Fresh Spinach Pasta Dough (Using 00 Flour + Video)

Northern Italy is the birthplace of spinach pasta (or 'pasta verde' as it's called here) and it's a staple, especially in the Emilia-Romagna and Piedmonte regions. Luca's mamma (Nonna Anna) and his zie (aunts) have been making this easy pasta for over 70 years since they were little girls in Abruzzo.

And when she first tasted my version, she told me it was "molto buono" (very good) – high praise that truly means a lot coming from her!

The best part? You don't need any special equipment to make spinach pasta beyond a rolling pin and a large countertop (though I often use a pasta machine which makes the job quicker and easier!).

Whether you're making homemade lasagna sheets for traditional Lasagne alla Bolognese, silky fettuccine for alfredo sauce, homemade spinach farfalle, pappardelle, or stuffed tortellini in brodo, this versatile spinach pasta dough will give you professional results.

If you love this spinach pasta recipe, you might also enjoy my scratch-made Gnocchi alla Bolognese or this ultimate 00 Flour Italian Egg Pasta Dough.

What to Expect With this Spinach Pasta Recipe

In my Homemade Egg Pasta Beginner's Guide, you learned how to make authentic Italian 'pasta fresca' (fresh egg pasta) the way my family here in Northern Italy makes it. In this post, we're making a slight variation of this basic egg pasta by adding purèed (or finely chopped spinach).

This authentic Italian spinach pasta dough requires just 3 simple ingredients: 00 flour, frozen spinach (or fresh), and eggs. Ready in 1 hour, this traditional recipe creates the perfect green pasta dough without any added oil. While frozen spinach is commonly used for convenience in Italian households, fresh spinach works beautifully as well.

This spinach pasta dough can be kneaded three ways: traditionally by hand, using a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, or quickly in a food processor.

You may have also have tried my homemade Spinach Semolina Pasta Dough recipe which uses 4 ingredients and takes longer to make due to the extended resting time needed for this type of strong flour. It's a delicious sturdy pasta with great 'bite', but if you need a quick homemade spinach pasta dough, you'll find everything you need in this post. 

Why You'll Love This Spinach Pasta Dough Recipe

• The color is customizable (and I show you exactly how to do it!)
• Easy & quick to make (ready in 1 hour and that includes 30 min resting time)
• Authentic Italian spinach pasta recipe with just 3 ingredients
• Veggie spinach pasta is delicious and visually stunning
• It's a healthy spinach pasta recipe 
• You can freeze it for easy pasta dinners throughout the week
• Use it to make just about any spinach noodles or pasta shapes you want
• It makes green pasta that's perfect for Christmas pasta recipes, St. Paddy's Day, Easter, Halloween, etc. 

How to Make Spinach Pasta Dough Video

If you're having any reservations about how to make homemade spinach pasta dough (or any pasta for that matter), watch this quick how-to video before you get started. You can see for yourself just how easy it really is to make!

Frozen Spinach vs. Fresh Spinach Pasta Dough

Frozen spinach is often used here in Italy to make spinach pasta because it's convenient (just about always in your freezer), it produces consistent results, and you can adjust it to make a very bright green (almost neon green hulk-color) or a dark green spinach pasta.

It's a myth that you have to use fresh spinach to obtain a bright green pasta as you can see by this post. But certainly, if you have fresh spinach that you want (or need) to use up, it works just as well to make the pasta and you can use tender baby spinach which has less stems to deal with.

In fact, regarding color, it's more about how you treat the spinach, and how much spinach you add that determines whether you get a bright green pasta, or something a darker (see the above photos for just one example of the differences and more photos in the troubleshooting section further down below).

And while frozen spinach has already been blanched at the factory before being frozen, I like to blanch it from frozen for 3 minutes which quickly thaws it, and because I like the pasta color it produces.

For instance, if you don't blanch frozen spinach before using it, it creates a darker spinach color. And if you don't purée the spinach completely, it creates a beautifully speckled spinach pasta dough.

Store-Bought Spinach Pasta vs. Homemade Spinach Pasta 

You can definitely use store-bought fresh spinach pasta, but it's not quite as easy to find as regular 00 flour fresh egg pasta.

And if you want to make a classic Italian Lasagne alla Bolognese, or another type of Italian pasticcio, or pasta dish that requires spinach pasta, you can easily make it yourself in 1 hour from start to finish!

Although, if you need green lasagna, Barilla Emiliane spinach egg pasta ready-to-bake lasagna noodles can be an ok substitute in a pinch (above right photo). But nothing compares to the taste and texture of homemade!

Plus, with this healthy spinach pasta you can create other shapes beyond just lasagna noodles: spinach spaghetti, spinach fettuccine, spinach pappardelle, spinach tagliatelle, spinach ravioli, etc. - and customize the thickness as you wish.

I have two great spinach pasta dough recipes: a semolina spinach pasta dough that is delicious but requires a much longer resting time (due to the stronger semolina flour) and the recipe featured in this post which solely uses 00 flour and only needs to rest for 30 minutes.

Depending on how much time you have and what ingredients you have on hand, these are both tasty recipes for making traditional Italian spinach pasta.

Spinach Pasta Ingredients (Using 00 Flour)

Here's a look at the ingredients you'll need to make spinach pasta right in your kitchen! You can find the full measurements in the recipe card below. 

Frozen or Fresh Spinach: Frozen spinach is convenient because you don't have to make a special trip to the store to get it if you decide on a whim you want to make homemade spinach pasta. Blanching the spinach in a pot of boiling water for 2- 3 minutes will quickly thaw it and give you a beautiful bright green pasta.

00 Flour: Italian 00 flour creates superior homemade pasta dough (you can read why over here), but King Arthur's all-purpose flour makes a good substitute in a pinch. In fact, I've tested this flour out while demonstrating how to make pasta using a KitchenAid attachment at The Broadway Panhandler in NYC.

For the best results, use authentic Italian 00 flour if available. If substituting all-purpose flour, choose one with 11-11.7% protein content like King Arthur's or Heckers.

Large Eggs: Italian "pasta gialla" eggs (photo comparison below) specifically for making egg pasta are great if you can find them. Fresh eggs make superior homemade pasta - the fresher and better their quality, the more exceptional your pasta will be.

00 Flour Spinach Pasta Dough Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions w/Photos

This pasta recipe makes 1lb 5 ounces (600g) of fresh spinach pasta. As for desired pasta thickness, I suggest rolling it out to #6 on the pasta machine so that the noodles don't end up being too thick or too thin. I own an Atlas Marcato 150 pasta machine in Italy and have an Imperia pasta machine back home in the States and I believe their settings are somewhat similar.

I suggest testing a couple of different thicknesses by cooking them in boiling water to see what you prefer before rolling out all the dough. *You can find the full instructions in the recipe card.

For Frozen Spinach:

Step 1. Blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes until bright green. Squeeze out all excess moisture using a fine mesh strainer (sieve) until very dry.

Step 2. Finely mince the the strained spinach using knife, food processor, or vitamix.

Step 3. On a clean work surface or in a large bread bowl, make a well in the flour, add eggs and chopped spinach to the center. Using your hands or a fork, gradually incorporate the flour into the wet ingredients until a rough dough forms.

Step 4. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes, or until smooth. Cover the dough with a bowl, or wrap it in sustainable cling film, and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Step 5. Divide the rested dough into 4 equal pieces.

Step 6. Roll out pasta sheets to desired thickness (#6 on my Atlas Marcato pasta machine) using a pasta machine or a rolling pin.

Step 7. Cut desired shapes for spinach lasagna, spinach fettuccine, pappardelle, and spaghetti, etc. and sprinkle with semolina flour to prevent sticking, and allow to dry for 10 to 30 minutes at room temperature before cooking.

How to Cook Homemade Fresh Spinach Pasta

Homemade spinach noodles of any shape take much less time to cook than boxed pasta. It's best practice to allow the fresh pasta to dry a bit (around 20 to 30 minutes) before cooking them.

For all pasta shapes (EXCEPT spinach lasagna noodles):

Add fresh pasta to a pot of salted boiling water and be sure to check the doneness after 1 ½ minutes of cooking to see how much longer they'll need. I usually cook homemade spinach egg pasta for 3 when made the same day and for 5 minutes total when cooking from frozen. 

For spinach lasagna noodles/sheets:

Par-boil (blanch) lasagna noodles in salted boiling water for 15-30 seconds, strain and shock them in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. After they're cooled through, remove them to a dry kitchen towel to soak up the water. Lasagna noodles will finish cooking in the oven.

Best Tips for Making Homemade Spinach Egg Pasta (Using 00 Flour)

If you haven't checked out my post for homemade Italian egg pasta for beginner's, hop over there and check it out. I've shared in-depth traditional Italian pasta-making details and techniques that will help you make the best homemade pasta of your life.  

Here's an overview of that helpful information:

Don't Add Salt to Pasta Dough:  

I stick to how the Italians make pasta and I don't add salt as it's unnecessary. Technically you can add a pinch, but there's no need when you boil pasta in salted water. Check out the link above to learn why you should never add salt to pasta dough when making homemade ravioli. 

Skip the Olive Oil

You don't need to add olive oil to fresh egg pasta. Although, I do add just a bit of extra virgin olive oil to my homemade semolina spinach pasta dough to add fat and extra flavor.

Knead Thoroughly for the Best (Chewy) Texture:

It's important to knead pasta dough to activate the gluten which builds a weblike network and strengthens the dough giving it a pleasant chewy "bite". There's no exact science for how long this process takes (read more about it here).

I like to hand-knead pasta dough because it's relaxing for me (and it's a little light arm workout ♡). For traditional pasta dough, I typically knead it for 10-12 minutes until it's smooth, no longer sticking to your hands, and it becomes quite smooth. The more you make homemade pasta, the easier it is to know when the dough has been properly kneaded.

You can also knead the dough in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment (below right photo) but you'll need to occasionally stop the machine and pull the dough down off the hook.

Rest the Pasta Dough:

Rest the pasta dough, covered, for 30 minutes before rolling. Like pizza dough, this resting period allows the gluten network to relax, preventing the dough from springing back when rolled. Since this spinach pasta uses 00 flour rather than semolina, it creates a softer, more pliable dough that rolls out with ease.

Properly rested pasta dough will be smooth, have a sheen, and when you insert a finger into it, the hole remains.

Equipment For Spinach Pasta

While Italian nonnas have been making traditional pasta by hand for generations, having the right tools can make the process easier. Whether you want to :

• Pasta Machine - While not essential, it makes rolling quicker, easier, and takes up way less countertop space making it great for working in small kitchens. I use both an Atlas Marcato 150 in Italy and an Imperia at home in the States. Both work beautifully but any pasta machine will do. I'll share settings for the various machines below.
• Rolling Pin - If you don't have a pasta machine, a good rolling pin ("mattarello" in Italian) works perfectly fine! Look for one that's at least 18 inches long for easier rolling. (*see below for detailed rolling pin instructions)
• Large Work Surface - A clean counter or large wooden board gives you space to roll and shape your pasta. The traditional Italian pasta board (spianatoia) is ideal for the rolling pin method but not totally necessary.
• Sharp Knife, Pizza Wheel or Pasta Bike - For cutting pasta shapes by hand. A pasta bike will give you precise cuts, but a pizza wheel works great as well.
• Kitchen Scale - For precise flour measurements, though measuring cups work too.
• Fine Mesh Strainer or Tea Towel - Essential for squeezing excess water from the spinach. If you're using a tea towel, it should be made of lint-free material like 100% linen or cotton.

Pasta Machine Settings Guide

Different pasta machines have different numbering systems and each family will have their own desired thickness for the finished pasta. Here's a quick guide, but always use your best judgment:

• Marcato Atlas 150: Start at #1 (widest setting) and work to #6 for lasagna sheets, and #6 or #7 for fettuccine and tagliatelle, and #5 or #6 for pappardelle, spaghetti, or cappellini
• Imperia: Begin at #6 (widest setting), work to #5 or #4 for lasagna, #4 for most shapes
• KitchenAid Attachment: Start at #1, and progress to #4-5 for most shapes

Pro Tip: If you've never made pasta and are worried you may be rolling it out too thick or too thin, test a small piece in boiling water BEFORE you roll out the entire batch of spinach pasta (see Troubleshooting Spinach Pasta section below for photos). This way, you know exactly what you're getting!

Rolling Pin Method (No Pasta Machine Required)

Making spinach pasta without a machine might feel intimidating, but Italian nonnas (including my mother-in-law) have been hand-rolling pasta for generations! Here's how to do it successfully:

Equipment Needed:

• Long rolling pin (at least 18 inches) - traditional Italian "mattarello"
• Large, clean work surface or traditional Italian pasta board (spianatoia) is ideal for the rolling pin method
• Sharp knife, pasta bike, or pizza wheel (*see above photos)
• Ruler (optional but helpful for even cutting)

Tips for Success:

• Start with a well-floured surface to prevent sticking
• Work with one quarter of the dough at a time, keeping remaining portions wrapped
• Aim for a rectangle shape as you roll
• Rotate the dough frequently to maintain even thickness
• Hold the rolling pin ends rather than the middle for better control
• Use steady, even pressure while rolling

Target Thickness:

• For long pasta like fettuccine or tagliatelle: Roll to about 1/16 inch (1.5mm)
• For lasagna sheets: Slightly thicker, about ⅛ inch (2mm)
• Test for proper thickness: You should be able to see your hand's shadow through the pasta sheet

Cutting by Hand:

1. Let sheets dry for 10-15 minutes until slightly leathery but still pliable.
2. Dust generously with flour.
3. Gently roll the sheet up like a jelly roll.
4. Cut with a sharp knife, pasta bike, or fluted pasta cutter to desired width:
   • Tagliatelle: ¼ inch (6mm)
   • Tagliolini: 0.04-0.08 inches (1-2 mm)
   • Pappardelle: ¾ inch (2cm)
   • Fettuccine: ⅙ inch (4mm)

Pro Tip: If you're new to hand-rolling, start with wider pasta shapes like pappardelle - they're more forgiving than thin noodles and still absolutely delicious with this green pasta dough.

How to Store Spinach Pasta

Storing homemade pasta can be done a few different ways although freezing it is my (and my Italian family's) preferred method. Proper storage is crucial for maintaining the quality of your homemade spinach pasta. Here in Italy, it's not typical to store it in the fridge - instead, we either cook it the same day or preserve it choosing to freeze it or completely dry it out properly for later use.

Fresh Pasta Storage (at a Glance)

• Same Day Use: Dust well with semolina flour and cover with a clean kitchen towel for up to 2 hours.
• Drying: For longer storage, dry pasta completely on a drying rack. In Italy, we often use a "stendipasta" (pasta stand or pasta drying rack), but any clean rod or the back of a chair also works. The pasta must be completely dry (12-24 hours - or longer in humid environments) before storing it in airtight containers.
• Freezing: This is my preferred method (see photo below):
  - For long pasta: Form into nests, dust with flour
  - For lasagna sheets: Layer between parchment paper
  - Flash freeze on a tray until solid (about 1 hour)
  - Transfer to freezer bags and store up to 3 months
  - Cook directly from frozen - no need to thaw!

Important Note: While you can refrigerate fresh pasta that's been cut and shaped, I don't recommend it. The humidity can cause the pasta to become sticky and lose its texture. If you must refrigerate, limit it to 18-24 hours and dust very generously with flour.

Pro Tip: In very humid environments, it's better to freeze your pasta than try to dry it. Humidity can prevent proper drying and lead to mold and bacteria growth.

Storing Homemade Spinach Pasta (By Shape)

Be careful if you live in an extremely humid environment because if the pasta doesn't dry properly or thoroughly, the fresh eggs in the dough can harbor bacteria. This makes freezing homemade egg pasta the best, easiest, and safest way to preserve all your hard work.

Fresh spinach pasta can be stored with great results for up to 3 months under the right conditions (although I suggest using it up within 1 month for the tastiest results). 

How to Freeze Fresh Spinach spaghetti, tagliatelle, pappardelle, chitarra, fettuccine, etc.): Portion pasta into 3 to 4-ounce portions, dust them with flour, twist them into a "nest" and place them onto a parchment-lined (or flour dusted) baking pan without letting the nests touch.

Pop them into the freezer until completely frozen (about 30 minutes), then add the nests to a freezer bag or other airtight container and store them for up to 3 months. When you're ready to cook the pasta, do not thaw it first. Add the frozen nests to boiling salted water, and cook until al dente doneness (about 4 minutes).

How to Freeze Fresh Spinach Lasagna Sheets: Lay a sheet of flour-dusted lasagna onto a parchment-lined baking tray or platter, add a sheet of parchment paper to fully cover, then add another sheet of lasagna and continue alternating with parchment paper. Cover the tray with sustainable cling film and freeze for up to 3 months until ready to use.

Par-boil the lasagna sheets from frozen for 40 to 50 seconds so they soak up less liquid while baking. Use as instructed in the recipe.

How to Dry Homemade Spinach Pasta (short shapes): While I have dried out egg pasta at room temperature and then sealed it in glass jars or bags, it can take hours or days to fully dry depending on what time of year it is and how humid the environment is.

You will need to agitate and turn them over periodically to allow for even drying. Alternatively, you will need to use a pasta drying rack for longer pasta shapes, as nests will not allow them to dry properly at room temperature.

You'll notice (in the photos above) how much the color changes once it's dried properly (this is what you're looking for)!

How to Dry Homemade Spinach Lasagna Sheets: Unless you have quite a bit of space in your kitchen, I don't recommend drying lasagna sheets but you definitely can by placing a linen or cloth tea towel over a wire rack and placing lasagna sheets in a single layer on top. The sheets need air flow above and below in order to dry properly. So if you have a bunch of wire racks this may be a good option for you.

Troubleshooting Spinach Pasta w/Photos

After years of making fresh pasta and teaching others, I've encountered many pasta-making challenges. Here are the most common issues and exactly how to fix them:

Dough Problems

• Dough too dry and crumbly?
  - Add water gradually, 1 teaspoon at a time
  - Use reserved spinach liquid for extra flavor
  - Knead after each addition until right consistency reached
  - Dough should feel like play-doh - firm but pliable
• Dough not coming together?
  - Let rest covered for 10 minutes to allow flour to hydrate
  - Knead more vigorously to develop gluten
  - Check if your eggs were too small - if so, add an extra yolk (no white)
• Dough too wet and sticky?
  - Add flour one tablespoon at a time
  - Dust work surface with extra flour while kneading
  - Remember: excess moisture often comes from not squeezing enough water out of the spinach after blanching it

Color Issues

• Pasta not green enough?
  • Blanch fresh spinach briefly (30 seconds) to maintain color & blanch frozen spinach (2 ½ to 3 minutes) to maintain color
  • Shock in ice water immediately after blanching
  • Use more spinach:
    • 4 ounces (115g) spinach gives you a vibrant almost neon green pasta color
    • 5 ounces (142g) spinach gives you a darker spinach pasta color

• Uneven green color?
  • Chop spinach more finely before mixing
  • Purée spinach very finely for even color distribution
  • Ensure thorough mixing during initial dough formation
  • Consider adding blanched spinach to the eggs and use an immersion blender or food processor to create or more uniform spinach pasta color and avoid the speckled spinach pasta look.

• Pasta too dark and undesirable color? (shown in the photo below):
  • If your spinach pasta is too dark, you likely didn't blanch the spinach or you may have blanched it too long. Without blanching spinach, you lose the vibrant green color. *The spinach and pancetta pasta below (made using leftover pasta scraps), tastes delicious but lacks visual appeal because the spinach was not blanched.

Spinach Pasta Rolling & Cutting Problems

• Pasta sticking to the machine?
• Dust pasta sheets generously with semolina flour or more 00 flour
  - Ensure pasta is not too wet before you start rolling
  - Clean the pasta machine rollers between uses (but never use water to clean it!)
• Pasta tearing during rolling?
  - Let dough rest longer (minimum 30 minutes)
  - Start with the widest setting (0 on my Atlast Marcato pasta machine and 0 or 1 on my Imperial pasta machine)
  - Roll multiple times on each setting
  - Check if the dough is too wet or too dry
• Pasta Edges cracking while rolling?
  - Dough may be too try or may need more kneading to develop the gluten structure
  - Let rest a little longer to relax the gluten
  - Ensure even thickness when first flattening to feed through the pasta machine
  - Roll more slowly and evenly
• Pasta too thick?
  -Test spinach pasta thickness using a small portion of your rolled dough before you roll the entire batch. This method helps you reach your desired thickness (see below for a too-thick spinach fettuccine I tested before rolling out all the dough)

Storage & Drying Issues

• Pasta sticking together while drying?
  - Use more semolina (semola) flour between pieces
  - Ensure good air circulation
  - Don't let fresh pasta touch while drying if it hasn't been dusted with semolina
  - Freeze the spinach pasta nests right away when the humidity is high
• Noodles breaking during storage (for completely dried pasta)?
  - Ensure pasta is completely dry before storing
  - Handle dried pasta gently
  - For long pasta shapes layer completely dried pasta on a tray with parchment paper in between each layer. For short pasta varieties, store in wide-mouth glass jars or another sturdy airtight container.
  - Not ideal, but you could consider cutting pasta noodles shorter

Note: If your dough isn't perfect the first time, don't worry! Each time you make pasta, you'll develop a better feel for the right texture and consistency and then it really does become second nature!

Spinach Pasta Variations

This versatile spinach pasta dough recipe can be adapted in several ways while maintaining that perfect texture and beautiful green color.

• Eggless Spinach Pasta - Replace eggs with additional blanched spinach purée mixed with a splash of olive oil. The natural moisture from the spinach will bind the dough. Add 1-2 tablespoons water only if needed.
• Spinach and Herb Pasta - Add ¼ cup finely chopped fresh herbs like basil, parsley, or sage to the dough. This creates beautiful speckled pasta with herbacious flavor.
• Whole Wheat Spinach Pasta - Replace up to half the 00 flour with whole wheat flour for a heartier, more nutritious pasta. You may need extra egg yolk for proper binding or a little extra spinach blanching water.
• Semolina Spinach Pasta - For a more rustic texture with even more sauce-holding capabilities, use this recipe.
• Different Greens - Experiment with other greens like kale, Swiss chard, or arugula. Blanch and squeeze dry just like spinach. Each green creates its own unique color and flavor profile.

Spinach Pasta Shapes & Thickness Recommendations (Atlas Marcato Pasta Machine)

• Lasagna Sheets - Roll to setting 6 for standard thickness, cut into rectangles (any thinner and the lasagna sheets lose their texture and shape during the baking process
• Spinach Fettuccine - Roll to setting 6 or 7, cut into ¼ inch strips, or use pasta machine attachment
• Spinach Pappardelle - Roll to setting 5 or 6, cut into 1-inch wide strips
• Spinach Cappellini - Roll to setting 6 or 7, run through pasta machine attachment
• Spinach Spaghetti alla Chitarra - Roll to 5 or 6 (I usually roll to 6) then use a Chitarra pasta tool to cut the pasta
• Spinach Farfalle - Roll to setting 6, cut into rectangles, pinch centers together like a bow tie
• Spinach Tortellini - Roll to setting 6, cut 3x3 cm or (1.5x1.5 inch) squares, fill, and shape
• Spinach Ravioli - Roll thinly to setting 6 or 7, fill, fill, and seal well

Best Spinach Pasta Sauces

Spinach and pasta go hand in hand! And this homemade pasta pairs well with any kind of sauce depending on the shape of pasta you're making. A classic pairing is with Bolognese sauce (one of my favorites), but a creamy Alfredo pasta sauce or a simple pasta al pomodoro sauce are equally tasty -- I've even eaten this pasta with a creamy pea and ham sauce.