Danny Freeman Has The Key To The Perfect Vegan Pasta Dough - Exclusive

Yes, vegan pasta dough is possible. And yes, Danny Freeman knows just how to make it. The social media star (recognized as Danny Loves Pasta online) explained that a vegan version of fresh pasta is simpler than you'd think — just leave out the eggs. "You can make a basic dough with flour and water, which is what's in the box of pastas — just flour," Freeman explained in an exclusive interview with Tasting Table.

The TikToker just launched his first cookbook, "Danny Loves Pasta," featuring a plethora of pasta recipes, shapes, and sauces. "Fresh pasta often has eggs in it, but it doesn't have to," he told us. The dad of one recommends adding some color to the meal to incorporate additional vegetables — or just for plain fun — such as with pasta made from a spinach vegan dough (which pairs well with a homemade pesto) or a Harissa vegan dough. But Freeman also warned us that vegan pasta also requires a little extra attention paid to how much water you add to the dough if you want it to be the proper texture.

When it comes to vegan pasta alternatives — or really, any type of fresh pasta — it's important to be aware of the moisture content. Danny Freeman told Tasting Table, "With the vegan dough, you want to use about twice as much flour as water. If you use 200 milliliters of water, you should use 400 grams of flour." The cookbook author also advised pureeing vegetables or any other food additives (such as spinach, red peppers, or beets) before curating a dough.

"I would puree it and use enough of that so you have half a liquid to the flour," Freeman said. Once the dough is complete, continue making your pasta as you would with non-vegan fresh pasta: roll it out, cut out your desired shapes, and cook! Of course, his new cookbook offers plenty of inspiration for recipes and fun shapes to impress your loved ones on pasta night — try a few with Tasting Table's vegan pasta sauce if you can't get enough vegan pasta recipes.

You can order Danny Freeman's cookbook, "Danny Loves Pasta," on Amazon now. Keep up with Danny's most recent videos on Instagram and TikTok.