A simple, from-scratch meal that takes less time than you think.

If you had told me a few years ago that I’d be milling wheat and making homemade pasta from scratch, I would’ve laughed. I was the queen of microwave dinners and boxed noodles. I thought “homemade pasta” was something reserved for professional chefs with rolling pins the size of baseball bats and kitchens lined with marble countertops. Turns out… it’s really not that complicated.

The surprising truth: it’s fast!

Here’s the thing that shocked me: making pasta from scratch doesn’t actually take that much longer than making it from a box.

When I start this meal, I put a big pot of water on the stove first thing. By the time the dough is mixed, rolled, and cut, the water is boiling and ready to go. Fresh pasta cooks in about 2-5 minutes, while dried boxed pasta takes 10-15 minutes to soften. You actually save time waiting for the water to boil when you make it fresh!

It’s one of those simple little homemaking secrets that makes you feel like you’ve unlocked a whole new level of life – like, oh, I can actually do this.

Five ingredients. That’s it.

The best part? This whole meal is made from just five basic ingredients:

Tomatoes (4 cups, chopped, peeled if desired)
Olive oil (~4 tbsp)
Flour (2 cups)
Eggs (2 room temp)
Salt (to taste)

That’s it. Nothing fancy. No long list of things you’ll never use again. Just real, good, simple food.

Step-by-Step Method

I begin by starting the sauce: sautéing 3-5 cloves of garlic in olive oil (garlic is optional but who can resist that smell?) and toss in 4 cups chopped tomatoes from the garden – or canned ones if it’s winter and the vines are resting. Either are great! It simmers while we roll out the pasta, filling the kitchen with that cozy, dinnertime warmth that feels like home.

Once the sauce ingredients are comfortably simmering on low, mix your pasta ingredients: 2 cups flour, 2 eggs, and salt to taste. Dump the flour on the table, make a well for the eggs, break eggs with a fork, then slowly but surely incorporate the eggs into the flour. This feels very messy at first. The dough is sticky/shaggy. Just keep smushing it together with your hands! It will eventually come together.

At this point you can cover your dough and let it rest for 15 minutes. Or you can be impatient like me and immediately start rolling it out 😁. Take a fistful of your dough, and put it through the bar roller of your pasta maker (or roll it out with a rolling pin, have some more flour nearby to sprinkle if things are too sticky). Roll out your dough to the desired thinness.

If using a the manual pasta maker, put your pasta through each level 2 to 4 times: starting at 0 and working your way up to level 5 or 6. Your sheet will not look pretty right away, it takes a few times going through the roller for it to come together to form a nice sheet.

Once you have your sheet of pasta, you can put it through the pasta-cutting section of your manual pasta maker (I have a fettuccini or spaghetti option), or you can use a knife/pizza cutter to cut your sheets into pasta noodle strips!

Toss your pasta noodles into your water that should be at a rolling boil now. Boil for 2-5 minutes until desire doneness. Top with your chunky sauce, some parmesan, and enjoy!

Step-by-Step Pictures (scroll through)

The “from-scratch” mindset

When I first started learning how to cook from scratch, I thought it had to be complicated. I imagined everything taking hours, needing expensive equipment, and requiring a ton of patience I didn’t have.

But this dish is proof that simple is enough. You mix flour and eggs, knead it for a few minutes, and let it rest while you clean up the counter. Then roll it thin, slice it into noodles, and drop it into boiling water. That’s it.

And honestly, there’s something deeply satisfying about watching those ribbons of dough puff slightly in the pot. You feel a little old-fashioned, a little proud, and a lota grateful.

From microwave to homemade

Growing up, I didn’t really know what it meant to cook a meal. I ate most of my dinners in front of the TV, microwaving frozen trays that came with a brownie in the corner and a film of plastic over the top.

So the fact that I now make food with ingredients I milled myself—on purpose!—still surprises me sometimes.

But what surprises me even more is how normal it feels. How natural. Cooking used to feel stressful, like one more chore in an already long day. Now it feels grounding. It’s something we can do together, with the kids mixing flour or sneaking bites of tomato while I stir the sauce.

Dinner used to mean noise and rush. Now, it means a table full of laughter and a sense that we made something together—something worth slowing down for.

Faith at the table

There’s a verse in Ecclesiastes that always makes me think of moments like this:

“So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad.” –Ecclesiastes 8:15

When we eat together-especially when it’s something we made with our own hands-it’s a little reminder of God’s provision. He didn’t just give us food to survive; He gave it so we could enjoy it, together.

And the funny thing is, even though this meal feels special, it doesn’t take any more effort than a drive-thru or a boxed dinner. It’s just a shift in mindset. Shifting from “convenience mindset” to a “connection mindset”.

The beauty in slowing down (just a little)

I think we often imagine that cooking from scratch takes too much time. But maybe it’s not about the time-it’s about the pace. When we slow down just enough to notice, even a 30-minute dinner can feel like a gift.

It’s not perfect. Someone spills flour. The sauce splatters. The toddler insists on “helping” with the rolling pin. But we’re doing it together.

And when we finally sit down and taste that first bite-fresh pasta, chunky tomato sauce, the bubbling of family chatter-it hits me:
This is the kind of simple abundance I used to think only other people had.
Turns out, I just had to make it.

Happy Eating!

❤️ Rachel

Easy Homemade Durham Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

There's something timeless about a bowl of pasta made from scratch. This rustic tomato sauce comes together with just a handful of simple ingredients. It’s the kind of meal that reminds you how little it takes to make something nourishing: a few pantry staples, a good stir, and a family gathered around the table.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Resting Time 10

Servings: 4 people

Course: Main Course

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

Tomato Sauce

4 cups chopped tomatoes peeled if desired
2-4 tbsp olive oil
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste

Pasta

2 cups freshly milled durham flour or store-bought semolina
2 large eggs room temp
salt to taste

Equipment

1 Pasta Extruder or a rolling pin will do

Method

Tomato Sauce

Sauté garlic in oil, add tomatoes, let simmer over low-med heat until thickened (15-20 minutes). Season and toss with hot pasta.

Pasta

Form a well in flour: On your counter or in a large bowl, make a well in the flour and add in the eggs and salt.
Mix: Gently whisk the eggs with a fork, gradually pulling flour in from the sides until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead: Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add a touch of water if it’s too dry. Sprinkle some flour if it's too wet.
Rest: Cover and let it rest for 10-20 minutes at room temperature. (If you have the patience for that…)
Roll & Cut: Roll out thin sheets (by hand or with a pasta roller machine) and cut into desired shape. I do fettuccini or spaghetti!
(Note: if using manual pasta machine, start with level 0 roller, roll pasta 2-4 times until it forms a nice-looking sheet. Roll pasta sheet through each roller level, working your way up to level 5 or 6. You will have a long thin sheet of pasta. Then move to cutting.)
Cook: Boil in salted water for 2-5 minutes or until just tender. Drain and toss immediately with your Rustic Tomato Sauce.
Optional: Add home-grown basil or a sprinkle of parmesan for richness