Homemade Spinach Pasta Dough

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Gather the ingredients.

2. Step 2

   Squeeze as much water as possible from the chopped spinach with your hands or by pressing with a wooden spoon in a colander.

3. Step 3

   In a blender or food processor , combine the spinach and eggs.

4. Step 4

   Puree until the mixture is dark green and smooth, with few or no visible chunks of spinach showing.

5. Step 5

   In a bowl, combine the flour and salt, stirring with a fork or a whisk to combine.

6. Step 6

   On a large, lightly floured work surface (like a countertop covered with a silicone pastry mat), pour the flour mixture into a mound and make a well in the center.

7. Step 7

   Pour the spinach-egg mixture into the well.

8. Step 8

   Using a fork, stir the spinach mixture in a circular motion, gradually incorporating more and more flour.

9. Step 9

   As the mixture turns chunky, begin to knead it, incorporating enough flour to make a stiff dough. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, adding more flour until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky but not sticky.

10. Step 10

    Set aside, covered with plastic wrap, for about 20 minutes.

11. Step 11

    Assemble your pasta maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

12. Step 12

    Divide the dough into 4 to 6 equal sections with a knife or a dough cutter.

13. Step 13

    Cover all of the pieces—except the one you're working with—with a clean dishtowel or plastic wrap.

14. Step 14

    Form the piece of dough into a flat rectangle with your hands or a rolling pin to prepare it to be fed into the pasta maker.

15. Step 15

    Beginning with one of the shorter sides of the rectangle, feed the pasta through the pasta maker on the first (widest) setting.

16. Step 16

    Then fold it in thirds (like a business letter).

17. Step 17

    Feed it through the pasta rollers again.

18. Step 18

    Repeat the folding and rolling steps several times on the widest setting, before rolling pasta at increasingly smaller settings until it reaches the desired thinness.

19. Step 19

    Use the sheets of pasta as-is for lasagna, form into ravioli, or cut into noodles using a pasta machine attachment.