Homemade Spinach Pasta Dough

Squeeze as much water as possible from the chopped spinach with your hands or by pressing against a colander. In a blender or food processor, combine spinach and eggs, puree until the mixture is dark green and smooth, with few or no visible chunks of spinach showing.

In a bowl, combine 4 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt, stirring with a fork or a whisk to combine. On a large, lightly floured work surface (like a countertop covered with a silicone pastry mat), pour the flour mixture into a mound. Make a well in the middle.

Pour the spinach-egg mixture into the well and, using a fork, stir the spinach mixture in a circular motion, gradually incorporating more and more flour. As the mixture turns chunky, begin to knead it, incorporating enough flour to make a stiff dough. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, adding more flour until dough is smooth and slightly tacky but not sticky. Set aside, covered with plastic wrap, for about 20 minutes, to let the gluten relax.

Assemble your pasta maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Divide the dough into 4 to 6 equal sections with a knife or a dough cutter, and cover all pieces but the one you're working with, with a clean dishtowel or plastic wrap. Form the piece of dough into a flat rectangle. Beginning with a narrow side of the rectangle, feed it through the pasta maker at the first (widest) setting, then fold it like a business letter and feed it through the pasta rollers again. Repeat the folding and rolling steps several times at the widest setting, before rolling pasta at increasingly smaller settings until it reaches the desired thinness

Note: This dough can be stickier and more fragile than regular flour-based pasta dough so you might not want to roll it as thin as you normally roll pasta.

Use the sheets of pasta as-is for lasagna, form into ravioli, or cut into noodles. Cook finished pasta in boiling, salted water, for about 3 minutes, or until al dente.