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All you need to make this vegan pasta dough recipe is semolina flour and water. This egg-free pasta dough is traditionally used for many hand-rolled pasta shapes from southern Italy. Semolina pasta has a nice texture and bite when cooked and is really easy to make. This dough can be used for a variety of pasta shapes like orecchiette, cavatelli, gnocchetti sardi and many more.

Using the base of a measuring cup to create a well in a pile of flour.

Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need

This recipe is based on a simple 2:1 ratio of semolina flour to water. Use about 100 g of flour per person and mix it with 50 g of warm water.

Semolina flour – finely ground semolina flour made from hard durum wheat. It’s labelled “Semola rimacinata di grano duro” in Italy. Semolina flour is naturally high in gluten, which gives pasta dough a lot of structure and a nice “al dente” texture when cooked. Don’t use coarse semolina flour for this recipe.
Warm water – warm water softens the dough and facilitates kneading.
Digital kitchen scale – for best results, always weigh your flour. It’s more accurate than measuring flour by volume.
Fork – to mix flour and water.
Bench scraper – to help bring the dough together before kneading it with your hands.
Wooden pasta board – optional but very practical as it stays in place and absorbs excess moisture during the kneading process. If you don’t have one, just prepare the dough on a clean work surface.

Ingredients for my vegan pasta dough recipe.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1

Tip the semolina flour onto your work surface. Use the base of a little bowl or measuring cup to create a well in the center of the flour that can contain the water. Then, slowly pour the warm water into the well.

Step 2

Mix the flour and water with a fork. Work your way from the center outwards and incorporate more and more flour until the mixture in the center forms a thick paste. Fold in the remaining flour with a bench scraper. Incorporate it with a cutting motion to get evenly sized chunks of dough. Bring everything together with your hands and start kneading. If there is any flour left that doesn’t integrate easily, leave it out.

Step 3

To knead, fold one half of the dough over itself. Then use the heel of your hand to push it down and stretch it away from your body. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and repeat. The dough might feel a bit dry and crumbly at first, but will become smoother the longer you knead. Knead for at least 10 minutes until the dough feels smooth and elastic.

Step 4

Wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. After resting, shape it into your favorite type of pasta! Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes and serve it with your favorite sauce.

Tips & Tricks

If you don’t have a pasta board, you can mix the ingredients in a bowl until you have a shaggy dough. Then, finish kneading on your work surface. This method is a little easier if you don’t have a lot of counter space.
If the dough feels too tough to knead, you can do a double rest: Bring the dough together and knead for 2-3 minutes. Wrap it in cling film and let it rest for 10 minutes. After the first rest, the dough will feel softer. Knead for another 5-7 minutes. Wrap it again and let it rest for another 30 minutes.

Common Questions About Semolina Pasta

Semolina pasta is made with hard wheat flour and water, whereas egg pasta is usually made with soft wheat flour and eggs. Semolina flour gives the pasta enough structure and bite. Therefore, eggs aren’t required for the dough. Soft wheat flour, on the other hand, needs eggs to yield a dough with enough structure. Semolina pasta is more popular in the South of Italy, and egg pasta is mostly found in Northern and Central Italy.

Semolina flour is a popular choice for making pasta due to its high gluten and protein content. This gives pasta the desired texture and bite when cooked. Semolina dough is a little less elastic than egg dough, which helps textured pasta (like orecchiette or malloreddus) to retain its shape while cooking.

Semola and semolina are both produced from hard durum wheat but they can have different textures. Regular semolina is often coarsely ground (almost like cornmeal). However, for making pasta, very finely ground semolina flour works best. Look for “fine semolina flour” or the Italian label “semola rimacinata di grano duro” – it’s the same!

More Pasta Recipes You May Like:

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Vegan Pasta Dough Recipe (How To Make Semolina Pasta From Scratch)

published by: Julia

Semolina flour and water is all you need to make this vegan pasta dough recipe! This egg-free pasta dough can be used for a variety of pasta shapes.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep 15

Rest Time 30

Total 45

Course Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Servings people

Calories 339 kcal

Equipment

Digital kitchen scale – for best results, always weigh your ingredients. It's more accurate than measuring by volume,
Wooden pasta board – if you don't have a pasta board, you can mix and knead the dough directly on a clean work surface
bench scraper – to facilitate bringing the dough together
fork – to mix flour and water

Ingredients

400 g Semola rimacinata di grano duro – finely ground semolina flour
200 g Water – warm water makes the dough softer and facilitates kneading

Instructions

Weigh the ingredients and tip the semolina flour onto your work surface.
Use a small bowl or measuring cup to create a well in the center of the flour that can contain the water. Slowly pour the warm water into the well.
Mix the water and flour in the center with a fork. Work your way from the center outwards and slowly incorporate more and more flour until the mixture in the middle forms a thick paste.
Next, use a bench scraper and fold in the remaining flour. Incorporate it with a cutting motion to get evenly sized chunks of dough.
Then bring everything together with your hands and start kneading. If there is any flour left that doesn’t integrate easily, leave it out. The dough might feel a bit dry and crumbly at first, but will come together into a smooth ball the longer you knead.
To knead the dough, fold one half of the dough over itself and then use the heel of your hand to push it down and stretch it away from your body. Rotate the dough 180 degrees and repeat. Knead for at least 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. It should neither feel sticky nor crumbly.
Cover the dough ball tightly in cling film and let it rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature. After resting, shape your favorite homemade pasta.
Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Pair it with your favorite sauce and enjoy!

Notes

Tipps & Tricks:

If you don’t have a pasta board you can mix the ingredients in a bowl until you have a shaggy dough. Then finish the kneading process on your work surface. This way is a little less messy than the method above and easier if you don’t have a lot of counter space.

If the dough feels too tough, and you’re struggling with kneading, you can do a double rest: Bring the dough together and knead for 2-3 minutes. Wrap it in cling film and let it rest for 10 minutes. The dough should be a lot smoother and easier to knead after the first rest. Continue kneading for 5-7 minutes. Wrap it again and let it rest for another 30 minutes. Ready to shape!

Nutrition

Calories: 339kcalCarbohydrates: 71gProtein: 14gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gSodium: 5mgPotassium: 431mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 4mg

Keywords egg-free pasta, homemade pasta, homemade pasta dough without eggs, pasta di semola, pasta dough, semolina pasta, vegan pasta dough recipe

Vegan Pasta Dough Recipe (Pasta di Semola)

Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need