There's something truly magical about making pasta from scratch. The process of transforming simple ingredients like flour and eggs into delicate, flavorful strands is incredibly rewarding. This recipe takes it a step further by infusing the dough with fresh spinach, creating a stunningly vibrant green pasta that's as beautiful as it is delicious. Paired with a simple yet elegant green pea and garlic butter sauce, this dish is a celebration of fresh, wholesome flavors. Perfect for a special dinner or a fun weekend cooking project!
Homemade spinach pasta with green pea sauce
Ingredients for Homemade Spinach Pasta with Green Pea Sauce
- 200 g all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)
- 1 large egg
- 200 g fresh spinach
For the sauce:
- 100 g green peas
- 2 cloves garlic
- 70 g butter
How to Make Homemade Spinach Pasta with Green Pea Sauce
Rinse the spinach leaves
Let’s make the pasta. First, separate the fresh spinach leaves from the stems, rinse them, and blanch them in boiling water for 3 minutes.
Blanch the spinach
Drain the blanched spinach in a colander and squeeze out the excess water well—we don’t need it! From 200 g of fresh spinach, I got a dense ball weighing about 80 g, roughly the same as a raw chicken egg.
Blend the blanched spinach and egg
Blend the blanched spinach and a raw egg in a blender until the mixture is smooth. You’ll get a bright green liquid, reminiscent of a summer lake during an algae bloom.
Knead the spinach dough
Pour the flour onto a cutting board and make a well in the center. Pour the green mixture into the well. The ingredient ratio is always the same: one egg for every 100 g of flour. Since we are making pasta with spinach, the second egg is replaced by an equal weight of greens.
Let the dough for the homemade spinach noodles rest
Knead the dough until it no longer sticks to the surface. Then, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Roll out the rested dough
Dust the work surface with flour. Divide the dough in half. Roll out each piece into a long, thin rectangle, about the width of a rolling pin and approximately 80 centimeters long. It’s very convenient to roll the dough using a special pasta machine, but I don’t have one yet.
Cut the pasta to the desired size
Roll up the dough sheet into a log and cut it into 1.5-centimeter-wide pieces.
Let the pasta dry slightly
Dust the surface with semolina, lay out the pasta, and let it dry for 15 minutes.
Methods for Drying Pasta
On a tray dusted with cornmeal or semolina. The pasta strips should lie freely, without sticking to each other.
Drying homemade pasta on a tray
Drying method #2. Hang the pasta strips on a regular clothes hanger and place it in a warm, well-ventilated area.
Drying homemade pasta by hanging
You can also use this green dough to make beautiful lasagna, but I’ll tell you about that some other time.
To cook the homemade spinach pasta correctly, use 1 liter of boiling water for every 100 grams of finished pasta. Add the fresh green peas to the pot at the same time. Cook for 6 minutes, then drain in a colander.
Making the sauce
Pour the sauce over the pasta
In a mortar or blender, crush 2 cloves of garlic with salt until it forms a paste. Heat the butter and mix it with the crushed garlic. Pour the sauce over the cooked spinach pasta.
Top with grated cheese and serve
And there you have it—a beautiful plate of homemade spinach pasta that's sure to impress! Don't hesitate to sprinkle some freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top for an extra layer of flavor. You can store any uncooked, dried pasta in an airtight container for several weeks. We hope this recipe inspires you to explore the world of homemade pasta. Feel free to experiment with other natural colorings like beet for red or squid ink for black. Happy cooking!
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