How important are ingredient ratios in pasta-making (as compared to baking)?

Question

It's well-known that the ratios of ingredients matter a lot in baking -- tiny changes in ingredient ratios can create big changes in the quality of results.
However, there are other situations where ingredient ratios don't matter as much (for instance, it doesn't matter much whether you use x grams or x+1 grams of tomatoes in a salad).
Question: In pasta-making, how sensitive is the quality of pasta to changes in ingredient ratios, and how does this sensitivity compare with that of baking?

moscafj · Answer

Proper hydration of flours is important in pasta making, so ingredient ratios are critical. How critical depends on the type of pasta (egg based fresh pasta is probably more forgiving than water based pasta that is intended to be extruded and dried). So, it sort of depends on why you are asking the question. For a restaurant or pasta company looking for the best quality and consistency, it is essential to have the proper ratio.

Answered by moscafj on March 19, 2021

Kerry Berenato · Answer

I always start with the recipe but add about 1/2 cup less flour. The size of the eggs will always affect your rations unless you weigh your ingredients.

How important are ingredient ratios in pasta-making (as compared to baking)?

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