YIELD: ½ pound pasta (4 to 6 servings) | PREP TIME: 5 minutes, plus 20 minutes to rest | COOK TIME: 30 seconds
• 1 cup (240 ml) cassava flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 large whole eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the cassava flour and salt.
2. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Crack in the whole eggs and add the egg yolk and olive oil. Gently mix the eggs with a fork, then gradually turn the flour into them and mix gently to create a dough. If the dough is too wet, gradually add small amounts of cassava flour until the dough comes together. If it’s too dry, gradually add small amounts of water until the dough is workable.
3. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until it is soft and pliable, about 2 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside for 20 minutes.
TO MAKE NOODLES:
1. Roll out the dough as thinly as possible on a lightly floured surface (or you can use a pasta maker if you have one).
2. Using a sharp knife (or running it through the pasta maker, if using), slice the dough into noodles of ⅛- to ¼-inch width, depending on your preference.
3. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the noodles for 30 seconds. When ready to serve, add the cooked noodles to soup to heat through.
TO MAKE ORECCHIETTE:
1. Divide the dough into four equal portions. Roll out each portion into a log about ½ inch in diameter. Cut the logs into ¼-inch pieces.
2. Lightly flour the palm of one hand and the thumb of the opposite hand. Working one by one, press each piece of dough into your hand with your thumb to make an indentation. Repeat with the remaining portions of dough.
3. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the orecchiette for 30 seconds. When ready to serve, add the cooked orecchiette to soup to heat through.
ADD TO
• Chicken Broth
• Pho Broth
• Minestrone
• Tuscan Tomato Soup
• Build Your Own Ramen
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Homemade noodles and orecchiette from cassava flour and eggs are the grain-free pasta that makes soups feel complete. The dough rests for twenty minutes, rolls paper-thin, and cuts into ribbons or little ear shapes that boil in just thirty seconds. Toss them into any hot soup to heat through and dinner suddenly looks restaurant-made.
Pro Tips
- Let the dough rest the full 20 minutes wrapped in plastic. The cassava flour hydrates during that rest, and it becomes dramatically easier to roll.
- Roll the dough as thinly as you can — thin noodles cook in 30 seconds and have a silky bite that thick pasta can't match.
- Cassava dough is forgiving: add small amounts of flour if it feels wet, water if it feels dry. Trust your hands more than the measurements.
- Boil the pasta for just 30 seconds, then add it to the soup to heat through. It finishes cooking in the broth without turning gummy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much pasta does this recipe make?
About 1/2 pound of pasta — 4 to 6 servings, enough for a full pot of soup or a pasta night.
Can I make the noodles with a pasta machine?
Yes, the recipe supports both hand-rolling and a pasta maker. Machine-rolled dough gives the thinnest, most even noodles.
What is the difference between the noodle and orecchiette versions?
Same dough, two shapes — cut thin ribbons for classic noodles, or roll logs into small pieces and press them into little ears for orecchiette.
Which soups pair best with these noodles?
Chicken broth, pho broth, minestrone, Tuscan tomato soup, or a build-your-own ramen — the cassava pasta absorbs any broth's flavor beautifully.
Recipe Card
- 1 cup cassava flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 large whole eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cassava flour and salt.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Crack in the whole eggs and add the egg yolk and olive oil. Gently mix the eggs with a fork, then gradually turn the flour into them and mix gently to create a dough. If the dough is too wet, gradually add small amounts of cassava flour until the dough comes together. If it’s too dry, gradually add small amounts of water until the dough is workable.
- On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until it is soft and pliable, about 2 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside for 20 minutes.
- Roll out the dough as thinly as possible on a lightly floured surface (or you can use a pasta maker if you have one).
- Using a sharp knife (or running it through the pasta maker, if using), slice the dough into noodles of ⅛- to ¼-inch width, depending on your preference.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the noodles for 30 seconds. When ready to serve, add the cooked noodles to soup to heat through.
- Divide the dough into four equal portions. Roll out each portion into a log about ½ inch in diameter. Cut the logs into ¼-inch pieces.
- Lightly flour the palm of one hand and the thumb of the opposite hand. Working one by one, press each piece of dough into your hand with your thumb to make an indentation. Repeat with the remaining portions of dough.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the orecchiette for 30 seconds. When ready to serve, add the cooked orecchiette to soup to heat through.
ADD TO
Chicken Broth
Pho Broth
Minestrone
Tuscan Tomato Soup
Build Your Own Ramen
