Spinach Pasta Dough (Print View)

Fresh spinach-infused dough adds color and nutrients, perfect for handmade pasta shapes.

# Components:

→ Spinach

01 - 3.5 oz fresh baby spinach leaves, washed and stems removed

→ Dough

02 - 2 large eggs
03 - 1⅓ cups Italian 00 flour, plus extra for dusting
04 - ⅓ cup semolina flour (optional, for texture)
05 - ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

# Directions:

01 - Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add spinach and blanch for 30 seconds until wilted. Drain, rinse under cold water, and squeeze out excess moisture.
02 - Finely chop the spinach or blend in a food processor until very smooth.
03 - On a clean work surface, mound the 00 flour, semolina flour (if using), and salt. Create a well at the center.
04 - Add eggs and pureed spinach into the flour well. Using a fork, gradually incorporate the flour into the wet ingredients.
05 - When a shaggy dough forms, knead by hand for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Adjust consistency with additional flour or water as needed.
06 - Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
07 - Roll out the dough using a pasta machine or rolling pin to the desired thickness. Cut into preferred pasta shapes.
08 - Boil fresh pasta in salted water for 1 to 2 minutes until al dente.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The color alone makes every plate feel like an occasion, even on a rainy Tuesday.
  • It's surprisingly forgiving once you master the moisture balance, and the dough actually tells you what it needs.
  • Fresh pasta cooks in under two minutes, which means dinner can still happen after a long day.
  • You can freeze rolled sheets between parchment and pull them out whenever the craving hits.
02 -
  • If you skip the squeezing step, your dough will be wet, sticky, and impossible to roll without adding so much flour that it loses all tenderness.
  • Resting the dough isn't optional, it's the difference between tearing sheets and gliding them through the machine like butter.
  • Fresh pasta absorbs sauce differently than dried, so undercook it slightly and finish it in the pan with whatever you're serving.
03 -
  • Run the dough through the widest pasta machine setting at least three times before narrowing, folding it like a letter each time to build structure.
  • If you don't have a machine, roll the dough as thin as you can, then let it rest five minutes before cutting so it doesn't shrink back.
  • Always salt your pasta water like the sea, the dough itself has very little salt and needs that boost from the cooking water.
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