If you’ve ever wondered how to make bright green chewy pasta with bite, this is the recipe for you! Homemade spinach pasta is easy to make and this recipe uses just 4 ingredients — twice-milled semolina flour (semolina rimacinata), eggs, and a bit of extra virgin olive oil. This spinach pasta dough recipe makes delicious spinach fettuccine, pappardelle, tortellini, or even “lasagna verde” for classic Lasagna alla Bolognese — you can even use it to make cute spinach farfalle pasta if you want!
Making pasta at home isn’t complicated (even if you don’t own a pasta machine or KitchenAid pasta attachments). But like with any new skill, if you’re just learning the art of homemade pasta it gets easier every time you make it (like second nature kind of easy). This particular spinach pasta dough is a bit stronger than my two 00 Italian flour pasta recipes because it contains less liquid, but the texture is worth the little bit of extra force it takes to knead it. It’s perfectly chewy with a great “bite”.
Why We Love This Spinach Pasta Dough Recipe
- It uses just 4 ingredients
- It makes pretty spring green-colored pasta that tastes as good as it looks
- It’s a great meal prep (make-ahead and freeze) fresh pasta recipe
- You can sub regular semolina for the twice-milled semolina
- It’s super chewy with a great bite because of the low-hydration dough and proper kneading
- Use it to make any kind of spinach pasta but this is my favorite pasta for making green farfalle
- It’s a great way to use up leftover semolina flour you may have from making homemade pizza
A Few Tips for Making Homemade Spinach Pasta Dough — (Pasta Fatta in Casa)
If you haven’t checked out my post for how to make homemade Italian 00 egg pasta, hop over there and check it out. I share all the pasta-making details and techniques that will hopefully all but guarantee a great bowl of chewy, delicious homemade pasta (even if this is your first time). For now, here’s the gist of that information:
Should I add salt to homemade spinach pasta dough? I typically just stick to the way the Italians have been doing it for over 700 years — I don’t add salt.
Should I add olive oil to homemade spinach pasta dough? Adding a bit of high-quality extra virgin olive oil to homemade semolina pasta dough (like this one) adds fat and extra flavor. I typically don’t add olive oil to pasta dough when I use 00 or all-purpose flour.
How long do I knead semolina spinach pasta dough? It’s important to knead pasta dough in order to activate the gluten which builds a weblike network and strengthens the pasta dough giving it that pleasant chewy “bite”. There’s no exact science for how long this process takes (read more about it here). But typically when hand-kneading pasta (especially semolina pasta dough) you’ll probably want to work and knead the dough by hand for 15 to 20 minutes (depending on your kneading skills) or in a stand mixer for 10 to 12 minutes for best results.
How long do I rest homemade spinach pasta dough after kneading it? I cover and rest semolina pasta dough for at least 2 hours which makes this pasta much easier to roll out. Much like pizza dough, when pasta dough rests after being kneaded it’s allowing the gluten network to relax, and reorient itself in order to be rolled out without pulling back onto itself.
Below in Photos (The Stages of Making Homemade Semolina Spinach Pasta)
Homemade Spinach Pasta Dough Ingredients (Using Twice-Milled Semolina Flour)
Depending on the absorption potential of the flour and also how large your eggs are, you may need to add a splash or two of spinach water to the dough if it’s too dry (which will also help with rolling it out). I chose to not add any water even though the dough was a bit “tough” because I wanted a really strong and chewy noodle, but I easily could have added 2 teaspoons or even 1 tablespoon of (10g-15g) of water to this dough which would have made it more malleable and much easier to knead (not to mention even smoother). On the other hand, if you’re pasta is too wet, you may need to add a little extra sprinkle of flour.
- frozen or fresh spinach
- twice-milled semolina flour (Italian Semola Rimacinata) (sub 00 flour or regular semolina)
- large eggs (pasta gialla eggs or other richly-colored eggs preferred) (*see photos below)
- extra virgin olive oil
Overview: How to Make Homemade Spinach Pasta Dough — Mix, Knead, Rest, & Roll
This pasta recipe makes 1 pound 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 thin. I own an Atlas Marcato 150 pasta machine in Italy and an Imperia pasta machine back home in the States and I believe their settings are somewhat similar. I suggest using a small piece to test different thicknesses and 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.
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- Blanch the spinach.
- Make the dough.
- Knead the dough.
- Rest the dough.
- Roll out the dough.
- Cut the desired pasta shapes.
How to Make Traditional Italian Spinach Pasta Dough step-by-step recipe photos
How to Cook Homemade Fresh Spinach Pasta
Homemade noodles and pasta take just a few minutes to cook to “al dente” doneness, so keep this in mind. It’s also good practice to allow fresh pasta to rest at least 20 to 30 minutes before cooking it to allow it to dry a bit. Add pasta to a pot of salted boiling water and be sure to check them after about 1 1/2 minutes to see how much longer they’ll need. I usually never cook homemade egg pasta for more than 3 to 5 minutes total (even when cooking from frozen).
How to Store Homemade Fresh Spinach Pasta
If you’re wondering how to store fresh spinach pasta, it can safely be stored in a few ways, although freezing it is my preferred method. You can also dry it completely on a kitchen towel in a single layer (without overlapping the pasta) covered by a linen tea towel for 2 to 3 days in a dry environment. Then add it to an airtight container and use it within 3 or 4 days.
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. Freshly made frozen 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 to 2 months for the tastiest results).
To Freeze Homemade Spinach Pasta like 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. Just add the frozen nests to boiling salted water, and cook until al dente doneness (about 4 minutes).
To Freeze Homemade 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. Allow the lasagna to rest for 15 minutes or so at room temperature before layering into the lasagna or other pasta al forno dish. Also, you may par-boil the frozen lasagna sheets so they soak up less liquid while baking. Bake as instructed.
To Dry Homemade Spinach Pasta: 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. This particular dough (which contains less water than most of my other pasta dough recipes), tends to dry out fairly quickly (and makes a great homemade spinach farfalle (bowtie) pasta).
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.
Can I refrigerate Fresh Spinach Pasta? It’s not recommended to refrigerate homemade egg pasta (especially filled pasta like ravioli, tortellini, etc.) because the humidity can ruin the pasta and the flavor can change. If you really need to refrigerate homemade egg pasta I recommend doing it for not longer than 24 hours and it’s even better if you can use it within 18 hours.
Looking For More Easy Pasta Recipes or a Way to Use This Spinach Pasta Dough?
We love each of these authentic Italian pasta recipes and think you’re family will too!
- Anniversary Pasta (Spicy Shrimp Tomato-Alfredo Sauce w/Rigatoni)
- Asparagus & Ham Lasagna (w/Asparagus Bechamel)
- Classic Lasagna Bolognese (authentic Italian recipe)
- Shrimp Fettuccini Alfredo Pasta Recipe (w/Parmigiano Cream Sauce)
- 15-Minute Shrimp Pasta w/Garganelli (the Italian Way)
- Tagliatelle al Ragù (Northern Italian Beef Ragù w/Pasta)
- How to Make Homemade Tortellini from Scratch (Tortellini in Brodo)
- Italian Prosciutto Cotto and Mozzarella Lasagna (Lasagne con Prosciutto Cotto e Mozzarella)
Let’s get started!
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Homemade Spinach Pasta Dough (Using Semolina Flour)
- Total Time: 2 hours 34 minutes
- Yield: 1 pound Spinach Pasta 1x
Description
If you’ve ever wondered how to make green pasta this is the recipe for you! Homemade spinach pasta is easy to make and uses just 3 ingredients –twice-milled semolina flour (semolina rimacinata), eggs, and a bit of extra virgin olive oil. This pasta dough recipe makes the best, chewy spinach fettuccine, pappardelle, tortellini, or even “lasagna verde” for classic Lasagna alla Bolognese — even really cute super easy spinach bow tie pasta if you want! Step-by-step recipe photos can be found in the main post.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces frozen or fresh spinach (115g)
- 11 ounces twice-milled semolina flour (Italian Semola Rimacinata) (300g) (sub 00 flour or regular semolina)
- 2 large eggs (pasta gialla eggs or other richly-colored eggs preferred) (50g) (*see photos below)
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (10g)
Instructions
- Blanch the spinach. Add the spinach (frozen or fresh) to a pot of boiling water and cook it (blanch it) for about 3 minutes. Strain it reserving the liquid being sure to squeeze out all of the excess liquid. Use a blender, immersion blender, or food processor to purée the spinach to a fine paste and set aside.
- Make the dough. Add the flour to a countertop or large bread bowl and make a “well” in the middle. Add the cracked eggs, olive oil, and puréed spinach to the center and begin agitating the mixture to combine it with the flour being sure to keep everything in the center of the “well”. Work in a circular motion incorporating more flour into the center until the mixture is combined and forms a shaggy, stiff dough. Rest the dough covered for 30 minutes. *Alternatively, you may place all of the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and knead them on medium speed for 5 minutes using the dough hook or into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough blade and pulse until the mixture is combined.
- Knead the dough. Remove the dough to a work surface and knead it by turning it clockwise a quarter turn and repeating until the dough becomes softer and more pliable, or about 15 to 20 minutes. It should be much smoother and more elastic at this point. *Alternatively, you may knead the dough using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment for 10 to 12 minutes on medium-low speed (speed #2 on a KitchenAid).
- Rest the dough. Cover and rest the dough for 2 hours.
- Roll out the dough. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces and work with one piece at a time covering the other pieces so they don’t dry out. Press down to form a disc just thin enough to be fed through the pasta machine’s widest setting (0 or 1 depending on your pasta machine). Feed the dough through the rollers while turning the crank. If needed, lightly dust both sides of the pasta sheet with flour and fold it like a letter (bringing in the two ends to the middle) to form a more even rectangle. Feed the pasta sheet back through the rollers on (0 or 1) until it is long and rectangular in shape. Set the adjustment knob to 1 and pass the pasta sheet through one time. Set the adjustment knob to 2 and pass the pasta sheet through one time. Set the adjustment knob to 3, pass the pasta sheet through one time, and continue adjusting the knob setting and passing the dough through until you’ve reached the desired thickness (the recommended thickness setting is typically number 6 for fettuccine, tagliatelle, ravioli, lasagna, etc.
- Cut the desired pasta shapes. Attach the pasta shape cutter attachment and run the sheets of pasta through them, sprinkle them with semolina (or other flour) and shape them into a bird’s nest, or hang them on a pasta drying rack. *Alternatively, you may roll up the sheets of pasta and cut them into the desired thickness for fettuccine or pappardelle, etc. If making lasagna, leave the sheets just as they are or trim them to the desired length. If using immediately, allow the noodles to dry for at least 10 minutes before boiling (or layering into uncooked into lasagna) and, Enjoy!
Notes
- I’ve used frozen spinach for this recipe (as do all of my Italian family here in Italy) because it’s less work, quicker, and more convenient. And as you can see, it makes a super bright green beautifully colored cooked pasta.
- Do not use cold eggs straight out of the refrigerator. Let them warm up to room temperature first. You can speed up this process by covering cold eggs in hot tap water until warmed to the proper temperature.
- If the pasta dough seems too dry, add 1 to 2 teaspoons or more of the reserved spinach water as needed.
- Do not add salt to the dough.
- You can store fully dried homemade dried pasta for up to 1 month in an airtight sealed container. You may also freeze fresh pasta (my preferred method as taught to me by my family here in Italy. Try to use it within 1 month.
- Cook homemade fresh pasta in a good amount of water. I typically cook store-bought pasta in small amounts of water because it really doesn’t need that much water to cook properly. But when I cook pasta fresca or freshly made pasta, I use a bit more water so the fresh noodles have room to cook without sticking together. If you have thoroughly dried homemade pasta first before cooking, you can use less water.
- Never wash your pasta machine with water because the water and flour will act like glue and can clog up the rollers.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Rest Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Mix & Knead
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 ounce serving
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