Naturally Colored Fettuccine Recipe | Sur La Table (2024)

By Ashley Cuoco

Images

Serves

Serves 4-6 (1 pound) per variety

Ingredients

  • Beet Pasta:
  • 6 ounces semolina flour, plus more for dusting
  • 4 ounces all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 medium cooked beet, peeled

  • Tomato Pasta:
  • 6 ounces semolina flour, plus more for dusting
  • 4 ounces all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons tomato paste

  • Saffron Pasta:
  • 2 teaspoons saffron threads
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 6 ounces semolina flour, plus more for dusting
  • 4 ounces all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • Spinach Pasta:
  • 6 ounces semolina flour, plus more for dusting
  • 4 ounces all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons frozen chopped spinach, defrosted

Procedure

To make the beet pasta: Puree beet in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Pour flours directly onto a large work surface. Use your fingers to combine them and make a well in the center. Add whole egg, egg yoks, salt and beet puree. Use your hands or a fork to beat the center well, gradually incorporating flour until the dough begins to hold together in a mass. If dough feels too dry, add water by the teaspoon until it comes together.

Sprinkle a handful of semolina onto your work surface. Knead the dough, flouring as necessary until dough feels firm and elastic, about 3 minutes. If dough feels too wet, continue to add flour and knead until no longer sticky to the touch.

Press dough into a disc and wrap in plastic—let rest at room temperature 30 minutes.

Generously flour work surface with semolina. Use a bench scraper to divide disc into 4 equal portions. Remove one quarter and wrap the others in plastic.

Set pasta rolling machine or attachment to widest setting (setting 1). Use a rolling pin to flatten the first quarter of dough into a rough rectangular shape, about ¼" thick. Dust in semolina and pass once dough through the roller. Fold dough like a letter and rotate 90 degrees. Flatten again with a rolling pin and pass once more through the widest setting. Dust with semolina and pass through the next narrowest setting (setting 2). Continue to dust and pass through the next narrowest setting until you reach setting 4 or 5, ideal thickness for fettuccine. When the sheet of dough becomes too long for your work surface, divide it in two for more manageable sizes.

Switch to a fettuccine roller. Dust sheets well with semolina and pass through on low speed. Catch strands in the center as they exit the roller; swirl well in semolina to keep from sticking. Using a circular motion, gently twist the strands together to form a loose nest. Continue this rolling and cutting process with the remaining quarters of dough.

At this stage, nests are ready to be cooked in boiling, salted water (2-3 minutes). Alternatively, nests can be frozen on a sheet pan until firm and transferred to an air-tight bag for storage. When cooking from frozen, add an additional minute or so of cook time.

To make the tomato pasta: Beginning with step 2 above, follow the same instructions adding tomato paste (in place of the beet puree) to well with whole egg, egg yolks and salt. Continue on through step 8.

To make the saffron pasta: In a small bowl, add saffron threads and 3 tablespoons warm water. Stir and let soak about 5 minutes.

Beginning with step 2 above, follow the same instructions adding saffron threads and water (in place of the beet puree) to well with whole egg, egg yolks and salt. Continue on through step 8.

To make the spinach pasta: Puree spinach in a food processor or blender until smooth. Using a paper towel or cheese cloth, gently squeeze out a bit of the excess water (not all of it).

Beginning with step 2 above, follow the same instructions adding spinach puree (in place of the beet puree) to well with whole egg, egg yolks and salt. Continue on through step 8.

By Ashley Cuoco

Serves

Serves 4-6 (1 pound) per variety

Ingredients

  • Beet Pasta:
  • 6 ounces semolina flour, plus more for dusting
  • 4 ounces all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 medium cooked beet, peeled

  • Tomato Pasta:
  • 6 ounces semolina flour, plus more for dusting
  • 4 ounces all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons tomato paste

  • Saffron Pasta:
  • 2 teaspoons saffron threads
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 6 ounces semolina flour, plus more for dusting
  • 4 ounces all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • Spinach Pasta:
  • 6 ounces semolina flour, plus more for dusting
  • 4 ounces all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons frozen chopped spinach, defrosted

Procedure

To make the beet pasta: Puree beet in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Pour flours directly onto a large work surface. Use your fingers to combine them and make a well in the center. Add whole egg, egg yoks, salt and beet puree. Use your hands or a fork to beat the center well, gradually incorporating flour until the dough begins to hold together in a mass. If dough feels too dry, add water by the teaspoon until it comes together.

Sprinkle a handful of semolina onto your work surface. Knead the dough, flouring as necessary until dough feels firm and elastic, about 3 minutes. If dough feels too wet, continue to add flour and knead until no longer sticky to the touch.

Press dough into a disc and wrap in plastic—let rest at room temperature 30 minutes.

Generously flour work surface with semolina. Use a bench scraper to divide disc into 4 equal portions. Remove one quarter and wrap the others in plastic.

Set pasta rolling machine or attachment to widest setting (setting 1). Use a rolling pin to flatten the first quarter of dough into a rough rectangular shape, about ¼" thick. Dust in semolina and pass once dough through the roller. Fold dough like a letter and rotate 90 degrees. Flatten again with a rolling pin and pass once more through the widest setting. Dust with semolina and pass through the next narrowest setting (setting 2). Continue to dust and pass through the next narrowest setting until you reach setting 4 or 5, ideal thickness for fettuccine. When the sheet of dough becomes too long for your work surface, divide it in two for more manageable sizes.

Switch to a fettuccine roller. Dust sheets well with semolina and pass through on low speed. Catch strands in the center as they exit the roller; swirl well in semolina to keep from sticking. Using a circular motion, gently twist the strands together to form a loose nest. Continue this rolling and cutting process with the remaining quarters of dough.

At this stage, nests are ready to be cooked in boiling, salted water (2-3 minutes). Alternatively, nests can be frozen on a sheet pan until firm and transferred to an air-tight bag for storage. When cooking from frozen, add an additional minute or so of cook time.

To make the tomato pasta: Beginning with step 2 above, follow the same instructions adding tomato paste (in place of the beet puree) to well with whole egg, egg yolks and salt. Continue on through step 8.

To make the saffron pasta: In a small bowl, add saffron threads and 3 tablespoons warm water. Stir and let soak about 5 minutes.

Beginning with step 2 above, follow the same instructions adding saffron threads and water (in place of the beet puree) to well with whole egg, egg yolks and salt. Continue on through step 8.

To make the spinach pasta: Puree spinach in a food processor or blender until smooth. Using a paper towel or cheese cloth, gently squeeze out a bit of the excess water (not all of it).

Beginning with step 2 above, follow the same instructions adding spinach puree (in place of the beet puree) to well with whole egg, egg yolks and salt. Continue on through step 8.

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Naturally Colored Fettuccine Recipe | Sur La Table (2024)

FAQs

How do you dye pasta blue? ›

You can use whatever colors you want. Add about 20 drops of each food coloring and 2 tablespoons water to gallon-size resealable bags. When the pasta is done, drain it in a strainer and immediately run cold water over it to halt the cooking. Transfer the pasta, portioning it as you go, into the bags of food coloring.

What makes pasta Coloured? ›

Pasta Coloring Basics

A bright pink dough colored with beets, a deep dark black dough colored with squid ink, a green dough made with spinach, and a golden orange dough that gets its hue from tomato paste.

What makes pasta colored? ›

Most additives are all-natural! For green pasta, they suggest adding spinach juice. For a vibrant red, beet juice is the way to go. Eggs are already commonly added to homemade pasta, and the yolks will give the dough a bright yellow tint.

How do you make blue natural dye? ›

It's not that hard to make a natural blue dye. Just take a red cabbage, cut it into pieces, and boil it. What you get is a purple broth that turns bright blue when you add some baking powder.

Can you dye pasta without cooking it? ›

Edible safe uncooked dyed pasta:

First put 3 tsp of white distilled vinegar in a small bowl. I used a glass bowl. Next, add 15 drops (or more to get darker color) into the bowl with vinegar and swirl. This method helps the color go on more evenly.

How do you dye pasta without alcohol or vinegar? ›

Add water and food coloring to resealable freezer bags for each color you want to make. Use 20 drops of food dye and 2 US tbsp (30 ml) of water in each bag. Food coloring usually comes in shades of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.

What can be used to colour pasta? ›

Alternatively, 30g of parsley will work just as well to create green-coloured pasta. Purple: 30g of red cabbage will easily help you achieve a purple hue to your dough. To adjust the depth of your purple shade, add ½ teaspoon of baking powder to the mix. Black: To achieve black pasta, use squid or cuttlefish ink.

How do you dye pasta when cooking? ›

While pasta is cooking, combine about 2 tablespoons of water and 20 drops of food coloring in a large zip-top pastic bag. Repeat with however many additional colors you would like.

What can you dye pasta with? ›

Alternative taste-safe method to dye pasta

If you have a little one who is still mouthing everything and you're concerned about using paint, the alternative is to colour your pasta using food colouring. The colours may not be quite as vibrant but you can relax knowing it is completely taste-safe!

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