Homemade Spinach Pasta Recipes

Steps:

• Start boiling a large pot of water.
• NOTES: a) If using frozen spinach, skip steps 3-5; b) if omitting the spinach, use 1 1/4 cups of flour.
• Heat a skillet to medium heat, and add spinach; don't use cooking spray or oil.
• Cook spinach for about 30 seconds, stirring continuously. Spinach should turn a bright green color.
• Plunge spinach immediately into an ice water bath to stop the cooking process.
• When spinach has cooled down to lukewarm temperature, squeeze out the excess moisture using a cheesecloth.
• Add spinach, olive oil, eggs, and salt to food processor and run until fully blended.
• Add flour to food processor and run until blended. If the mixture is still sticky, add flour.
• Remove dough from food processor. Roll dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Allow to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• Transfer dough to a work surface that's generously dusted with flour. Cut dough into 4 pieces.
• If using a pasta maker, roll each piece out with a rolling pin until it's about 1/4" thick. If not using a pasta maker, roll until thin and hand-cut as desired.
• Shape dough into rectangles and run through pasta maker, starting with the widest setting. If the dough sticks in the rollers, dust the dough and the rollers with flour.
• Continue rolling dough through the rollers, gradually reducing the setting to flatten it as desired. NOTE: spinach pasta may need to be 1 setting wider than you normally want because of the stickiness of the dough.
• Cut pasta into shapes using the appropriate attachment.
• Lower pasta into water (don't drop it) and boil for a few minutes. Don't crowd the pot with pasta, as this can cause pasta to stick together.
• NOTE: Don't dump the whole pot of cooked pasta into a strainer the way you might with dry, boxed pasta. If transferring to a strainer, don't rinse with water.
• Using tongs or a spider skimmer, remove pasta from the water and transfer to a different container. Doing it this way will help the pasta keep its shape, and allow you to use hot water for the remainder of the boil.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta in the boiling water, draining it about 2 minutes before the time on the package. It should still be a bit firm. Rinse it in cold water to stop the cooking process and set aside.
• Mix the ricotta with the parsley and lemon zest in a small bowl and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter.
• In a large deep skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms have given up their liquid, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the spinach and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach has wilted. Remove the vegetables and set aside, leaving any liquid in the skillet.
• Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet. Pour in the wine and let it bubble up and reduce for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Add the half-and-half and cream, season with salt and pepper and cook, whisking, until it's all combined. If it gets too thick as it cooks, you can thin it with a little vegetable broth. When the sauce looks good, remove it from the heat and stir in 3/4 cup of the Parmesan.
• Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small pan. Remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
• In the buttered baking dish, stir together the pasta, vegetables and sauce. (Add a splash of broth if needed). Add spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture, pushing them a bit into the pasta. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top of the pasta. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and cook until the top is brown and the mixture is bubbling, about 20 minutes more.

Steps:

• Combine water and ice in a bowl. Preheat a skillet over medium heat; add spinach. Cook, stirring continuously, until spinach turns bright green, about 30 seconds. Plunge into ice water bath; remove when spinach is lukewarm. Squeeze out excess moisture with cheese cloth.
• Combine spinach, eggs, olive oil, and salt in a food processor; blend until smooth. Add flour; blend until dough no longer sticks to the blades, adding flour as needed.
• Roll dough into a ball; wrap in plastic wrap. Rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• Remove plastic wrap from dough. Transfer to a work surface generously dusted with flour; cut dough into 4 pieces with a sharp knife. Roll out dough with a rolling pin to 1/4-inch thickness; shape into rectangles.
• Dust pasta maker rollers with flour. Run the dough rectangles through a pasta maker on the widest setting. Repeat rolling dough through rollers, gradually reducing the setting to desired thickness. Change pasta maker's attachment to preferred noodle shape; cut pasta with pasta maker.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Lower pasta gently into water; use a spoon to keep noodles from sticking together. Cook until pasta is firm but soft, 3 to 6 minutes. Remove from the water with tongs; transfer to a bowl.

Steps:

• Place spinach and water in a skillet over medium-low heat. Cover and simmer, stirring once, until spinach is wilted, about 10 minutes. Drain and let cool, about 10 minutes. Squeeze out as much water as possible, getting the spinach very dry. Chop spinach very finely.
• Place flour on a marble or wooden work surface. Make a well in the center and crack in the eggs; add the salt and finely chopped spinach. Gently beat eggs with a fork, incorporating the surrounding flour and spinach, until batter is runny. Bring remaining flour into the batter using a bench scraper until dough forms a ball. Mix in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if dough feels too stiff.
• Knead dough with your hands by flattening the ball, stretching it and folding the top towards the center. Turn 45 degrees and repeat until dough is soft and smooth, about 10 minutes.
• Shape dough into a ball. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Roll out the dough with pasta machine or with a rolling pin and turn into your favorite pasta shape.

Steps:

• Add 2 inches of water to a medium saucepan, and fit with a steamer insert. Bring to a simmer. Add 6 ounces spinach, cover, and steam until bright green and softened, about 2 minutes. Let cool slightly. Squeeze out liquid using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Puree spinach in a food processor (you should have about 1/2 cup puree).
• Add eggs and yolk to puree in food processor, and process until combined. Add flour and 1 heaping teaspoon salt, and process until dough just comes together, about 20 seconds.
• Transfer dough to a well-floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes, adding up to 2 tablespoons flour if dough is too sticky. Place on a piece of parchment, and cover with an inverted bowl, or wrap tightly in plastic; let rest for 1 to 2 hours.
• Cut dough into 8 pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time (keep the remaining pieces covered with the inverted bowl), 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 same setting to smooth dough and increase its elasticity.
• Turn the dial to next narrower setting. Pass dough through twice, gently supporting it with your palm. Continue to press dough, passing it through ever-finer settings, two passes on each setting, until sheet is almost translucent and very thin but still intact (number 5 of 8 on a KitchenAid pasta roller). The dough will stretch to about 16 inches long. If dough bubbles or tears, pass it through again, and dust with flour if the dough is sticking.
• For farfalle, lasagna squares, or ravioli: Place rolled sheet on a lightly floured surface, and cut out as directed in corresponding recipe, using a dry brush to dust flour off if needed. For ribbon pastas: 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 semidry and won't stick together, about 20 minutes. Cook immediately, or lay flat on a baking sheet dusted with semolina, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Steps:

• Add the ricotta to a large bowl; season well with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water and drain.
• Prepare your sauce while the pasta cooks: If using, cook the pine nuts in a deep 12-inch skillet over medium heat until toasted, stirring occasionally to make sure they do not burn, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
• Wipe skillet clean and melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and sauté until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach, stirring it in by the handful if needed, and cook until it wilts, adding a few tablespoons of the pasta water to help it along if needed, about 4 minutes. Season with salt.
• Add the cream, bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until sauce begins to thicken slightly, about 2 minutes more. Stir in the nutmeg then season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked pasta directly to the skillet and toss until the noodles are glossy with sauce.
• Turn off heat and stir in the prepared ricotta, thinning the sauce with a bit of pasta cooking water if needed. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Divide among bowls. Top with pine nuts, if using, and pass grated pecorino or Parmesan at the table.

Steps:

• TO PREPARE SPINACH.
• Using a microwave-proof dish, add spinach and 2 tablespoons of water.
• Cook on HIGH (full power) for 2 minutes.
• Drain and reserve liquid.
• In a food processor or blender, add cooked spinach and 1/4 cup of reserved liquid and puree' until smooth.
• TO MAKE PASTA.
• Using a pasta machine, add flour, 1/4 cup prepared spinach and salt.
• Lock cover in place, press swith to start and mix for 1 minute.
• Add olive oil into a standard measuring cup, add egg and whisk until egg and olive oil are incorporated.
• If necessary, add reserved spinach liquid or warm water to the 1/2 line and mix again.
• Pour mixture into pasta machine and mix until smooth.
• Adjust texture of pasta mix so that it is not too wet or not too dry.
• Install your choice of extruder (linguini, fettucine or pasta).
• Reverse switch and start extruding.
• Pasta should extrude smoothly.
• Cut pasta to desired lengths.
• Sprinkle with semolina flour so that pasta does not stick together.
• Cook in boiling salted water for about 6 to 8 minutes.
• Serve with your choice of sauces.
• You can also prepare carrots or red beets, cook and then puree' in a food processor or blender and use the same amount of puree' as the spinach recipe.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the spinach and cook for 5 minutes, or until wilted.
• Add the spinach to a food processor and process until finely chopped.
• While processing the spinach, spoon the flour in a little bit at a time until a crumbly dough forms.
• While continuing to process, add ¼ teaspoon of salt. Then, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until dough comes together (the amount of water necessary will vary depending on how wet the spinach is).
• Remove the dough from the food processor and knead on a floured surface to form into a ball.
• With a rolling pin, roll dough out into an oval, about 18 inches (46 cm) long by 12 inches (30 cm) wide, and ¼-inch (6 mm) thick.
• With a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into even strips about ½ inch (1 cm) wide.
• Roll the strips into thick noodles.
• Once the water is boiling, add 1 tablespoon of salt and drop in the pasta.
• Cook the pasta for 3-5 minutes, or until the noodles float to the top. Drain.
• Toss with roasted vegetables and pesto and top with basil.
• Enjoy!