Making homemade rigatoni is easier than you think. When we started telling people that we were making fresh homemade pasta for dinner, they envisioned us slaving over the counter, mixing flour and eggs by hand, then kneading and cutting by hand. While that version sounds romantic and would be great for a rainy day, when we want dinner on the table quickly, we reach for technology. That is where our trusty Kitchen Aid mixer and pasta attachments come in. Time savers or should I say lifesavers? We are going to show you how to make homemade rigatoni in a snap with this easy to follow video.
There really isn’t anything like fresh pasta, and once you get the hang of it, you will be making it in no time. We got hooked on fresh pasta after purchasing a hand cranking pasta machine during a trip to Montreal. We used it all the time until it gave out on us, after only a few uses. Complete bummer, right?
Here, we were completely spoiled eating fresh pasta with no machine. We upgraded and purchased the pasta attachments to go along with our KitchenAid. We became so addicted to making all sorts of pasta, we then purchased all of their other pasta attachments.
When making fresh pasta with the noodle attachment we tend to reach for 00 flour. When in a pinch we will grab all-purpose flour. When using all-purpose flour, we do not find that the pasta gets that nice toothy bite that pasta has; instead, it tends to comes out a little chewy. Rest of the ingredients are staples (or should be) in your kitchen, olive oil, kosher salt, eggs, and water. Pretty darn easy so far, isn’t it?
Fresh pasta does not take as long to cook as packaged pasta. I cook the pasta in well-salted water. Some chefs say the boiling water should taste like the sea, so be generous when salting the water. Literally, the pasta will not take that long to cook. For instance, the rigatoni only took about 4 – 5 minutes. Stay nearby and test often. Once the pasta is al dente, immediately drain it and toss with your favorite sauce or simply with a little olive oil and black pepper.
Tips:
- Since the pandemic I have had to use other brands of flour and have noticed that each one works a bit differently. That being said, I have had to add a tablespoon here or there when mixing this pasta dough recipe. If the dough it to sticky add a little more flour a tablespoon at a time.
- Same with water, add a tablespoon at a time as the dough comes together. I would rather use all the olive oil as it adds flavor instead of all the water.
- I have also noticed that as with baking bread temperature seems to dictate my pasta dough. If it is humid and sticky in my house then I tend to have to add a little more flour either when mixing or kneading.
- Refer to the video – the dough will be firm enough to hold its shape.
Tools:
- Kitchen Aid Mixer with dough hook as well as pasta attachments.
How to make Homemade Rigatoni

Making fresh pasta at home is easy when you use your KitchenAid Pasta attachments. Rigatoni on weeknight!
Ingredients
- 2 cups 00 flour or all-purpose - we prefer 00
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 - 4 tablespoons water
Instructions
Place the flour and salt into the mixing bowl of your mixer. Using the paddle attachment mix for about 30 seconds.
Add the eggs, water, and olive oil. Mix until the dough comes together. This should only take a couple of minutes.
Switch to the dough hook and continue kneading for a couple of minutes. The dough should not be overly sticky, if it is add a little more flour. I start with a 1 tablespoon a time until it is workable
Lightly dust the kitchen counter with some flour. Lightly knead the dough with your hands and dust with the flour.
Let sit for at least 20 minutes.
Make the pasta using whatever your favorite pasta shape is.
Refer back to Chez Us Homemade Pasta video to see how we make pasta.
Notes
Different flours as well as temperature and altitudes can affect pasta making conditions. You may have to add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky.
Homemade Rigatoni
Ingredients:
2 cups 00 flour or all-purpose – we prefer 00
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 – 4 tablespoons water
How To:
Place the flour and salt into the mixing bowl of your mixer. Using the paddle attachment mix for about 30 seconds.
Add the eggs, water, and olive oil. Mix until the dough comes together. This should only take a couple of minutes.
Switch to the dough hook and continue kneading for a couple of minutes
Lightly dust the kitchen counter with some flour. Lightly knead the dough with your hands and dust with the flour.
Let sit for at least 20 minutes.
Make the pasta using whatever your favorite pasta shape is.
Refer back to Chez Us Homemade Pasta video to see how we make pasta.
Other Homemade Pasta Recipes
Eugene
Friday 11th of February 2022
Might I suggest making "rigatoni" with a garganelli board, for those who can't buy a machine? A garganelli board is a ridged block of wood. You wrap a square of rolled out pasta dough around a stick. Then roll it on the board to make ridges. Wrap it point-first, and make the ridges one way, you have the penne-like garganelli. Wrap it edge-first and make the ridges the other way, and you have an excellent rigatoni-like tube. I have no idea what they're called, but I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person to have thought of it. Frankly though, I've always been partial to rigatoni, for some reason. I made a quick casserole with hand-milled kamut flour for these "rigatoni" and it was heavenly. You don't need a pasta-maker to roll the dough out. A rolling pin is sufficient, as these things require a fairly thick sheet of pasta, cut into 2" squares - more or less.
Sherri
Saturday 10th of July 2021
Denise, I made this pasta dough recipe tonight and it was very good. I didn't have any issues as some people reported. That said, I have made homemade pasta before.
I didn't make rigatoni because I don't have an attachment for that. I mixed it by hand like Nonna. I have a stand mixer but like the feel of kneading dough because I can get a feel for how the pasta dough should be. I used my pasta machine to make angel hair pasta and it truly was delicious.
I don't know why I don't make homemade past more often. It's so much better than boxed.
Thank you for sharing your recipes and gorgeous photos.
Denise Woodward
Monday 12th of July 2021
Hi Sherri! We are so happy you enjoyed this recipe - thank you so much for your kind comments!!! Happy cooking to you -
katie libby
Monday 24th of May 2021
did not work for me
Denise Woodward
Monday 24th of May 2021
HI Katie - we are really sorry to hear this. Let's try to troubleshoot why? What type of flour did you use? What brand? Assuming you used the same KitchenAid pasta attachment as in the video? Let us know -
Nicole
Tuesday 26th of January 2021
Dough is a hot mess. Had same issues as other people - everything stuck together and it is just blobs. Most likely not enough flour or something, other recipes seem to call for more flour.
Denise Woodward
Wednesday 27th of January 2021
Hi Nicole - sorry to hear that you had problems with this recipe. I have learned a lot about flours since the pandemic as I have had to pivot to other brands that I would not normally use. What I learned is that each flour behaves differently. I was going to update this recipe with a flour section because of this reason. What brand did you use? Did you use 00 or all purpose? As well climate can effect working with doughs. Where are you located?
Rosanne bohm
Saturday 12th of September 2020
The rigatoni sticks together when I cut it with cutter then then have to pull the pasta apart by hand very disappointed
Eugene
Friday 11th of February 2022
@Rosanne bohm, I've been making homemade pasta for over 30 years. Even in a campervan, in Europe. After a while, I figured one thing out, dense as I am. ANY time you have a "sticking" problem, one thing is certain, you haven't made the dough stiff enough. A pasta dough needs to be stiff enough that when you knead it by hand, your fingers almost tire under the strain. You're meant to let the dough "relax", wrapped in plastic of a half-hour to an hour, after kneading and before using it. In that time, and depending on the flour used, your "stiff dough" becomes more pliable and manageable. When I run my dough through my Atlas 150, I never need to "dust" anything with flour. The dough should be stiff enough where that's unnecessary. Maybe a bit of flout after the pasta is cut, if it sits for any length of time. But my rule #1 after all these years, for what it's worth, is make the dough as stiff as you can manage. It has a better "bite" and your dough will never stick.
Denise Woodward
Sunday 13th of September 2020
Hello Rosanne -
I am very sorry to hear that this happened to you, and would like to help troubleshoot why it did since this recipe has worked for us endless times. Did you use 00 flour or all-purpose? Where are you located (climate can make a difference)? Did you use the same attachments? Please email me - would really like to help! denise@chezus.com