I started making my own pasta about a year ago. I would like to say it is because I wanted to avoid processed foods, but the truth is I love the whole process of making pasta. It’s much like gardening in that it is therapeutic. I also found pasta to be ridiculously easy to make. It did not hurt that I invested in a pasta roller attachment for my stand-up mixer. I highly recommend it.
You can roll it out by hand, but you can also do laundry by hand. I just don’t understand why you would want to. The attachment can press the dough into thinner sheets then I can get by rolling it out. Admittedly, this could be a lack of patience on my side. Know your limitations and make necessary adjustments.
I also love adding fresh herbs and garden-fresh ingredients to the pasta and making my own allows me to come up with a variety of flavors. One of my favorites is adding spinach giving the pasta an extra burst of nutrients and another layer of taste.
The Spinach:
I use about 5 ounces of fresh spinach. Remove stems from spinach and wash & rinse using a lettuce spinner.
Place the spinach in a saucepan, cover with a lid and cook over medium heat until wilted. Remove from heat and rinse in cold water. This stops the cooking process and leaves the spinach a vibrant green. Drain well and lightly squeeze out excess water.
The Pasta:
Place the wilted spinach, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor and pulse to a puree. Add 2 cups of flour and pulse into a dough.
If the dough is dry, add a little water. If sticky, add more flour. You want the dough to be elastic, but not sticky. Place on floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes.
Cut dough in fourths and pat into a small rectangle shape. Using a press attachment for a stand-up mixer run the dough through the press making 4 long sheets the width of the press.
Start at the 1 setting and work to the 5 setting making 4 long sheets. Using a knife cut the sheets to fit a 13” x 9” baking pan. You should have approximately 10 – 12 (8”x 5½”). Place on a lightly floured surface and allow to dry for at least 15 minutes before cooking. Drying helps prevent the pasta from clumping and sticking together when it is cooked.
Place noodles in a pot of boiling water that has a teaspoon of salt added to it. Boil briefly, about 3 – 5 minutes, rinse individually under cold running water and spread them on a towel to dry. Fresh noodles are pliable and do not necessarily need to be cooked before layering. I like to boil them briefly to make them less dough-like. Use in your favorite lasagna recipe.
Enjoy:
Use in your favorite lasagna. Especially good in vegetarian lasagna.
Fresh, delicious, and gorgeous! – Ella💙
- 5 ounces fresh spinach, washed and stems removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups flour
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Place the spinach in a saucepan, cover with a lid, and cook over medium heat until wilted. Remove from heat and rinse in cold water Drain well and lightly squeeze out excess water.
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Place the spinach, eggs, oil, and salt in a food processor and pulse to a puree. Add 2 cups of flour and pulse. If the dough is dry, add a little water. If sticky, add more flour. You want the dough to be elastic, but not sticky.
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Place on floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes.
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Cut dough in fourths. Using a press attachment and a stand-up mixer, run the dough through the press making 4 long sheets the width of the press. Using a knife cut the sheets into lasagna noodles.
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Place on a lightly floured surface and allow to dry for at least 15 minutes before cooking.
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Place noodles in a pot of boiling water that has a teaspoon of salt added to it. Boil briefly, about 3 – 5 minutes, rinse individually under cold running water and spread them on a towel to dry.
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Use in your favorite lasagna recipe.
I love spinach any kind of way – raw or cooked. Great recipe.
Me too! Thanks so much!