Last year I got a pasta machine for Christmas. I’m ashamed to admit that it was still in its box until now.
When I was 8 or 9 my father lived in Rotterdam. Every other weekend I went to visit him. My father didn’t have any other friends with kids, so we didn’t do the typical kids stuff. Sure we went to the zoo, but also to museums, the opera, and all those things you appreciate now, but as a kid probably not as much as I should have. And on Sunday we cooked: our own curries, bread and also pasta from scratch. I must say, where making your own pasta seemed like a day task when I was a kid, it’s a lot easier now as an adult!
To try out my pasta machine, I immediately went for an experiment: a gluten-free, vegan pasta.
To replace the eggs, I used chia seeds with water. I guess you can grind the seeds first, if you want a smoother result. I was lazy so I just used them without grinding, the result is more or less the same.
- 2 cups of quinoa flour
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds with 6 tbsp hot water, soaked and stirred until a paste forms
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup warm water
How to:
- Make a well with your dry ingredients.
- Pour the oil, the chia seed mixture and some of the water into the well and start to incorporate some of the flour into the liquid, being careful not to break “the well wall”.
- Gradually add more water as needed to moisten all the flour. It will seem like you don’t have enough water, but this dough should not be sticky or soft. You will have to use your hands to knead the dough and have it start to stick together. It will be kind of dry compared to other doughs.
- Let it rest by wrapping in plastic wrap and sitting it on the counter for about 20 minutes.
- Divide the dough in quarters and roll out with a rolling pin thin enough to feed into the pasta machine on its largest setting. There will be lots of cracks and uneven edges; that’s okay.
- Take the first rollout and fold over in thirds or half. Turn 90 degrees and feed into the roller again. Do this a few times, adjust the thickness level one level thinner and repeat until you have the desired thickness you want.
- Once you’ve got your dough the thickness and texture you want, you can then cut into noodles, lasagna sheets, stamp into ravioli, etc.
- Boil for maximum 3 minutes.
All pictures by Stijn van Minnebruggen.
Why is this called Quinoa Pasta when it’s actually made with chickpeas and not quinoa?
Hi,
I have changed it to quinoa. I planned on making it with chickpea flour but changed last minute.
I’m sure you can make it with both.
i’m really interested in trying your recipe! i have a few questions- why is it called quinoa pasta but no quinoa in the ingredients? am i just not seeing it somewhere? also, do you think i could replace the chia seeds with flaxseed meal and water? this looks spectacular!
Hi,
I have changed it to quinoa. I planned on making it with chickpea flour but changed last minute.
I’m sure you can make it with both.
You can also replace the chia seeds with flaxseed, but I would suggest to use the grinded version.
Good luck!
I love the idea of making pasta with other flours than wheat. I will ty both with quinoa as with chickpea flour. Reading the above comments I gather that the recipe used to read “chickpea flour” (at least I did not find the chickpeas mentioned anymore). I am curious: have you tried it with quinoa or did you just change the recipe. The pictures – are they quinoa or chickpea?
Hi,
I’m so sorry for the mix-up. The photo’s are with quinoa flour.
But you can try both, I’m sur with chickpea flour it will taste great as well.
Hey there, No apology needed!!!And thanks for responding! I was just curious! I will definately give this recipe a try!
If I would put quinoa into my food processor, and run it until it’s a powdery texture, would that be considered quinoa flour?
I bought the flour so I had to look it up, but apparently you can easily make the flour yourself.
Just toast the quinoa for 5 minutes in a skillet, let it cool down and blend it in a foodprocessor.
I hope this works! Good luck!
I’ve always enjoyed making fresh pasta. I can’t wait to try this one both ways.
So glad I found this recipe! I have a whole bag of quinoa just begging to be used!
Thank you!
So thankful that I found your blog through Pinterest. Made this pasta last night with flax meal and it turned out deliciously – thanks for sharing. We used the noodles as a base for chicken alfredo. Love the photos, look of your blog, and your written ‘voice’; quite authentic. I’m looking forward to more of your posts!
Thank you so much for your kind words, this made my day!
I have always wanted to try making pasta and I recently discovered I really like quinoa.Looking forward to trying your recipes! And I concur with A.P. above…..glad I found your blog PinchofMe :)
Nice to “meet” you both!
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What a creative & tasty home-made pasta!! Waw! I am so going to make this stunning pasta with my own pasta machine! yeah!!
Hi, this looks like a great recipe! I’ve had boxed quinoa pasta, and I’ve noticed that it falls apart while cooking. Did these noodles fall apart at all? Thanks!
Hi,
The pasta is a little dryer than the normal one, but it didn’t fell apart. Just don’t cook it too long!
This looks like a great recipe! I’ve eaten boxed quinoa pasta and it seems to fall apart while cooking. Did you notice these noodles falling apart at all? Thanks!
Thank you so much for this recipe. A couple of questions: If I wanted to use eggs instead of the chia seeds, how many eggs would this take? Can the pasta be frozen? How long would it last in the refrigerator?
Thanks.
Ed
Hi,
Most fresh pasta recipes don’t use eggs, so you can make it with or without. To keep the same consistency I would suggest replacing the chia seeds with two eggs.
I have never tried freezing the pasta, but I guess it’s possible. In the refrigerator I would keep it for a maximum of 2 days. Keep in mind that it will dry a bit, so it will break a bit faster.
Good luck!
I freeze fresh pasta all the time as did my mother. Just allow a few extra minutes for it to cook when go to cook it.
Actually, traditional Italians do make pasta with eggs. The ratio is one egg and one cup of flour for every person eating. Then you add just enough water to reach the consistency you need for kneading. :)
Mine has been in the box for two years but this recipe has inspired me to take it out and use it.
If I wanted to use eggs instead of the chia seeds how many eggs would I use? Tks!
Nvm I see the answer to this question above! Tks. :-)
Have you tried it again with ground chia seeds?
Not yet.
So if you have, I’m curious about the result…
This is so wonderful….i’ve been on the search for a pasta brand that only uses quinoa flour as I don’t have the time to make pasta everyday ( would be nice though). Do you know of a pasta brand that only use quinoa flour?. All the brands I’ve found incorporate wheat, rice or corn.Thanks for the recipe.
The store bought quinoa version I have also has wheat in it.
I will look for it the next time I go buy some…
Thanks
Hi, We are in the Moringa Business: http://www.MoringaSpirit.com. and are very into healthy living. We are trying to develope a healthy pasta using Moringa powder and Quinoa flour. I really like your blog, photos,etc. Do you think this pasta can be dried and sold and packaged like other pastas? Any help and suggestions greatly appreciated! Maybe you would like working with us to bring this to the marketplace! Gene at Moringa Spirit.
Hi,
Since you don’t really use ingredients with a fast experience date I guess you can package it.
But it’s fragile, so I’m not sure how you can keep it looking good.
Sorry no big help, but I really have no idea…
best
Thanks for your quick response to my comments. I guess the bottom line is experiment! Any suggestions from your readers with tips or ideas will be really appreciated! Thanks.
How many servings did this make?
We ate it for dinner with 3 people and not that big eaters.
So I would say for 2 persons a good portion.
Thanks! :)
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