Pasta Verde…..Beautifully-green, fresh spinach pasta. Making your own pasta is not difficult to make, nor does it take much time. This basic recipe can used for all types of  home pasta and can be used in countless dishes.

Ingredients:
For the Spinach:
3 quarts water
1 Tablespoon sea salt
1 cup packed, fresh spinach leaves

For the Pasta:
2 1/2 cups flour
3 Eggs
A pinch Salt
A pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Bench Flour, for dusting

Directions:
To prepare the spinach, remove the tough stems from the fresh spinach leaves, so they will not tear the pasta during rolling. Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil and set up an ice bath next to the stove.

Photo Credit: Ruchi’s Kitchen, 2015

Blanch the spinach leaves in the boiling water for 45 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon or and immediately plunge into the ice bath to cool.Once cool, using a strainer, squeeze out the excess water. Then place the spinach onto a kitchen towel and twist it to remove as much moisture as possible.

Photo Credit: Ruchi’s Kitchen, 2015

Place the flour, eggs, spinach, salt, and nutmeg in the bowl of the processor and pulse 15 times for 6 seconds at a time. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky.

Photo Credit: Birdworms and Buttermilk, 2010

Turn the dough out onto a lightly flour the countertop and continue kneading for about 10 minutes. Dust with a bit of flour, each time the dough sticks to your hands or the counter. Scrape the counter from time to time, just to make sure any dried bits aren’t being incorporated into the dough.

After kneading for about ten minutes, the dough should be smooth and soft and just a touch tacky, but it should no longer be sticking to your hands or the countertop.

Once ready, wrap it in plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature before rolling it out.The wrapped dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 day.

This dough can now be rolled into any pasta shape, whether it be lasagna noodles, pappardelle, fettuccine, or ravioli. The variations are endless.