Spinach Pasta Dough

Vegetarian servings5 – 6 addedMay 2018

• ½ pound spinach
• 3 cups Pasta Flour Mix
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt

1. Fill a small pot with about 1/ 2 cup (120 ml) cold water and bring to a boil. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, turning often so the spinach cooks evenly. Cook 1 minute longer or until the spinach is soft but still brightly colored. Drain (saving the water if desired for vegetable stock) and shock under cold running water to set the color. Squeeze out most of the water from the spinach and form it into a compact ball. Slice the ball thinly in one direction then turn crosswise and slice again to cut the fibers. Chop finely then place spinach and eggs in the food processor and process until very fine. (If you skip the chopping step, the spinach will be quite stringy.)
2. Pour the flour into a large bowl or onto a work surface, preferably wooden, and shape it into a “volcano”. Add the eggs and flavor mixture into the crater.
3. Gradually incorporate all of the flour.
4. Once a large clump forms, begin kneading for about 4 minutes. If needed, add a teaspoon of water at a time as needed to incorporate any loose flour.
5. Cover the dough and allow it to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature before rolling or shaping.

Tips

• The classic flavored pasta is best made with baby spinach leaves because they contain less fiber and mix into the dough better than heavy-ribbed full-grown spinach, which works best for pasta fillings.
• Some people prefer to pass the cooked spinach through a sieve to remove the fiber, but I like to make streaky green dough that is clearly handmade.
• Use the smaller amount of flour for a soft dough suitable for stuffing, the larger amount for a firm dough for cut pastas.