Making noodles takes a little elbow grease, but the beautiful culinary art you’ll create makes it all worth it. We’ll show you several different ways to make your pasta, so you never have to repurchase it. Just kidding – as eye-catching as these kinds of pasta are, they do take some time to prepare. However, when you have a free afternoon, these noodles can provide dinner for a few nights during the week.
People all around the world use noodles in various dishes, from spaghetti to manicotti to pho. Noodles serve as a base for a variety of dishes and provide hearty, nourishing meals. Today, we’ll focus on Italian-style noodles, which you can use in any dish you prefer. Not only will these give you a nice dinner, but they are therapeutic to make as well. In our fast-paced world, sometimes it’s nice to slow down and create your culinary masterpieces.
So, to learn the secret of creating your noodles, read on for the recipes below.
Here’s how to make your noodles from scratch:
First off, you’ll need a large cutting board or baking sheet to roll out the pasta dough. Since you’ll need to use flour to ensure the dough doesn’t stick, prepare to get a little messy! Make sure to wear an apron or some old clothes before embarking on this culinary adventure. Now that we have that out of the way, we’ll get to what you came for – the recipe!
1 – Spinach noodles
Sneak spinach into this dough…the kids will never know they are eating their veggies.
What you’ll need:
- Large cooking pot
- Wooden spoon
- Blender
- Strainer
- Large bowl
- Small spoon
- Large surface for rolling the dough
- Plastic wrap
- Knife
- Roller
- Pasta cutter wheel or pizza cutter
- Spinach pasta
Ingredients:
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- Two eggs
First, cook the spinach in a large pot for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add it to a blender along with the two eggs, blending thoroughly. Next, get your bowl and strainer, pouring the mixture into the filter. Stir it to remove excess water, and then lay out the flour on a table or cutting board.
Pour the strained spinach and eggs in the middle of the flour. Start mixing and folding the dough with your hands until you form a ball shape. Knead it thoroughly so that all the flour mixes in with the spinach and eggs. Wrap it with plastic wrap, and sprinkle it with a bit of flour. Refrigerate for 30-45 minutes.
Once you remove it from the fridge, roll the dough out and sprinkle it with flour. Cut along the length of the dough to create a few large pieces. Take the beetroot noodles and lay them diagonally across a portion of the spinach pasta dough. Leave space between each beetroot noodle, and then lay the turmeric noodles diagonally in the opposite direction.
In other words, the beetroot and turmeric noodles should form “X’s” on top of the spinach pasta dough. Remove any noodle pieces hanging off the spinach dough, and sprinkle the dough with flour. Use a roller to spread it out, and cut the dough into squares. Add ricotta filling, and make whatever colorful shapes you prefer!
2 – Beetroot pasta
Add the healthful benefits of beetroots in this recipe.
Ingredients:
- Two eggs
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 medium-sized beetroot, cubed
Rinse out the large pot and fill it halfway with water. When the water is boiling, add the cubed beetroot. Cook until soft, and pour into your blender along with the two eggs. Combine thoroughly.
Next, pour the flour onto your cutting board to make the dough. Form a circle with the flour, and pour the beetroot and egg combination in the middle. Repeat the step above, mixing and folding the dough until you form a ball. Sprinkle a little flour on top, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 30-45 minutes.
Roll out the dough and sprinkle with flour. Cut fragile pieces to create long noodles, and set these to the side. Leave half of the longer works for the first recipe.
3 – Turmeric pasta
Turmeric adds a delicious twist to this pasta.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- Two eggs
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Pour the flour on your cutting board, and then put the eggs and turmeric on top. Mix with your hands until all the flour is combined thoroughly. Once again, wrap the dough in saran wrap and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes. Repeat the process above to create the long noodles, and leave half for the first recipe.
4 – Spinach parsley pansotti
Pansotti is an Italian pasta stuffed with a filling such as cheese and folded in a triangular shape. Making it is easier than it sounds and only involves a few steps.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- Four eggs
- A handful of spinach and parsley leaves
- Ricotta cheese
First, mix the flour and eggs on your cutting board, creating a dough. Follow the steps above to knead it into a ball shape, and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes. After you remove it from the fridge, sprinkle a little flour on top and cut the dough in half. Create a ball shape with one half, and then flatten it using your hands to make a circle.
Sprinkle more flour on top, and use a roller to roll the dough as thin as possible. Now, place the spinach and parsley leaves evenly on top of the layer of dough. Stretch it out as much as you can. Then repeat the steps above for the other half of the dough, laying it on top of the first half.
Sprinkle with flour, and use the roller to spread out the dough more. Then, use your pasta cutter to create squares in the dough between the spinach and parsley leaves. Finally, add a little ricotta cheese in each square, and fold the dough diagonally. Press down on the edges with a fork to seal the pansotti.
Final thoughts: making your noodles is a form of art
These noodle recipes will bring out the Italian pasta chef in you. While it saves time if you use a pasta machine, making it by hand is more fun and rewarding.
If you want, you can also create bowtie pasta with some of the dough squares. Pinch on the middle of a square to make the bowtie shape. There are countless other types of pasta you can make as well; use this guide for more culinary inspiration. Let us know if you decide to make your noodle creations.
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