This fresh egg keto pasta (or fried gnocchi!) is surprisingly easy to whip up! And while different from the original, it yields killer al dente-like results to pair with your favorite Italian sauce.
Please note this recipe was first published on March 6th 2018, and has since been updated with more tips and tricks!
Grain Free & Keto Pasta
Ready For Your Favorite Italian Sauce!
Because pasta!! Undoubtedly one of the things peeps understandably miss the most when going keto. Because let’s face it, not much beats a bowl of pasta!
And while this low carb version is a different from the original (think fried pasta or gnocchi!), you’ll still be surprised by how wonderful it pairs with traditional Italian sauces! Ahem, homemade pesto being my favorite here (but marinara cannot be dismissed!!)!
My one important tip? Keep your pasta shapes small and thick (gnocchi, cavatelli, orecchiette and bows work great!), so you get that al-dente bite after frying it. Whipping up noodles unfortunately makes it more bread like (#tear!).
Plus, while it can take about an hour to put together (counting resting time and depending on the amount to shape), think of it as meal prepping supreme. The pasta can be cooked after briefly thawing it out, making it ideal for a quick weeknight meal!
The Flours
I’m using our famous Crazy Keto Dough (for everything!) here… but without the baking powder. You have encountered the base dough already in our famous keto tortillas and subsequently in our keto ravioli.
Think almost the same ingredients: super fine almond flour (Anthony’s super fine is awesome) and coconut flour (again Anthony’s, best taste and texture by a mile!), a touch of xanthan gum and an egg. But slightly wetter, allowing for better rolling and cooking.
Fact is, the recipe for this keto pasta is very similar to the staple fresh egg Italian. Think roughly a cup of grain free flours per egg, and a little water as needed.
Allergic to nuts? I’ve heard great things about substituting the almond flour with sunflower seed meal or pumpkin seed meal from readers. Color and taste will be different though.
Otherwise, no substituting flours here and the xanthan gum is absolutely necessary. And, if possible, weigh your ingredients for consistent results.
The Method
This pasta dough is, perhaps surprisingly, very easy to shape (particularly with a little practice!). I timed myself and it took me 30 minutes to shape cavatelli and 20 for the orecchiete and farfalle. And maybe I’m into manual work, but I’ve always found making homemade pasta to be ultra relaxing.
As mentioned, however, that the shape of choice (for most pasta-like results) are the cavatelli. Both because the ridges help the sauce to stick better, and for the resulting texture and mouthfeel.
Though you’ll need to procure a (9 bucks!) cavatelli & gnocchi board. Cavatelli are very similar to gnocchi in shape (which you can make too!), though slightly thinner and with more of a bite.
Otherwise orecchiette and farfalle (i.e. butterflies or bows) are super easy to make, and yield wonderful results too.
And, as many of you know already, you can make killer ravioli with this dough. Check out the full ravioli recipe post for deets and tips!
The trick to even shaping? Divide the dough in four, roll into a log and slice off pieces (see picture below). This is a traditional Italian method to ensure even-sized pasta.
How To Cook This Keto Pasta
You’ll want to freeze the shaped pasta for 15 minutes prior to cooking. And yes, you can go ahead and freeze them too (think a couple months!), but thaw them out slightly before cooking.
You’ll also want to always cook these guys in a little olive oil or butter, never in water (they’ll just be mushy as keto flours cook very differently). But they’re absolutely killer lightly fried.
Though be sure to only cook this low carb and keto pasta until it just begins to get some color. I found this is the best way to get an al dente-like texture. Soft, but with a nice bite.
(Fresh Egg!) Dairy Free & Keto Pasta
Oh, and if baking with cups rather than grams is your thing, just click on US Cups for an instant conversion.
Ingredients
For the keto pasta dough
- 96 g almond flour
- 24 g coconut flour
- 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 2-4 teaspoons water as needed
To cook
- 56 g grass-fed unsalted butter as needed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic slivered, optional (but highly suggested!)
Special equipment (optional)
Instructions
For the keto pasta dough
- Add almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum and salt to food processor. Pulse until thoroughly combined. Note: you can alternatively whisk everything in a large bowl and use a hand or stand mixer for the following steps.
- Pour in apple cider vinegar with the food processor running. Once it has distributed evenly, pour in the egg. Add water teaspoon by teaspoon, as needed, until the dough forms into a ball. The dough should be firm, yet sticky to touch and with no creases (which mean the dough is dry and you need to add a little more water).
- If no food processor is at hand, you can also do it by hand (it just takes a little more time and arm muscle!). Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Pour in vinegar and whisk until thoroughly distributed. Pour in egg while whisking vigorously and keep whisking until the dough becomes too stiff to whisk. Using your hands, knead the dough until thoroughly incorporated, adding a teaspoon of water at a time as needed (we use 2).
- Wrap dough in cling film and knead it through the plastic for a couple minutes. Think of it a bit like a stress ball. Allow dough to rest for 30 minutes (and up to 5 days) in the fridge.
To shape
- Farfalle (i.e. bows) and orecchiette are probably the quickest shapes to make. Though cavatelli might just be my favorite, but you'll need a board (see special equipment for details).
- For farfalle: roll out the pasta to its thinnest point using a tortilla press between parchment paper (our favorite) or a pasta machine. You can also use a rolling pin, but it'll take a little longer. Cut into roughly 2x1-inch rectangles. And if you're fuzzy about presentation, use a knife to cut lengthwise and a pastry cutter to cut widthwise.
- For orecchiette: cut dough into 4 pieces, roll out into even-sized logs and slice off even-sized pieces. This will ensure evenly-sized pasta. Using your thumb, press each piece against your opposite palm, creating an indentation. Lightly dust with coconut flour as needed. You can either leave them as they are or turn them out (see post for gif images).
- For cavatelli: cut dough into 4 pieces, roll out into even-sized logs and slice off even-sized pieces. This will ensure evenly-sized pasta. Lightly dust the board and pasta pieces with coconut flour. Place a piece on the board and using a knife press the dough towards you, angling the knife tip upwards as you press (see post for gif images), making the pasta curl into shape.
- Place shaped pasta in the freezer for 15 minutes (and up to a couple months).
To cook
- Heat up butter and oil in a skillet or pan over low heat. Once warm, add in garlic slivers. When the garlic begins to brown, add in chilled pasta and baste right away.
- Cook pasta until it just begins to get some color, we found this gave the most 'al dente' texture (soft but with a bite). Feel free to make a test with one piece.
- Serve right away with toppings of choice.
I don’t subscribe to your mailings because I won’t try and interpret grams to cups/ other measurements. If you don’t get that many requests from the US or other countries, that is why.
Pat K if you stroll down to the bottom of the ingred list and click on grams/ cups it will convert it for you.
Hi Pat K. I’ve been using recipies on here for a few months now and have found that all have both metric and cups. You just have to tap your preference in the recipe section. It’s my favourite ‘go to’ site for great keto dishes and I’d heartily recommend you give it a go. All the best to you.
I’m sure she gets plenty of people from the US, like myself, because she is one of the few that actually DOES offer the conversion with a simple click of a button. That said, accurate cooking/baking, especially for keto, is not measured in cups. I only use the conversion to US cups to get an idea of how much of the ingredient I am going to need but I always weigh all ingredients so prefer metric. Wish the US would do it the right way like so much of the rest of the world. Cups leaves far too much room for variable amounts, where grams are precise. Usually if I see a recipe gone wrong, my first thought is they likely used cups and didn’t weigh ingredients.
The cup measurement you’re talking about is only used in the US. The standard US cup measurement is 240ml while many other countries use 250ml. Cooks in many other countries are used to the precision of weighing ingredients because then they can be shared internationally. A gram is always a gram but a cup is not always a cup. The way you put it in your comment was like someone was attacking you personally. A scale is very inexpensive and will allow for better accuracy in the long run.
Get a kitchen scale. Weight is a much more accurate way to measure, rather than volume.
I will have to disagree with this statement. I am from the USA and I prefer using the metric system to cook with. It is more accurate and you can be sure to get the same results pretty much each time you cook, especially in baking.
I agree here! I’m in the US, and absolutely love weighing out my ingredients, much prefer the metric when it’s offered. 🙂
I can’t get the bowties to stick without falling apart!!! I am curious if maybe my dough consistency isn’t accruate for it. It’s just feels grainy a bit either that or I am going too thin or too thick! I know I can get the hang of it but do you have any tips on the bowties?
Can you substitute the coconut flour for anything else? I am allergic to coconut. 🙁
Can you use pasta machine to cut into fettuccini? Also can you dry this pasta overnight, or does it have to be kept frozen till ready to use? Thank you
Hi if I wish to replace the almond flour with whey protein isolate – would this be a 1:1 ratio replacement? If not to how much per single recipe. You see I would prefer a more neutral flavored pasta especially when pairing with traditional pesto. Would this 1:1 ratio also work with oat fiber to replace the coconut flour? Not knocking on the original recipe. I happen to think it works amazing; even in my crappy dorm kitchenette. This is just personal preference and would like some advice on other replacements.
Is there a way I can use these in meal prep for lunches? I only have access to a microwave at work though.
Thank you for sharing your recipes! I purchased the cook book to support your journey. I just made the pasta this morning and had a serving for lunch with marinara sauce. Oh boy! it was so delicious!! I made one substitution. I used 1/4 cup of Lupin flour (purchased on amazon). I subtracted one tablesppon of almond flour. Everything else was the same. After resting for the 30 minutes. I made cavatelli. I experimented with the preparation. I fried a couple and gently boiled a couple (taking them out once they floated). Personally, I much preferred the boiled ones. They were soft and pillowy and delicious!! I can’t wait to make cavatelli and broccoli! I am so excited to have this pasta replacement!
I was wanting to make these for Chicken gnocchi soup like from olive garden. Would you recommend just putting them in after the soup is done? or would these not work at all for this? Thank you
I loved this recipe! It kept sticking to my hands when shaping the dough, so i kept my hands greased with olive oil which covered up the coconut flour taste for me. (Thanks for the tip to try Anthony’s or oat fiber instead, too.) You must be one of the most creative recipe bloggers I’ve come across. Keep up the great posts!
Looks beautiful. Easy to roll out and cut. Simple to cook. Alas, to me, it tastes like a coconut cookie which did not pair well at all with marinara sauce.
If you’re using the coconut flour from Bobs I encourage you to try Anthony’s (it tastes neutral… bobs is just weird!) xo!
Is it possible to make this as a long pasta like linguini? Will it hold up when cooking?
Hi. Can I shape this pasta as Fettuccine?
TIA. x
Any idea how these work baked? Would they maybe hold up better fried first?
They bake fine! They just come out a bit breadier xo!
Make sure to eat it right after frying. I tried this and cooked it reaaaaally goo. Then I had some for my lunchbox and it was… well good. Maybe because the dough absorbed all the sauce. and the textture is not good after it has been soaked. Even if you reheat it in microwave. I say I will definitely cook this again but not bring it to office for my lunch.
I agree with this! Keto flours aren’t grains so they just absorb liquids and get mushy # tear (I’m sorry- promise I’m working on an alternative though!)
Would it be fine if you cook them keep them separate from sauce heat them up later then add sauce?
Would this work with a kitchenaid pasta press? (The one that can punch out macaroni)
This didn’t really remind me of pasta per se… but maybe gnocchi (minus the fluffiness). However, it turned out fabulous! I followed the recipe and ended up flattening small pieces of dough and wrapping them around a mushroom ravioli filling. I pan fried in butter and garlic, as recommended, but added italian seasoning to the butter for extra flavor as it cooked. The rest of my family had regular homemade raviolis but they tried and enjoyed mine as well!
This recipe looks delicious. Is there any way you could list the equivalent amount by cup size in the Nutrition Facts? I can’t find a quantity amount for what 50 grams of noodles looks like. It equals to 1 oz, but how much is that? 1/4 cup? 1/2 cup? 1 Tablespoon? That would be very helpful. Thanks.
Beside the black bar in recipe that say metric it says US Cups. Just press that and it converts it. All recipes has this feature. I am grateful for this consideration. Thank you gnom-gnom!
My pleasure!!
At the end of the list of ingredients, it has the option of metric or US cups. Just click on that button and then it automatically converts the recipe for you!
1/4 cup
I agree. I’m trying to find that out too. Clicking the word cups does change the recipe to American measurements, but that doesn’t do anything to tell me later on how big a serving size 50 grams is.
Hi Sue.
Do you have a scale? Here in Europe we just measure things. It works great. Most scales these days will let you change from pounds to grams if they are digital, or will have both measurements if they are analog.
Hope it helps.
Hi Sue, if you don’t have a scale or just don’t feel like weighing anything, know that a 50g serving is 1/4 of the entire recipe. The recipe says it is for 4 servings, so if you just look at your skillet and divide it into 4’s, you’ve got yourself about 50 grams. I hope that helps.
is it possible to do with all almond flour/no coconut flour? does anybody know how that might come out? i have everything else i need and am feeling lazy about going to the store.
I feel the same way!
I would love to know this also, since I am allergic to coconut.
Can i use psyllium husk instead xanthan gum
Is it possible to quickly boil them till all dente like you would do with regular pasta?
Coconut allergies suck!
If you can have oat fiber it makes a good sub 😉 (recent discovery!)
Oat fiber for which ingredient?
The coconut flour Ressa xo!
How do you store them?
I was worried. I read my ingredients and follow the instructions to the letter. I made the little bow ties. I put them in the freezer for 15 minutes and I fried them in garlic and olive oil. They were so good. I think they would definitely stand up to any sauce that you added to them (after they were fried) I can’t wait to try them as fried ravioli. I’m also going to stuff a few with ricotta and sauerkraut, fry them, dress them with sour cream, and call them a pierogi.
I read in the comments that you wouldn’t recommend this for egg noodles. Can I put this through my pasta extruder make spaghetti or macaroni, etc?
Hi.. I printed this and can’t wait to make this!
Can you tell me.. I have an Italian pasta machine… can I use that to roll out the dough.. and then use it to make fettuccine and spaghetti with?? Or only use it to make the shapes that you have suggested??
These made Great Breakfast Skillets!!! My husband can’t tell they are not potatoes!!!
Thank you for all of your recipes !!!!
I used a rolling pin to flatten out my pasta, so that might have been my problem. I cut them like egg noodles. When I fried them up, they puffed up more than I expected, and they really resembled french fries, even the soft texture was very reminiscent of them. The only thing missing was the salt, and ketchup. I don’t think I will try this again.
Hi Kimberly! Unfortunately you made the ONE shape of pasta that I HIGHLY suggest you guys NOT to make (they just come out like tortilla chips IMO!). You need a gnocchi-style shape for the hack to work 😉
Hi, my dough tastes a lot of almond. Does anyone have any tips for spices that would mask this, or anything I could do differently with the next batch? I also found that is crumbled and was hard to shape. Any tips? or explanations for what could be wrong?
Mine tasted strongly of almonds too so i thought “morroccan” and added garlic ,harrissa paste and frozen prawns and tomato passata. So chile ,tomato chilli vibe and was very tasty and didnt waste it but wont be doing it with almond flour again :))
Mine turned out more like little pieces of bread, rather than pasta, but it was still super tasty, and will have a lot of utility for me in the future.
That pasta looks super fresh and delicious.
Hi all, keto here. This recipe “works” fine. I formed cute little cavatelli by pressing/rolling little cylinders of the dough off the tines of a fork. I fried them as directed and they kept their shape perfectly during frying and saucing. But the texture was still mush to the tooth. Also the coconut taste is present on the tongue, even though I cheated and floured the fork and my thumb with AP flour while forming the cavatelli. The coconut taste clashed with my bolognese sauce.
It was worth the try since so many of the recipes on this site are wonderful — but I’ll make a little real pasta for an occasional cheat day, or I’ll just add lots of sauteed mushrooms to the bolognese sauce and just have a bowl of sauce. If I try this again I’ll shape the dough into small gnocchi and serve with a butter- or cream-based sauce. That might work because I won’t be thinking “pasta.”
Ime you can probably just use fathead pizza dough which has no coconut flour. I made a test gnocchi with tonight’s pizza… turned out great.
Wait…what? Elaborate please!! 😉 We use fathead quite often and would love to use it as a sub for gnocchi!!!
YOU HAVE SUCH GREAT RECIPES!, COULD I MAKE THIS DOUGH INTO LASAGNA SHEETS?.
ohhhhh Awesome Idea!!!
This is what I would like to know as well. Can I make baked Lasagna with this crazy Keto dough?
Are there any lower carb flours you could use that are not as sweet as the almond and/or coconut flour?
Carbalose. Flour