How to Stop Fresh Pasta Dough From Sticking

Asked by Bludog52. Answered on 25th February 2015

Full question

In Nigella's Pasta Dough recipe you make your pasta dough and put it through the machine and then cut into tagliatelle. But how do you stop it all sticking together and forming something like a string ball before cooking? Thanks Cliff

Our answer

Fresh pasta dough is relatively easy to make and Nigella uses her fresh Pasta Dough (from Nigella Bites and on the Nigella website)to make tagliatelle. You can cut the pasta into strips by hand or use the special cutter on a pasta rolling machine. The dough can be quite soft so if you are cutting it into strips using a machine then let the rolled dough sit on a work surface for 5 to 10 minutes to dry a little. If cutting by hand then dust the sheet of dough lightly with some extra pasta ("00") flour, roll up the sheet and cut into strips with a sharp knife. You can make the dough up to a day in advance, then wrap it tightly in clingfilm and store it in the fridge. Roll and cut the dough closer to when you want to cook it.

Once the pasta has been cut into tagliatelle then it is best to let it dry for 10 to 20 minutes, until it feels dry to the touch but is still flexible. You can get special wooden drying racks or suspend a wooden spoon between two upturned bowls or tall jugs and hang the pasta over the handle of the spoon. Once the pasta has dried slightly then transfer it to a baking sheet that has been lined with baking parchment (parchment paper) and dusted with extra pasta flour or fine semolina. Scatter a little more flour over the pasta, form it into nests and let it dry for another 10 to 20 minutes, it should feel slightly dry but not brittle. Either cook the pasta immediately or cover the baking sheet tightly with clingfilm and store in the fridge for 2-3 hours.