Â鶹ԼÅÄmade tricolore pasta dough
Mateo Zielonka shows you how to make delicious homemade pasta in the colours of the Italian flag. Turn it into any shape you like, or follow Mateo’s instructions for farfalle or tagliatelle.
Each pasta colour makes enough to serve 4 people, so 12 people if combined.
Method
To make the classic egg pasta, place the flour on a clean work surface or board and shape it into a mound. Make a well in the centre and crack the eggs into the middle. Using a fork, break the egg yolks and start to gently whisk them. Draw in the flour a little at a time and continue to combine with the fork.
When everything starts to come together, use your hands to knead the dough for 8–10 minutes until smooth. Use the heel of one hand to push the dough away from you, and use your other hand to turn it 90 degrees after each knead.
When the dough is smooth, form it into a flat disc. Wrap it tightly in cling film and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or ideally overnight.
To make the beetroot pasta, put the beetroot into a blender with 60ml/2¼fl oz water, then blend into a purée. Add a little more water if you need to, but the key is to achieve a purée by adding as little liquid as possible.
Strain the purée through a sieve but don’t press it – leave it to drip over a bowl for 5 minutes.
Weigh out 40g/1½oz of the purée into a bowl. Crack in the whole egg, add the egg yolks and mix together with a fork.
Place the flour on a clean work surface or a board, make a well in the middle, then add the egg and beetroot mixture. Start mixing the dough, using your fork to draw in a little bit of flour at a time.
When everything starts to come together, use your hands to knead and continue to work the dough for a further 8–10 minutes until smooth. Use the heel of your hand to push the dough away from you. Use your other hand to turn the dough 90 degrees after each knead – you will soon develop a lovely rhythm.
When the dough is smooth, form it into a flat disc (this will be much easier to roll out later). Wrap it tightly in cling film and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This allows the dough to rest and makes it easier to roll out and shape.
To make the spinach pasta, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and blanch the spinach for 30–45 seconds, then drain through a sieve and rinse immediately under cold running water. When it’s cool enough to handle, squeeze the spinach until you’ve removed almost all of the moisture.
Blend the spinach with the whole egg until it forms a loose purée – you should get about 100g/3½oz.
Place the flour in a mound on a clean work surface or board and create a well in the centre. Pour the spinach purée into the middle and add the egg yolk. Start mixing the dough, drawing in a little bit of flour at a time.
When everything starts to come together, use your hands to knead the dough and continue to knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth. Use the heel of your hand to push the dough away from you, using your other hand to turn the dough 90 degrees after each knead – you will soon develop a lovely rhythm.
When the dough is smooth, form it into a flat disc (this will be much easier to roll out later). Wrap it tightly in cling film and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Recipe Tips
Resting the dough makes the structure of the dough smoother and more pliable, so it’s much easier to roll out and shape.