Spinach Pasta Dough (Print Version)

Fresh pasta dough enriched with spinach for a vibrant color and smooth texture, suitable for various pasta shapes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Spinach

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

→ Dough

02 - 2 large eggs
03 - 1 ⅓ cups Italian 00 flour, plus extra for dusting
04 - ⅓ cup semolina flour (optional, for texture)
05 - ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

# Steps to Follow:

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 process in a food processor until very smooth.
03 - On a clean surface, mound the 00 flour, semolina (if using), and salt. Create a well in the center.
04 - Add eggs and pureed spinach to the well. Using a fork, gradually incorporate the flour from the edges into the wet ingredients.
05 - When a shaggy dough forms, knead by hand for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding flour if sticky or a few drops of water if too dry.
06 - Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
07 - Roll out the dough using a pasta machine or rolling pin to desired thickness, then cut into preferred shapes.
08 - Boil fresh pasta in salted water for 1 to 2 minutes until al dente.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The spinach gives you a pasta that looks like you spent hours perfecting it, when really it just needed good technique and patience.
  • It's genuinely nutritious without tasting like a compromise, and it holds sauces beautifully because of the slight texture the vegetable adds.
  • Making it from scratch means you control exactly what goes in, no mystery ingredients hiding in store-bought versions.
02 -
  • Not squeezing the spinach dry enough is the most common reason dough turns sticky and ruins an otherwise perfect batch, so be aggressive about it.
  • The resting time actually matters because it lets the spinach color distribute evenly and the gluten relax enough to roll without snapping back.
03 -
  • A pinch of nutmeg in the dough sounds strange until you taste how it deepens the spinach flavor in the most subtle way, making people ask what's different without being able to name it.
  • Make this dough ahead and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours; it actually develops more flavor that way, like it's had time to think about what it wants to be.
Return