stock shelves full of this stuff, it's not all created equal and it does in fact go bad. If you're wondering how long that bag has been sitting there, you can check the best-by date before purchasing. At home, if you're debating whether it's past time to throw out your flour, you can give it a sniff for any off-aroma, or scope it out for signs of mold. It's helpful to store your flour in an air-tight container, and refrigerate or even freeze it (cold storage can stretch shelf life up to two years). Once you have a handle on how to select the ideal flour for your pasta formula, it's a cinch to make your carbohydrate dreams come true.