Best 5 Fresh Spinach Pasta Recipes

FRESH SPINACH PASTA DOUGH

Steps:

• Add 2 inches of water to a medium saucepan, and fit with a steamer insert. Bring to a simmer. Add 6 ounces spinach, cover, and steam until bright green and softened, about 2 minutes. Let cool slightly. Squeeze out liquid using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Puree spinach in a food processor (you should have about 1/2 cup puree).
• Add eggs and yolk to puree in food processor, and process until combined. Add flour and 1 heaping teaspoon salt, and process until dough just comes together, about 20 seconds.
• Transfer dough to a well-floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes, adding up to 2 tablespoons flour if dough is too sticky. Place on a piece of parchment, and cover with an inverted bowl, or wrap tightly in plastic; let rest for 1 to 2 hours.
• Cut dough into 8 pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time (keep the remaining pieces covered with the inverted bowl), flatten dough into an oblong shape slightly thinner than the pasta machine's widest setting (number 1). Dust dough very lightly with flour, and feed through machine. Fold lengthwise into thirds and rotate 90 degrees. Repeat twice on same setting to smooth dough and increase its elasticity.
• Turn the dial to next narrower setting. Pass dough through twice, gently supporting it with your palm. Continue to press dough, passing it through ever-finer settings, two passes on each setting, until sheet is almost translucent and very thin but still intact (number 5 of 8 on a KitchenAid pasta roller). The dough will stretch to about 16 inches long. If dough bubbles or tears, pass it through again, and dust with flour if the dough is sticking.
• For farfalle, lasagna squares, or ravioli: Place rolled sheet on a lightly floured surface, and cut out as directed in corresponding recipe, using a dry brush to dust flour off if needed. For ribbon pastas: Place dough on a drying rack until slightly tacky, 10 to 15 minutes, and then use a pasta machine or cutting attachment to cut into strands. Drape over rack until strands are semidry and won't stick together, about 20 minutes. Cook immediately, or lay flat on a baking sheet dusted with semolina, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

FRESH TOMATO AND SPINACH PASTA

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions.
• Drain; keep warm.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook onion and garlic in hot oil over medium heat until onion is tender.
• Add tomatoes, salt, black pepper, and, if desired, red pepper.
• Cook and stir over medium-high heat for about two minutes or until the tomatoes are warm and release some of their juices.
• Stir in spinach, heat just until greens are wilterd.
• To serve, top pasta with tomato mixture; sprinkle with parmesean cheese.

SAUTEED CHICKEN BREAST WITH FRESH SPINACH PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add linguine and cook until a little less than al dente, about 8 minutes. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and 1 tablespoon of butter, heat until the butter is melted. Then add the chicken breasts, skin side down and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until lightly colored.
• When done, transfer chicken breasts to a plate and set aside. Discard any fat from your skillet. Now, to the skillet add 2 tablespoons of butter, heat until butter is melted. Add onion, celery, carrots and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring until vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes. Return chicken to the skillet, add rosemary, and bay leaf and cook, covered over moderately low heat for 5 minutes more or until chicken is cooked through but still slightly springy to the touch. Again, remove chicken from the skillet and transfer to a plate, pouring any remaining juice into the skillet and set aside. Now, prepare the sauce. To the same skillet add madeira and chicken broth, cook until reduced by half. Then add heavy cream and reduce until sauce is lightly thickened. Drain and pat dry linguine and transfer to a serving plate and toss with remaining tablespoon of butter. Top with chicken breasts. To the sauce add minced fresh herbs, taste for seasoning, adding salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Gently pour sauce over linguine and chicken, making sure to evenly coat the entire surface. Serve immediately.

FRESH SPINACH PASTA

Steps:

• Heat a few drops of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add spinach and cook, stirring constantly with tongs, until leaves start to wilt and turn dark green, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a strainer set over a bowl; let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Wrap spinach up in a clean, dry towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
• Transfer spinach into a blender. Add eggs; pulse on and off until pureed. Press puree through a strainer into a bowl if desired.
• Pile flour onto your work surface. Make a large well in the center; add salt, 2 teaspoons oil, and the liquid spinach mixture. Stir some flour into the well until liquid is mostly absorbed. Gather in enough flour to form a shaggy dough. Scrape excess flour to the side. Knead dough for a few minutes until smooth and soft but still moldable. Add extra flour or water if needed.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Cut dough into 4 pieces; keep 3 pieces wrapped in plastic. Roll 1 piece into a tube and press down into a rectangle about 1/4-inch thick, dusting with semolina flour.
• Run dough twice through a stand mixer fitted with a pasta attachment using the thickest setting. Dust with semolina; fold in the rounded ends to retain the rectangular shape. Run pasta sheet through the thickest setting 2 more times. Decrease thickness by 1 setting and run pasta sheet through 2 times. Repeat 2 more times. Dust with semolina if sticky and clean up any edges as needed.
• Cut pasta sheets in half lengthwise and sprinkle with semolina. Let dry for 15 minutes. Roll and dry remaining pieces of dough. Run each sheet through the fettuccine setting and dust with more semolina.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook fresh pasta until tender yet firm to the bite, 45 to 60 seconds. Drain most of the water and mix pasta with any piping-hot sauce you desire.

ANGEL HAIR PASTA WITH FRESH SPINACH, PEAS & FETA

Steps:

• Whisk the cheese, skim milk and basil in a small bowl until smooth.
• Prepare pasta according to package directions, drain thoroughly.
• Heat the chicken broth in the pot over medium heat to simmering.
• Add the mushrooms and simmer, uncovered, 2 minutes.
• Add the peas, goat cheese mixture and pasta and toss to coat until the cheese is melted and the pasta is coated with the sauce.
• Stem the spinach and/or arugula.
• Wash the greens in several changes of cool water to remove all dirt.
• Drain the greens well, preferably in a salad spinner.
• Stack several leaves and cut the crosswise into thin strips.
• Fold in the spinach.
• Check the seasoning and divide the pasta among serving dishes, sprinkle each with chives and serve.