Nothing beats a piping-hot bowl of pasta. Whether it’s spaghetti, a casserole, mac and cheese, or the internet-famous marry me dish, pasta is a beloved comfort food that never misses. Upping the ante on sauce, noodles, and cheese usually includes adding a protein or veggies to the mix, but swapping out dried for homemade pasta can make your dish even better.

Making pasta from the ground up may sound like a difficult task, but it’s actually a lot easier than you might think. There are lots of different kinds, styles, and shapes, making the range of difficulty vast. But if you choose one that’s fairly simple, you can have a delicious homemade meal in no time.

Given the internet’s love of creamy noodles or a tomato-sauced style topped with cheese, it’s no surprise that TikTok is a hub for homemade pasta recipes. Of the sea of videos, creator and fellow pasta lover Alessandra Brontsema caught my eye for her simple recipes and unique dishes. Her series, Pasta Making 101, showcases a variety of different styles and fare, each made from scratch.

In one video, Brontsema showcases how she makes Gemelli pasta using pantry staples and simple cutlery. Her first step is to make the dough, and she rolls out a silicone baking mat for a clean work surface. The texture of the mat also ensures the dough won’t stick to the surface, making it easy to remove once finished. After creating her flour well, she gently cracks four eggs into the middle and begins to lightly whisk everything together. Then, she kneads the dough into a mound and places it in Saran wrap and into the fridge to set.

@alessandrabrontsema

PASTA MAKING 101 🍝🫶🏼 — showing you exactly how I make gemelli pasta from scratch! A recipe anyone can make! for the pasta: 2 cups of tipo 00 flour 1/2 cup of semolina flour 4 whole eggs at room temp #homemade #homecooking #homemadepasta #gemelli #gemellipasta #pasta #pastafromscratch #pasta101 #hosting #dinnerparty #mealideas #dinnerideas #pastarecipe #fyp

♬ La vie en rose (Cover Edith Piaf) – 田东昱

The next step is where things get interesting. Instead of rolling out a flat layer to feed into a pasta machine, Brontsema divides the dough into smaller pieces and begins to roll them out into long, thin rods. With the noodles ready, she twists two together to create the Gemelli shape and lays them neatly on a cutting board, securing each end with standard butter knives. As she explains, the knives act as weights holding the pieces together and ensuring their shape is kept intact.

Gemelli pasta is typically about the length of penne, so the twisted noodles are then cut to size before being carefully dumped into a pot of salted, boiling water. From there, you can pair the cooked pasta with any sauce of your choosing, but for an interesting twist on a cream sauce, she opts for a gorgonzola pear sauce. Whether you’re planning a special date night or want a cozy, elevated dish to enjoy on a cold night, this creamy pasta dish is sure to delight you. Plus, you can tell everyone you made it from scratch.

Gemelli Pasta with Caramelized Pears and Gorgonzola Sauce