Poppy Seed Pasta

Making pasta from scratch doesn’t have to be plain. This version folds poppy seeds and fresh herbs directly into the dough, so every strand has a subtle nutty crunch and herby fragrance baked right in. No sauce needed to make this interesting.

The dough comes together like any fresh egg pasta: flour, eggs, water, and oil. The poppy seeds and herbs get mixed into the flour first so they distribute evenly before the wet ingredients go in. Five minutes of kneading develops enough gluten for a smooth, elastic dough that rolls paper-thin without tearing.

Rolling each quarter of the dough into a thin rectangle and folding it lengthwise into thirds gives you noodles with consistent width. Fresh pasta cooks fast, just 3 to 5 minutes in boiling water.

Pro Tips

• Keep the unused dough covered while rolling each portion. Fresh pasta dries out quickly and becomes impossible to roll once it stiffens.
• Dust the surface generously with flour before rolling. The dough is sticky, and thin pasta tears if it grabs the counter.
• Cook fresh pasta just until it floats and turns slightly translucent. It goes from al dente to mushy in under a minute.

Variations

• Use basil or dill as the herb for a more defined flavor profile.
• Toss the cooked noodles with brown butter and a squeeze of lemon for a simple, elegant finish.
• Run the dough through a pasta machine if you have one. It produces more uniform thickness than hand rolling.