The first time I had handmade pasta was at a quaint, Italian food truck in Austin. I remembered thinking $11 for a plate of pesto pasta at a food truck was a little expensive but once I tasted the food, I knew that I was paying extra for a good reason. Fresh made pasta is a game-changer in Italian cuisine and I am here to spread the word and magic on homemade pasta! The noodles are chewy and “QQ”  The process is a bit lengthy without any machinery so I recommend doing this on a relaxing day and possibly double or triple the recipe for the future. The dough refrigerates and freezes well bulk “production” may be a very good idea!

Until I have invested in a mixer and pasta roller, I will be rolling out dough and getting my day’s workout in. Today, I worked on spinach pasta since I always have a stash of frozen spinach in the freezer. An extremely cheap and versatile ingredient.

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4 Ingredient Spinach Pasta

yield: serves 5 people

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2 c. all purpose flour (plus more on the side for dusting and kneading)
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 c. frozen spinach, processed in food processor so that it becomes a liquid-spinach paste.

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine flour, eggs, and oil. When the mixture comes together, pour onto a clean surface and knead with hands approximately 10 minutes.
2. Roll it into a ball, place in bowl, and cover it with a lid. Place in the fridge and allow the dough to rest for 30-45 min.
3. Take out the dough from the fridge and roll out on a floured surface really thin using a rolling pin (as thin as possible) and fold up the dough.
4. Using a sharp knife, slice the dough pieces into thin strips. Cut pasta in thickness according to what type of pasta you would like (angel hair, spaghetti, fettuccine).
5. Cook immediately in boiling water for 3-4 minutes or separate the strands and allow to dry outdoors in the sun or indoors in a cool dry place. Once dried, store the pasta in the fridge.

Tips:

• Dough should not stick to your hands when it is kneaded completely together. If that is the case, add all-purpose flour gradually (about 1 tsp. at a time), until dough is moist to the touch but does not stick to your hand.
• Is is important to rest the dough in the fridge the allow the gluten to rest. If this step is skipped, a tougher noodle will result.
• Once pasta is dropped in boiling water, it is important to stir immediately to prevent the pasta from sticking together. It helps to salt the water to increase the temperature of water.

Homemade spinach pasta pairs well with any sauce, but I recommend a light pesto sauce or a simple olive oil and tomatoes. I used a homemade creamy sundried tomato sauce.

Have any other suggestions or ideas? Leave a comment below!