Egg Noodles

If you have flour, salt, eggs and water in your kitchen, then you’re not far away from a bowl of fresh, piping-hot egg noodles to serve with your favorite sauce. While boxed pasta and noodles have come a long way—as there are so many high-quality brands of macaroni and pasta available these days—there’s nothing like fresh homemade pasta.

The art of making noodles from scratch is a wonderfully rewarding, fun and delicious project to try at least once in your kitchen. Egg noodle recipes are a great place to start for beginners. We find the dough to be more forgiving, and you don’t need any fancy tools to extrude or stamp the noodles. Once you’re ready to get started, we’ve broken down how to make an egg noodles recipe into five simple steps loaded with lots of great tips along the way.

What are egg noodles?

Traditional dried pasta does not typically contain eggs but, of course, egg noodles are a type of pasta that does. Even though some fresh pasta and other noodle recipes do contain eggs, egg noodles are made with a higher concentration of eggs to other ingredients. This gives them a slightly richer flavor and brighter yellow color. Despite the higher egg content, egg noodles are essentially equal compared to traditional pasta in terms of calories and nutritional value.

How to Make Egg Noodles

Homemade pasta or egg noodle recipes may sound intimidating, but the process is actually surprisingly easy and affordable. Simply mix together your wet and dry ingredients and knead them together to form a soft, smooth dough. Then, roll it extra thin, slice it into strips and cook the noodles in a bubbling pot of salted water. From start to finish, the whole thing can be done in under an hour, even if you’re a beginner!

Ingredients for Egg Noodles

• Flour: All-purpose flour will do for a homemade egg noodles recipe. However, make sure you measure flour the right way since using too much or not enough flour can greatly impact the consistency of your pasta dough. Start with 2 cups for the initial mixing stage. You’ll add more flour to prevent sticking as you knead the dough smooth.
• Salt: Just a pinch or two of salt goes a long way in flavoring the pasta dough and strengthening the gluten strands so the dough can be rolled thin without tearing.
• Eggs: You can’t make egg noodles without a few eggs. They add richness to the noodles and also improve the dough’s strength and structure so the dough is soft and pliable.
• Water: Eggs provide most of the hydration, but a little water helps everything fully come together into a smooth, elastic dough. For the best results, use cold water.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the dough

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In a large bowl or on a clean surface, combine 2 cups flour and the salt. Make a deep well in the center of the flour, then add the eggs and water to the center well. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, mix the ingredients together until a soft dough forms.

Step 2: Knead the dough

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Gather the dough and transfer it to a floured surface. Shape it into a ball and then knead the dough until smooth, about 10 minutes. If the dough starts to get tacky as you work, dust it with the reserved flour as needed to keep it from sticking.

Step 3: Roll the dough thin

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Next, divide the dough into thirds. Then, on a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough into a paper-thin rectangle using a rolling pin dusted with flour. When the dough reaches the desired thickness, trim the edges of the dough to create an even rectangle.

Editor’s Tip: The noodles will puff considerably as they cook, so roll the dough thinner than you want the final noodles to be.

Step 4: Slice the dough

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Taking one of the short sides of the rectangle, begin to roll up the dough (as if you’re making cinnamon rolls). Then, using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 1/4-inch slices.

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Unroll the noodles and allow them to dry flat on paper towels before cooking.

Editor’s Tip: Another method for cutting the dough is to use a pizza cutter to slice long, even strips.

Step 5: Cook the noodles

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To cook, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rapid boil. Drop the noodles into the water and cook until al dente, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain the water (reserving some pasta water, if desired). Then, serve the noodles as part of your favorite recipes with egg noodles or with your favorite pasta sauce.

Editor’s Tip: Cooking to al dente means that the noodles should be soft when bitten into, but with a little chew. Plus, noodles keep cooking even after they’re drained, so they will continue to soften up as they’re tossed with any sauce you may be using.

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How to Use Egg Noodles

• Pair them with saucy comfort food: Due to their richer taste and texture, egg noodles are best suited for dishes with heavier cream or butter-based sauces. Some classics include beef stroganoff and Swedish meatballs.
• Add them to soup or stew: Egg noodles work great in soups and stews, so feel free to toss them in. Try them in your favorite roasted chicken noodle soup, beef stew or this hamburger stew recipe.
• Serve with roast or chicken: Any meat recipe that has a rich gravy or gravy-like sauce is just begging for homemade egg noodles. Serve homemade egg noodle recipes with mom’s best braised pot roast, slow-cooker beef bourguignon or a classic French coq au vin.

How to Store Egg Noodles

These egg noodles may be stored either cooked or uncooked. Uncooked noodles should be air-dried on a rack until completely dry. Then, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature. Cooked egg noodles should be kept refrigerated and stored in an airtight food storage container.

How long do egg noodles last?

Uncooked egg noodles that have been properly dried will last up to one month. Cooked egg noodles should be enjoyed within three to five days.

Can you freeze egg noodles?

Noodles can be stored uncooked in the freezer for several months. Divide the noodles into individual portions and store them in an airtight container. To cook, defrost the noodles overnight in the refrigerator and then cook as directed.

How do you reheat egg noodles?

Dried egg noodles may be cooked as directed in a pot of water, but they will take a little longer to cook. Keep an eye on them and drain them once they are al dente.

Cooked egg noodles may be reheated on the stovetop with a splash of water, broth or pasta sauce. They may also be microwaved in a vented container with a splash of water, broth or pasta sauce until heated through. Adding a splash of liquid to noodles is just one of our best tips for reheating pasta.

Egg Noodle Tips

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What is the best flour for egg noodles?

Not all types of flour are created equal! All-purpose flour works great for making pasta, but choose a brand that has a higher protein content if possible. King Arthur is our favorite brand of all-purpose flour for this egg noodles recipe. Tipo 00 or semolina flour can also be used for making noodles with great results.

Why should you salt the water when cooking noodles?

Salting the water adds a lot of flavor to noodles as they cook. Make sure it’s as salty as seawater before adding your noodles.

Should you save the pasta water when draining the egg noodles?

Yes! Before you drain your pasta, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. Add a little bit of this liquid gold to your pasta sauce before coating your noodles. The water contains lots of starchy goodness that will help the sauce adhere to your noodles.