This almond flour pasta is an amazing way to enjoy pasta while eating low carb, paleo, or gluten free. It’s delicious and can be shaped into almost any pasta you’re craving. It’s way more authentic than zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash–here’s everything you need to know about these keto pasta noodles!
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Why You’ll Love This Almond Flour Pasta
The difference between store-bought dried pasta and fresh, tender homemade pasta is a world of flavor, texture, and satisfaction. Here are more reasons to love this recipe:
- 3 simple ingredients
- Easy! I promise!
- Delicious, tender noodles
- Low carb, gluten free, and keto
Almond Flour Pasta Ingredients + Notes
You only need three ingredients to make this almond flour pasta, but for the perfect taste and texture, check out these notes, as not all products are created equally:
- Almond flour is both dense and high in fat–aiding the rich and chewy pasta taste and texture. Be sure to purchase a fine grained almond flour; it’ll integrate best with the other ingredients, otherwise, your keto pasta can get grainy.
- Xanthan gum – Since we’re using almond flour, there’s no natural source of gluten, so we’ll need to add a binding agent. Xanthan gum helps act as a connector for all the ingredients in your pasta, making sure your noodles stay in noodle form.
- Eggs – Eggs are an important component of any pasta dough. They bring needed richness while smoothing out the pasta, giving your finished noodles that signature color and taste.
- Mozzarella cheese is not needed, BUT, after testing this recipe 1,345,324 times, we found we def prefer the texture of this almond flour pasta recipe with a bit of cheese in there. Because to cook our pasta, we will lightly sear it in a pan. Now, when your dough has a bit of cheese in there, that means the edges of the cheese crisp up in your pan for an even better texture.
My goal with this recipe was a totally dairy-free option (for those of us who have SO much cheese with all our other meals), and this pasta works wonderfully without it! It’s truly delicious either way.
Tools To Make
While making your own pasta dough may seem daunting, I promise it’s accessible! Depending on the shape you’re going for, you’ll need a few additional tools here are the keto almond flour pasta basics:
- Large bowl – to combine the ingredients.
- Microwave (if using the cheese) – to melt the cheese. A double boiler will work as well.
- Plastic wrap – to wrap the dough.
Now, a few additional tools may be needed depending on the type of pasta you’d like to make:
How to Make Keto Pasta
After you’ve formed the almond flour pasta dough, you’ll want to work in batches, and keep the rest of the dough covered. This prevents it from drying out and becoming too hard to use.
You’ll also want to work with wet hands. I find it easiest to prep a bowl of water in front of your cutting board, so you can dip your fingers whenever necessary.
Cavatelli (right):
One of the easiest noodles to make. The roll, lengthen, curl process may take a bit of getting used to, but luckily, you can rework the dough so none of it goes to waste!
- Roll the dough into a long 1/3″ diameter rope.
- Cut the rope into 1/3″ square pieces.
- Take each piece of dough and roll it on your surface using your index and middle finger, pulling the dough towards you so it lengthens and forms a slight curl.
Conchiglie (left):
I LOVE these noodles! They’re also known as shell noodles and are specifically designed to hold more sauce!
- Same as above, however, instead of pressing your dough on a flat surface, you’ll want to do this on the back of the prongs of a fork (or gnocchi board if you have one!).
Orecchiette:
Small “ear-shaped” pasta. These are super easy to make and they scoop up loads of sauce (which is the best part!).
Traditionally these are made using steps 1-2 above, then taking the back of a butter knife and rolling each piece of dough until it curls into ear-shaped pieces. I prefer to (because it makes prettier shaped noodles):
- Pinch off a penny-sized piece of dough.
- Roll it between your hands to form a ball.
- Use your thumb to press into the center of the ball and flatten the dough into a round disk.
Farfalle:
Who doesn’t LOVE bowtie pasta? For some reason, these noodles are more fun to eat. To make them:
- Roll your dough between 2 sheets of parchment until it’s 1/4″ thick.
- Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into rectangles that are about 1 1/2″ x 1″. (Traditionally, a pizza cutter is used in one direction, and a ravioli cutter is used in the other to give the pasta that decorative edge.)
- Pick up the dough and pinch each square in the center.
Another super easy one! This one is perfect if you’re craving penne — although it differs from penne in that you can see the seam of the rolled noodle.
- Repeat steps 1-2 above (only use a pizza cutter)
- Place a chopstick on one corner of the rectangle, and roll the dough.
- Once you get to the edge, remove the chopstick and pinch the tip so the pasta stays in place.
Storing, Freezing + Reheating
Once you’ve made your raw pasta dough and shaped it into noodles, you can absolutely store it and cook it just before you plan to eat it.
- To store: Pop raw noodles in an airtight container or a bag and store them in your fridge for a few days.
- To freeze: Spread your pasta in a single layer across a rimmed cookie sheet and place it in the freezer for an hour (this will prevent the noodles from sticking together). Then toss frozen pasta in a large resealable baggie, making sure to release as much air as possible before sealing.
- To reheat from frozen: Allow noodles to defrost, then cook in a pan as you would fresh noodles.
Serving Recommendations
Use this keto pasta recipe as you would any traditional pasta–tossed in your favorite sauce and serve as a side to meat and veggies. Here are some of my favorites:
- Keto spaghetti sauce with keto meatballs, like these mozzarella stuffed meatballs
- Or, if you’re looking for more protein, try this keto bolognese
- Your favorite pesto recipe
- Keto alfredo sauce
Recipe FAQs + Variations
Now, for the fun part! Let’s see what kind of changes we can make to this keto almond flour pasta recipe.
- Use This Dough to Make Gnocchi. It works BEAUTIFULLY. Keto gnocchi is another recipe I love to make in bulk and freeze, for nights when I’m craving pasta and feeling lazy.
- Use This Dough To Make Ravioli. I love making low-carb ravioli with this recipe and stuffing each pocket with my favorite ravioli fillings, like cheese or spinach. Similar to this recipe, you don’t want to boil the ravioli in water, rather pan sear it.
- This recipe can not be used to make spaghetti. Unfortunately, the dough is not strong enough to go through a pasta maker.
- This dough can’t be boiled like traditional pasta. The almond flour base with disintegrate when added to water.
More Keto Pasta Recipes
- Cabbage Lasagna
- Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti Squash
- Zucchini Ravioli
- Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
- Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Almond Flour Pasta
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 2 Cup Almond Flour
- 1 1/2 Teaspoon Xanthan Gum
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 Eggs large
- 2 Ounces Mozzarella Shredded* OPTIONAL (see notes below)
To Cook Pasta:
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Instructions
Make The Dough:
- (If using cheese!) Melt the cheese (2 Ounces) in a large, heat-safe bowl. This can be done in the microwave or in a double boiler.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
- Add dry ingredients to the melted cheese, along with eggs (2 large in size). Work quickly to stir everything together and form the dough into a ball.
- Cut the ball into four pieces.
- Place 3 of the four pieces in plastic wrap, and work on 1 piece at a time to shape the pasta. The dough should be easy to form and gummy.
Shape The Pasta:
- To form cavatelli, conchiglie or orecchiette:– Roll the dough into a long 1/3″ diameter rope.- Cut the rope into 1/3″ square pieces.– For CAVATELLI: Take each piece of dough and roll it on your surface using your index and middle finger, pulling the dough towards you so it lengthens and forms a slight curl.– For CONCHIGLIE: Take each piece of dough and roll it along the prongs of the back of a fork surface using your index and middle finger, pulling the dough towards you so it lengthens and forms a slight curl.– For ORCCHIETTE: Take each piece of dough and roll it on your surface using the back of a butter knife, pulling the dough towards you so it lengthens and forms a slight curl.
- To form farfalle and garganelli:– Roll your dough between 2 sheets of parchment until it’s 1/4″ thick.– Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into rectangles that are about 1 1/2″ x 1″.– For FARFALLE: Pick up the dough and pinch each square in the center.– For GARGANELLI: Place a chopstick on one corner of the rectangle, and roll the dough. Once you get to the edge, remove the chopstick and pinch the tip so the pasta stays in place.
Cook The Pasta:
- Heat olive oil (1 tablespoon) in a large pan over medium heat.
- Once shimmering, add the pasta and toss to coat in the oil.
- Cook until each side gets a bit of color. Cooking the pasta too long will make it hard and brittle.
- Cover in your favorite sauce and serve immediately. Enjoy!
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Lindsey’s Tips
- Crumbly dough? The dough should be easy to work with and gummy. If not, there’s a chance the eggs may have been too small. If this is the case, add 1 teaspoon of oil at a time until it stays together.
- Almond Flour. Use a fine-grained almond flour for the best texture.
- Mozzarella. I like to add the mozzarella, as it crisps up along the edges when it cooks. That said, it isn’t necessary, the noodles will bind well without it.
Can you put this in a electric pasta machine?
Hi there! No, unfortunately, the dough is not elastic enough and breaks apart in the machine. Currently testing other recipes that can pass through one so stay tuned!
Net carbs per serving. And how many noodles per serving?
Hi there! It depends on the size and shape of your noodles (everyone will make a different shape). The easiest way to calculate is to make the noodles and divide the dough into 8 equal servings — 1 serving is displayed with the nutritional information. Enjoy!
I tried to make these and they look and taste very much like dry biscuits / cookies, there wasn’t much of a pasta taste/consistency. Am I doing something wrong? I tried to cook for just a short time until they had a bit of a brown color.
Hi Aimee, sorry to hear you didn’t like the taste. They should be much smaller than a biscuit/cookie, more the size of a piece of pasta — I wonder if this is why you didn’t enjoy the recipe? Also, if you found the recipe dry, I recommend adding a bit of oil to the dough (see the notes section of the recipe card). The difference may be the size of your egg. Happy to continue troubleshooting with you!
Hello, have you ever tried to bake the pasta instead to fry?
Hi Maike! No I haven’t, but would love to hear how it goes if you give it a try! I would worry it would cook too much in the oven, you want a really quick sear to prevent it from getting crumbly. Either way, let me know how it goes.
Will macadamian nuts work? They are high in oils. I used them in a flourless cake and it turned out great.
Hi! I haven’t tried that so can’t promise the same results, but if you give it a try, let me know how it goes!
Hi. How much pasta does this recipe make? In oz or cup or pound wise, please.
Hi Bekka! It depends on the shape you’re making — I would estimate about 4 cups of pasta? Enjoy!
Can you freeze the pasta after u make them in individual servings?
Absolutely! Just let the pasta thaw a bit before cooking it on the stove, and enjoy!
What is the serving size for 4 grams net carbs?
Hi Victoria! There are 4 net carbs per serving if you divide this recipe into 8 servings— since everyone will shape their pasta differently, dividing the formed pasta is the easiest way to calculate. Hope you enjoy!
I tried this recipe For my keto parents and it dissolved when i was cooking it, i followed all the instructions
Hey Marissa! The pasta dissolved in oil? Or did you place it in water? There shouldn’t be enough oil in the pan to dissolve it, so I wonder if you used a different cooking method?
Do you boil it like regular pasta?
Hi Monica! No, it will dissolve in the water, so the best way to cook it is with a little oil in a pan. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks for clarifying about NOT BOILING in water. I would like to try this recipe.
You’re welcome, Raquel! Hope you enjoy!
This recipe is so versatile. I actually like to use feta cheese in mine for an extra level of flavor. I use it as pasta and also Put it in my waffle iron. That way I can use it as a bread for sandwiches or pour any sauce over it and the waffle shape holds all the yummy perfectly!
Awesome! Sounds really good, Jessica! SO glad you loved it. 🥰
Do you have a pasta recipe that you can use in a soup🤔🙏
Hi Timothey! I don’t have an almond flour pasta recipe for that (yet…), but I often use zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, or butternut squash noodles. Stay tuned!
Just wondering if the consistency is the same without the cheese? Also can i just make linguine shapes or is the longer thinner pasta a problem?
Hi Li! The cheese adds a bit of “crunch” to the surface after the noodles have been fried in the pan (I prefer it this way!). As far as linguini, I tried this several times and the noodles fell apart when fried in the pan. That said, if you don’t mind short linguini noodles, you can give it a try. Come back and let me know how it goes, enjoy 🎉!
I am looking for a keto pasta recipe to make and use in chicken soup instead of regular egg noodles. After I fry these, I guess I can add them to the soup.
Hi Susan! Because of the nature of almond flour, these noodles will disintegrate when added to a broth. I suggest using veggie noodles or check out edamame noodles!
Is there a way to add something else… like more egg so that we can boil it?
Hi Anita! Unfortunately not, almond flour will break down. If you aren’t low carb, you can swap some of the almond flour for arrowroot powder, or something starchy to hold it together. If you are low carb, I’m currently working on a pasta that uses eggs and cream cheese which can be boiled, so stay tuned!
Hi! I tried this recipe and it worked great for my Kitchenaid pasta press, but it left it incredibly oily and the pasta itself is very oily. I can’t figure out why because i followed the instructions to a T except for leaving out the cheese. Any ideas? Thanks.
Hi Milo! The almond flour dough is not strong enough for a pasta press and is better shaped by hand. Hope you enjoy next time!
Is Xanthum Gum sold in grocery stores? I want to try this, but I don’t want to wait for a delivery. LOL! Or can it be substituted with something else that will make it sticky enough to stay together?
Hi! I have definitely found it at some grocery stores–Bob’s Red Mill is a great option, either near the flours or in the health food section. There’s no substitute I’d recommend here, as all binders work differently. Let me know how it goes!
Will this hold up for Mac and cheese? Do you need to sauté it first.
Hi Jill! You could definitely cover this pasta in cheese sauce, but you can’t boil it. You would still need to saute them first. Hope you enjoy!