Easter is a week away! What better way to celebrate than to serve up a beautiful green pasta dish to your family and friends. This homemade matcha pasta with spinach, lemons and zucchini is a great vegetarian meal and, if you want to add some protein, you can top with grilled shrimp. Either way, it’s delicious.
In Italy, Easter is celebrated with a 3-hour family lunch, where laughter is abundant, hand gestures are inevitable, wine is always flowing and there is enough food on the table to feed a small army.I don’t eat breakfast before this festive meal, otherwise I wouldn’t make it past the first course, which sometimes is still hard to do. Portions in Italy are not small, by the way.
Just to give you an idea, here is the menu for Sunday’s Easter lunch that my mother-in-law Patrizia is hosting. It’s also her birthday. Buon Compleanno :: Happy Birthday, Patrizia!
Easter Menu
Various appetizers
Ricotta & Asparagus Cannelloni
Mushroom Tortelli with Castellano Cheese and Tartufo Butter
The Easter bunny does not exist in the small country town where I live in the region of Emilia-Romagna.There are no pastel weaved baskets filled with chocolates and candies to find when you wake in the morning, nor are there Easter egg hunts at the local park.When I first started living here, I momentarily felt kind of sorry for Italian children, but then again, they have something we Americans don’t: chocolate eggs filled with surprises.
Now you may be skeptical, I mean, in America, chocolate eggs are the norm. But, these aren’t just any chocolate eggs. These oval delicacies are both fun and melt-in-your-mouth-delicious. They come in all different sizes: from eggs the size of your palms to the size of your head to the size of an adult body. The surprises are relative to the size and cost of the egg: from small little plastic figurines, to dolls and cars to giant stuffed animals (and much more).
How to open one of these chocolate eggs: Remove the shiny wrapper, admire the chocolate that you are going to shortly devour, and smash the chocolate egg against the table to reveal a plastic egg. Inside you’ll find your surprise. Outside you have all of the chocolate pieces to eat and share. Or not. 🙂
Traditional American Easter desserts are filled with colored dyes. How else would you color your cakes and frosting pastel green, yellow and pink? Believe it or not, there are so many easy ways! I used natural colorings for my pasta recipes: matcha and spinach for green, turmeric for yellow and beet pureefor pink. You can also use these natural colors for your baked goods.
Here’s the thing: synthetic dyes are bad for adults and children. According toEating Well, “Research has also associated food dyes with problems in children including allergies, hyperactivity, learning impairment, irritability and aggressiveness.”
I was actually quite tentative to use real ingredients to color my food, I mean, wouldn’t it taste weird? The surprising answer is no. Usually the amount that you add to your recipe is so minimal that you can’t even detect what ingredient it is. For instance, in this homemade matcha pasta you can’t taste the flavor of the green tea but you get all of the antioxidants and heath benefits. Is matcha tea good for kids, you ask? I found this article quite interesting.
I had a lot of fun developing this recipe; it was also quite a challenge. It took me about three tries to get the pasta the way I wanted it, and about 8 tries to find the “perfect sauce” (see my video on youtube.) I am very happy with the result and the responses during the 2 week cooking show tour in America with Smeg USA. Over the course of 17 cooking shows and demos in Chicago and New York City, I showed consumers how to make this pasta dough in Smeg’s beautifulstand mixer , and how to make the raw spinach lemon sauce in their vintage style blender.
I used their vegetable attachment to cut matchstick pieces of zucchini in seconds. Not only was it fun, but I absolutely love showing people how to eat healthy with simple recipes. It’s truly easy when you have the right kitchen tools.
Homemade Matcha Pasta with Spinach, Lemons and Zucchini
This homemade matcha pasta with spinach, lemons and zucchini is a great vegetarian dish perfect for Easter and the arrival of spring. It's naturally colored and fresh in flavor. Enjoy!
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
For the dough for spaghetti:
2½ cups + 2 tablespoons (400g) semola
1⅛ cup (230g) water
2 pinches salt
2 tablespoons (10g) matcha powder
For the dough for fettuccine or tagliolini:
3 cups (14oz, 400g) farro flour
4 extra large organic eggs
1 pinch of salt
2 tablespoons (10g) organic matcha
For the sauce:
8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
½ onion, skin removed and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, skin removed and finely chopped
½ cup water
1 lemon, juiced
6 oz (180g) organic baby spinach
¾ tsp salt
For the topping:
2 zucchini, cut into matchstick pieces
2-3 lemons
Chives
Instructions
For the dough:
Attach the dough hook to the Smeg stand mixer and add all of the ingredients for either the spaghetti dough or the fettuccine/tagliolini dough. Mix on speed 1 for 3-5 minutes until the mixture comes together as a ball, adding a spoonful of water at a time if the texture is crumbly or extra flour if the dough is sticky. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Attach the pasta roller accessory to the stand mixer. Divide the dough into 6 pieces, press them into flat rectangles and flour each side. Pass one of the pieces through the machine on speed 1 on no.0. Fold the ends towards each other and pass it through again. Now turn it to no.1 and pass it through three times. Let the sheets dry for 20 minutes or until they are no longer moist but not too dry where they break. Now proceed with one of the following:
For Spaghetti:
Attach the spaghetti attachment and pass each sheet through on speed 1. Repeat. Hang the spaghetti on a pasta rack or broom handle lined with a clean cloth and let dry completely before cooking. Cook time: 2-4 minutes in boiling salted water.
For Fettuccine & Tagliolini:
Attach the fettuccine or tagliolini accessory and run one sheet through on speed 1. Repeat. Pasta can be used immediately. Cook time: 2-4 minutes (fettuccine) or 1-2 minutes (tagliolini) in boiling salted water.
For the sauce:
Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a skillet, add the onion and cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until translucent, but not brown. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add this mixture to a blender followed by 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, water, lemon juice, baby spinach and salt. Blend until smooth, adding more salt or lemon to taste.
To plate:
Cook the pasta according to the directions above. Add the sauce back to the skillet. When the pasta is done add it to the skillet along with a few spoonfuls of cooking water. Stir to distribute the sauce evenly and heat over medium heat for 30 seconds. Divide into 4-6 plates, and top with zucchini, chives and ½ lemon zest for each plate. Buon appetito!
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This post is sponsored by Smeg. I only work with companies whose products I use and love.
If you want a delicious and healthy recipe to start of this new year, then look no longer. This spinach pasta with kale pesto, shaved leeks and toasted almonds is packed with simple genuine goodness. If you like basil pesto, you are going to love this kale pesto. This creamy, green yumminess compliments this homemade spinach pasta or is perfect with any pasta you have on hand. I also love using kale pesto to drizzle over my poached eggs in the morning or add flavor to baked fish for dinner. Another great way to use this pesto is to simply mix it into grains like quinoa, farro or brown rice for a mouthwatering salad. The options are endless and it’s so easy to make: just add the ingredients to a blender or food processor and whiz away. It’s that simple.
Talking about food that is simple, so is homemade pasta! While any flour can be used, I’ve used a delicious ancient grain Einkorn flour that has more protein, less gluten that modern flours and has a delicious nutty flour.
I’ve made a lot of pasta the past few weeks at cooking demos with Smeg USA, in Vancouver, Canada at Hudson’s Bay Company and in San Francisco at Bloomingdales and Williams-Sonoma.Being that Smeg has a 1950’s line of appliances, I decided to dress the part. What do you think?
I’ll be making this recipe along with my homemade beet pasta recipe on the Friday morning show at 8:10 on Krem 2 News on channel 22. I will also be showing how to make these recipes during two cooking classes at:
TheCulinary Stone in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Saturday, 28th (3:30-5:30pm) Sold Out
Sunday, 29th from 1:00-3:00pm.
You can call the store at 1-208-277-4116 to reserve your spot. If you’re in the area, I would love to meet you in person and show you just how easy these recipes are…and of course, give you a taste! Hope to see you soon! You can also follow along on Facebook and Instagram!
Homemade Spinach Pasta with Kale Pesto, Leeks and Almonds
Learn how to make an easy homemade spinach pasta and a delicious kale pesto topped with leeks and almonds! Fresh, simple and healthy.
Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients
For the green dough:
4 large eggs (around 65g, 2.3 ounces each)
1.4oz (40g) spinach
3 cups (14oz, 400g) organic Einkorn flour (or flour of choice), plus more for rolling out
2 pinches salt
For the kale pesto:
1 cup olive oil + more if needed to arrive at the consistency desired
3 cups (65g) torn Tuscan kale leaves (no stems)
½ clove garlic, skin removed
⅓ cup (35g) walnuts
1½ cups (60g) grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese + more for serving
Salt and black pepper, to taste
For the topping:
1 leek, white part only, sliced in julienne strips
½ cup almonds, roughly chopped
Instructions
For the dough:
Add the eggs and spinach to a container and blend with a handheld immersion mixer for 10 seconds. Attach the dough hook to the stand mixer and add the flour, salt and egg/spinach mixture. Mix on speed 1 for 4-5 minutes until the mixture comes together as a ball, adding a spoonful of water at a time if needed or extra flour if the dough is sticky. Alternatively knead by hand for 15 minutes. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Attach the pasta roller accessory to the stand mixer. Divide the dough into 8 pieces, press them into flat rectangles and flour each side. Keep them covered with plastic wrap. Pass one of the pieces through the machine on speed 1 on no.0. Fold the ends towards each other and pass it through again. Continue to pass the dough through, reducing the thickness from no. 0 to 5. Alternatively roll out with a rolling pin.
Let the past sheets dry for 10 minutes on a floured work space. Attach the fettuccine accessory and run one sheet through on speed 1. Continue with the rest. Flour the fettuccine ribbons well so they don’t stick together. Alternatively, cut the rolled doll into ribbons.
For the sauce and toppings:
Add the the extra virgin olive oil, kale, garlic, walnuts and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to a blender or food processor in that order. Blend until smooth, adding more olive oil if needed to get to a slightly runny consistency. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
In a large skillet, add the leeks and ¼-1/2 cup of water. Cook over medium heat until soft and the water has absorbed; 15-20 minutes.
Put the chopped almonds in a small skillet, toast over medium heat until slightly golden stirring often; 3-4 minutes.
For the pasta:
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 2 tablespoons of course salt. Add the fresh pasta and cook al dente, about 2-4 minutes. Reserve ¼ pasta water. Drain.
In the meantime add the kale pesto to a large skillet along with the reserved pasta water. Simmer until the pasta is ready. Pour the pasta into the skillet and toss to coat. Divide the pasta on the plates and top with leeks, toasted almonds and additional Parmigiano Reggiano cheese if desired. Serve immediately. Buon appetito!
Conservation & Cooking Times:
Immediate consumption: If you’re cooking your pasta immediately spread the noodles out on a work space making sure they are well floured. Cooking time: 2-4 minutes depending on the thickness.
Short term consumption: If you are making pasta 1-2 days in advance, let the noodles dry in nests. Allow the freshly cut noodles to dry for 10-20 minutes, then wrap approximately 5-10 strands around your hand to form a nest and slide it off on a plate with a floured dishtowel or parchment paper. Repeat without stacking. Store covered in the refrigerator for 1-2 days max. Cooking time: 2-4 minutes depending on the thickness.
Long term consumption: {Freezing} Let the freshly cut noodles dry for 10 minutes, then wrap approximately 5-10 strands around your hand to form a nest and slide it off on a plate lined with parchment paper. Repeat without stacking. Pop this plate in the freezer for 30 minutes until firm so the nests won’t stick together then remove and stack the nests in a freezer bag or air sealed container for easy storage. Consume within 2-3 months. Cooking time: 3-5 minutes depending on the thickness. Frozen pasta does not need to be thawed before it is cooked. {Drying} Follow the instructions for the short term consumption, but allow the nests to dry completely at room temperature for 2-3 days (depending on the humidity.) Be sure to flip over the nests 2-3 times per day to make sure that the air can reach all parts of the pasta. Store in plastic bags in a cool, dark place. Consume within 4-5 months. Cooking time: 2-4 minutes depending on the thickness. Do not air dry stuffed pasta.
It’s been such an exciting time for italicana kitchen! I have been on quite an adventure: 10 food events around New York City to celebrate Smeg USA’s 10th anniversary in the states. My last one is today at Eataly Downtown. To celebrate Halloween I will be making pumpkin hummus, creamy pumpkin soup and homemade turmeric pasta with pumpkin sauce, walnuts and crispy sage ribbons. I would love to see you there!
Here are some photos of the 10 food events. What do you think of my 1950’s look? CONTINUE READING!
While you may think of an omelet purely as breakfast fare, in Italy the frittata, a similar egg-based dish, is much more versatile and commonly eaten for lunch, happy hour or dinner.
While traveling in Italy, you may find a rectangle of frittata served in a sandwich on crusty Italian bread, or cut in small squares and jabbed with toothpicks to be accompanied by a CONTINUE READING
I apologize for the absence in the past month! If you’ve been following italicana kitchen on Facebook, Instagramor Twitter then you’ve probably been following my USA food tour. I’ve been reporting back on Radio Bruno, an Italian radio station,on new food and wine trends in America, I’m organizing private pasta-making classes in people’s homes using the lovely Smeg stand mixer, which I absolutely adore, and I’m doing pasta-making demonstrations at various Williams-Sonoma stores and The Culinary Stone in Seattle,Spokane and Coeur d’Alene.
If you are in the Seattle or Spokane area, contact me to organize a homemadepasta-making class! I’ll be in Seattle until READ MORE!
In Italy, Easter is celebrated with a 3-hour family lunch, where laughter is abundant, hand gestures are inevitable, wine is always flowing and there is enough food on the table to feed a small army. I don’t eat breakfast before this festive meal, otherwise I wouldn’t make it past the first course, which sometimes is still hard to do. Portions in Italy are not small, by the way.
Just to give you an idea, here is the menu for Sunday’s Easter lunch that my mother-in-law Patrizia is hosting. It’s also her birthday. Buon Compleanno :: Happy Birthday, Patrizia!
The Easter bunny does not exist in the small country town where I live in the region of Emilia-Romagna. There are no pastel weaved baskets filled with chocolates and candies to find when you wake in the morning, nor are there Easter egg hunts at the local park. When I first started living here, I momentarily felt kind of sorry for Italian children, but then again, they have something we Americans don’t: chocolate eggs filled with surprises.
Now you may be skeptical, I mean, in America, chocolate eggs are the norm. But, these aren’t just any chocolate eggs. These oval delicacies are both fun and melt-in-your-mouth-delicious. They come in all different sizes: from eggs the size of your palms to the size of your head to the size of an adult body. The surprises are relative to the size and cost of the egg: from small little plastic figurines, to dolls and cars to giant stuffed animals (and much more).
How to open one of these chocolate eggs: Remove the shiny wrapper, admire the chocolate that you are going to shortly devour, and smash the chocolate egg against the table to reveal a plastic egg. Inside you’ll find your surprise. Outside you have all of the chocolate pieces to eat and share. Or not. 🙂
Traditional American Easter desserts are filled with colored dyes. How else would you color your cakes and frosting pastel green, yellow and pink? Believe it or not, there are so many easy ways! I used natural colorings for my pasta recipes: matcha and spinach for green, turmeric for yellow and beet puree for pink. You can also use these natural colors for your baked goods.
Here’s the thing: synthetic dyes are bad for adults and children. According to Eating Well, “Research has also associated food dyes with problems in children including allergies, hyperactivity, learning impairment, irritability and aggressiveness.” 
I was actually quite tentative to use real ingredients to color my food, I mean, wouldn’t it taste weird? The surprising answer is no. Usually the amount that you add to your recipe is so minimal that you can’t even detect what ingredient it is. For instance, in this homemade matcha pasta you can’t taste the flavor of the green tea but you get all of the antioxidants and heath benefits. Is matcha tea good for kids, you ask? I found this article quite interesting. 
I had a lot of fun developing this recipe; it was also quite a challenge. It took me about three tries to get the pasta the way I wanted it, and about 8 tries to find the “perfect sauce” (see my video on youtube.) I am very happy with the result and the responses during the 2 week cooking show tour in America with Smeg USA. Over the course of 17 cooking shows and demos in Chicago and New York City, I showed consumers how to make this pasta dough in Smeg’s beautiful stand mixer , and how to make the raw spinach lemon sauce in their vintage style blender.
I used their vegetable attachment to cut matchstick pieces of zucchini in seconds. Not only was it fun, but I absolutely love showing people how to eat healthy with simple recipes. It’s truly easy when you have the right kitchen tools.
