Green Fresh Pasta Dough (spinach, kale, pea or stinging nettle) made with red lentil flour

Edit

Recipe's preparation

Preparing the greens - use as much as you like.





This is a really versatile recipe, so you can add any greens you like and really as much as you like. When using fresh leaves, I usually fill the thermomix jug; if using frozen, I usually stop at 150g-200g as a rule of thumb. The main factor is the lentils, if you use more than 80g of lentil flour you'll have a really tough time putting the dough through the pasta machine, its just too stretchy and the texture isn't great once cooked.

I use white flour as I've tried with wholemeal and I didn't like the texture, neither did the kids. Your mileage may vary but I figure I am already stuffing them with greens and lentils with this pasta, so its a win.





If using stinging nettles: If you haven't cooked with nettles yet, have a quick google about how they are a super food (very nutritionally dense). They taste and handle like spinach. We use them A LOT for this pasta as the kids love green pasta and the nettles arrives in the garden earlier than the spinach does! To deactivate the sting, blanch in boiling water for 90 seconds, rinse in cold water and wring the excess water out. Gloves and tongs are your friends! You can also steam them in the varoma but if you do this, then dry the thermomix jug before grinding the lentil flour or it will stick.

Fresh Spinach/Kale/Chard: Wash, spin in a salad spinner and add to the thermomix bowl uncooked.

Frozen Spinach/Peas/Chard/Runner Beans: Add frozen, no prep needed.

You can also use fresh beetroot, cut into 2cm cubes and the pasta will be pink and slightly sweet.

Step 1. Make red lentil flour

Add the dried lentils to the jug and grind for 30 seconds at speed 9.5

Scrape down and grind for another 20 seconds at speed 9.5

Step 2. Add greens

Add greens to the jug, along with 100g flour and chop at speed 5 for 1 minute.

Scrape down and chop again if its not finely cut - frozen takes longer. If the greens are wet it can form a paste, add more flour to make the chopping easier. It can look like green flour (very powdery) if its dry enough - it doesn't matter just gives a more consistent texture if you cut the greens up very fine.

Step 3. Add eggs and knead





Add the rest of the flour (to about 300g as total amount added - it will depend on how much moisture was in the veges, and how big the eggs were on how much you finally use.)

Add the eggs. Knead for 1 minute using the dough setting.

Check for texture, the dough should look crumbly but stick together when you squish it. If you need to add more moisture, use a little bit of water (its really easy to put in too much, just add a splash at a time!). If its too wet, add more flour.

Knead for another minute using the dough setting.

Step 4. Rest then roll





Wrap in cling wrap and rest dough for 15 mins or so (honestly I start cranking it straight away but it makes it easier to put through the pasta machine if you rest it a little).

Roll through the pasta machine - I use an Imperia manual pasta machine to make linguini at thickness 5, but do whatever makes you happy.

Step 5. Cook





Cook the pasta noodles in salted boiling water for 3 mins.

Enjoy!

Roll then cook





I haven't had any luck storing the noodles made with this recipe. If I ever keep any, I keep the dough in a ball wrapped in clingfilm in the fridge and then roll it in the pasta machine before cooking.

Enjoy!





If my kids don't eat green pasta, then they aren't eating anything. Its their all-time favourite food. I cannot count the number of times I have made it and my pasta-machine skills are now almost automatic. If you're just starting out with the pasta machine, have a bit of patience but you get the knack pretty quickly!