Bobby Flay's Go-To Method For Fresh Pasta Dough On A Time Crunch

This year marks the 35th season of the show "Beat Bobby Flay," and if you're a fan of said show, you'll know that celebrity chef Bobby Flay is always on a time crunch on air. Even when he's making fresh pasta dough, it's all about speed and efficiency. We can actually make good use of Flay's go-to method to make fresh pasta dough at home in a jiffy, and this method involves using the food processor. 

You heard us right — you're going to mix up a great quick-and-easy pasta dough using your food processor in no time. A blender or mixer works too, as long as the blades are sharp and sturdy. Not only will you save time (at least 10 to 15 minutes when you hand-knead the dough), it will also prevents your hands and nails from getting all sticky and doughy.

To get started, use your go-to homemade pasta dough recipe and dump all of the ingredients into the bowl of your food processor. Blend the ingredients until a ball of dough forms. Remove the dough from the food processor and give it a good knead for under a minute on a lightly floured work surface. Then, allow the dough to rest while covered. After a resting period of 15 to 30 minutes, the dough will be ready to be made into fresh pasta. 

The pasta dough recipe Flay swears by comes from his friend, chef Marc Vetri. It consists of two ingredients: all-purpose flour and eggs. Flay does not add salt to his pasta dough, as he seasons the pasta later during the cooking process. With time to spare, thanks to his simple method of mixing up and kneading the dough in the food processor, Flay can work on other things, like the sauce for the dish. He also allows the dough ample time to rest, which is a step you shouldn't forget before rolling fresh pasta dough. Resting the dough allows for the flour to absorb the eggs and hydrate properly while its gluten networks soften. 

Bet all this gluten-network and pasta-making talk has got you craving fresh, homemade pasta this week. We've got you covered with great recipes, now that you're savvy on how to make a quick pasta dough. You can't go wrong with our earthy morel mushroom cream sauce pasta recipe or any of these 20 vegetarian pasta recipes you'll want to make on repeat.