Description
This vibrant spinach pasta dough recipe transforms fresh baby spinach into a tender, green pasta perfect for adding a nutritious twist to your favorite Italian dishes. Combining spinach puree with high-quality Italian 00 flour and optional semolina flour creates a dough that is smooth, elastic, and flavorful. The dough rests to develop texture and can be rolled and shaped into your preferred pasta forms, cooking quickly to a delightful al dente finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Spinach
- 3.5 oz fresh baby spinach leaves, washed and stems removed
Dry Ingredients
- 1â…“ cups Italian 00 flour, plus extra for dusting
- â…“ cup semolina flour (optional, for texture)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Blanch Spinach: Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the spinach and blanch for 30 seconds until the leaves are wilted.
- Cool and Drain: Drain the spinach and immediately rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Squeeze out as much excess moisture as possible to avoid adding too much water to the dough.
- Prepare Spinach Puree: Finely chop the blanched spinach or process it in a food processor until very smooth, creating a vibrant spinach puree for incorporation into the dough.
- Form Dough Well: On a clean work surface, mound the 00 flour, semolina flour, and salt together. Create a well in the center to hold the wet ingredients.
- Incorporate Wet Ingredients: Add the eggs and the spinach puree into the well. Using a fork, gradually incorporate the flour from the edges into the wet mixture until it forms a shaggy dough.
- Knead Dough: Knead the dough by hand for 8 to 10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour; if too dry, add a few drops of water as needed.
- Rest Dough: Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. This relaxation period helps the gluten develop and makes rolling easier.
- Roll and Shape: Unwrap and roll out the dough using a pasta machine or rolling pin to your desired thickness. Cut into your preferred shapes, whether sheets for lasagna, fettuccine, or filled pasta.
- Cook Fresh Pasta: Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the fresh pasta for 1 to 2 minutes until al dente. Drain and serve with your favorite sauce.
Notes
- Blanching the spinach removes excess water and softens the leaves, ensuring the dough isn’t too wet.
- Using Italian 00 flour produces a silky and tender pasta dough ideal for fresh pasta preparations.
- Semolina flour is optional but adds slight texture and bite to the pasta.
- Resting the dough is crucial for gluten development and makes rolling and shaping easier.
- Fresh pasta cooks quickly; watch closely to avoid overcooking.
