Fresh Spinach Pasta Dough
Pasta | YIELD 4-6 servings | TIME 30 minutes
Making fresh homemade pasta from scratch might be intimidating at the beginning. It takes a little bit of practice, however, as soon as you learn to trust your self and enter the world of fresh pasta, well I’m afraid there is going back to the store-bought. This recipe is not only delicious but also unusual in color. The addition of pureed spinach turns pasta dough a brilliant green, and gives the pasta a boost of vitamins, as well.
INGREDIENTS
2 - 2½ cups “00” flour or all purpose flour,
Semolina flour for dusting
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 whole large eggs
3 egg yolks (additional if needed)
4oz of spinach or baby spinach
1 tablespoon water or extra-virgin olive oil (more as needed if the dough is too dry)
Step 1
To steam, spinach add 2 inches of water to a medium saucepan and fit with a steamer insert. Bring to a simmer. Add 4 ounces spinach, cover, and steam until bright green and softened about 2 minutes. Let cool slightly. Squeeze out the liquid using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. In a blender or food processor, combine spinach and eggs, puree until the mixture is dark green and smooth, with few or no visible chunks of spinach showing.
Step 2
In a food processor, pulse together flour and salt. Pour the spinach-egg mixture into the well and run the machine until the dough holds together (you can also use a standing mixer and a dough hook to combine). If the dough looks dry, add a teaspoon of water or olive oil. If the dough looks wet, add a little flour until dough is elastic.
Transfer dough to a well-floured surface and knead until very smooth, around 5-10 min. Wrap in plastic and rest at room temperature for 1 hour or in the fridge overnight (resting time helps with rolling out the dough).
Step 3
Cut the dough into 4 pieces, keeping them covered with plastic wrap or a dish towel when not in use.
Flatten dough into an oblong shape slightly thinner than the pasta machine's widest setting (number 1). Dust dough very lightly with flour, and feed through machine. Fold lengthwise into thirds and rotate 90 degrees. Repeat twice on the same setting to smooth dough and increase its elasticity.
Reduce the setting, and repeat rolling and folding the dough, passing it through the machine 2 or 3 times before going to the next setting. Repeat rolling pasta at increasingly smaller settings until it reaches the desired thinness (5 of 8 on a KitchenAid pasta roller for pappardelle and fettuccine. For lasagna noodles, and for ravioli and other stuffed or filled pasta, go to the thinnest setting).
Step 4
For ribbon pasta: Place dough on a drying rack until slightly tacky, 10 to 15 minutes, and then use a pasta machine or cutting attachment to cut into strands. Drape over rack until strands are semi-dry and won't stick together about 20 minutes. Cook immediately (2-3 min depending on the thickness), or lay flat on a baking sheet dusted with semolina, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
