There are days when I want something that feels a little special for dinner, but I don’t want to spend a lot of money ordering food. That was exactly the mood I was in when I decided to make pasta from scratch after returning home from work.
I had some basic flour sitting in my kitchen, a few vegetables, milk, and a little butter. So, instead of reaching for packaged pasta, I decided to make my own long, spaghetti-style pasta at home.
Now, I won’t lie — making long spaghetti by hand takes a little patience. My first few strands were definitely not the same size! But once I got the hang of rolling and cutting the dough, it became surprisingly fun.
For the sauce, I went with a simple creamy white sauce gravy made with butter, flour, milk, garlic, vegetables, and a few seasonings. It turned out creamy, comforting, and filling without needing expensive ingredients.
And the best part? I got a big plate of homemade pasta without spending much. The Broke Desi Kitchen—where we make good Desi food without breaking the bank.
Pasta
Equipment
- 1 Frying Pan
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Knife
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour maida
- 1 egg
- 1 –2 tbsp water as needed
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp oil
- For the white sauce gravy
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp oil
- 3 –4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup water or pasta water
- ¼ cup onion finely chopped
- ¼ cup capsicum finely chopped
- ¼ cup carrot finely chopped
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp mixed herbs
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp grated cheese optional
Video
Recipe
Make the pasta dough
Add flour and salt to a large bowl and mix well.
Make a small well in the centre and add the oil. Mix everything together until a rough dough forms.
If the dough feels too dry, add water one teaspoon at a time. You don’t want the dough to become sticky.
Knead it for about 8–10 minutes until it becomes smooth and firm.
Cover the dough and let it rest for 20–30 minutes. This makes it much easier to roll.
Roll the dough
Divide the dough into two portions. Take one portion and roll it out as thin as possible. The thinner you roll it, the more pasta-like your spaghetti will feel.
Keep dusting lightly with flour so the dough doesn’t stick.
Cut the long spaghetti
Once the dough is thin, dust it lightly with flour and loosely fold it several times.
Using a sharp knife, cut the folded dough into thin, long strips.
Carefully unfold each strip and dust with a little flour.
Don’t worry if every strand isn’t perfectly identical. That’s part of the charm of homemade pasta!
Cook the pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt.
Gently add the handmade spaghetti and cook for around 2–4 minutes, depending on how thin you made the pasta.
Homemade pasta cooks much faster than dried packaged pasta, so keep an eye on it.
Before draining, reserve about ¼ cup of the pasta water.
Sauté the vegetables
Heat butter and oil in a pan.
Add chopped garlic and sauté for a few seconds until fragrant.
Add onion, carrot, capsicum, and corn or peas and an egg. Cook for 2–3 minutes so the vegetables soften slightly while still keeping some crunch.
Make the sauce
Add the flour and cook it on low heat for about a minute. Keep stirring so it doesn’t turn brown.
Slowly pour in the milk while continuously stirring. This helps prevent lumps.
Add a little reserved pasta water and continue stirring until the sauce becomes smooth and creamy.
Season it
Add salt, black pepper, chilli flakes, and mixed herbs.
If you’re using cheese, add it now and stir until melted.
Cook until the sauce reaches a thick but pourable gravy-like consistency. If it becomes too thick, add a splash of milk or pasta water.
Add the pasta
Add the freshly cooked spaghetti directly to the sauce.
Toss everything together gently so the creamy sauce coats all the strands.
Cook for another minute and turn off the heat.
Serve
Transfer the handmade spaghetti to a bowl or plate and spoon plenty of the creamy white sauce gravy over it.
Top with a little grated cheese, chilli flakes, black pepper, or fresh coriander if you have them.
Serve immediately while the pasta is warm and creamy.
Making pasta from scratch might sound expensive or complicated, but the basic dough needs surprisingly few ingredients. The sauce is also made with everyday things like milk, flour, butter, garlic, and vegetables.
The homemade pasta is soft and chewy, while the creamy white sauce makes the whole dish comforting and filling. You can also use whatever vegetables you already have in the refrigerator instead of buying something specifically for this recipe.
And honestly, those slightly uneven homemade spaghetti strands make the plate feel much more special than a packet of perfectly uniform pasta.
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