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5.0 from 6 votes

Spinach Pici Pasta

Spinach pici is an Italian noodle known as "fat spaghetti." The vibrant green of the spinach and the satisfying chewiness of fresh pasta make it fun to eat!

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs 30 mins
Total Time
4 hrs 5 mins
Servings: 3 plates
Calories: 395 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 6 cups spinach (180 g)
  • 1¾ cups all purpose flour (230 g)
  • ½ cup durum semolina flour (80 g; sub more all purpose flour if you don't have this)
  • ½ tsp fine salt or 3/4 tsp kosher salt (3 g)
  • Sauce of choice (I used 1/2 cup tomato sauce)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Puree the spinach in a blender or food processor until very fine. Don't add any water!
  2. Pour spinach puree into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, then add the two flours.
  3. Start mixing on low speed.
  4. As mixture comes together, bring it up a notch and continue kneading on the second speed setting for 3–5 minutes. If it still looks very crumbly and dry after 1 minute, add 1–2 tsp of water. By the end of kneading, the spinach pici dough should be fairly smooth and very tacky.
  5. Lightly dust a work surface (a large chopping board works great) and your hands with flour.
  6. Remove the dough ball from the bowl and place it on the floured surface, flattening it slightly.
  7. Slice the dough in two with a knife. If you're making just one serving, wrap up one piece in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge to use tomorrow.
  8. Take one piece of dough and slice off a thin (about finger-width) strip. Slice this strip into small pieces the size of your thumb.
  9. Roll each piece out between fingers and work surface into a long thin noodles. Use your judgment and preference in deciding how thin to make them, keeping in mind they expand to almost double the size after cooking.
  10. Bring a pot of water to the boil, then add 1 1⁄2 tsp of kosher salt and bring the heat down to simmering (medium heat—dial 5—on my stove).
  11. Drop a piece of pasta into the water. Depending on the size of your pot, you can boil several at once. I added 2–3 at a time. Don't crowd your pot because you don't want the pici tangling and sticking together!
  12. Whenever a piece floats to the surface and stays there, it's ready. Scoop it out and lay on a plate or piece of foil to cool, and repeat with all the rest.
  13. Heat your sauce of choice in a skillet and toss in the cooked pasta. If you're feeling lazy, you can't go wrong with good old olive oil and garlic for some aglio e olio!
  14. Slide onto a plate and top with whatever herbs and spices you want. (I did thyme, but next time I'd add some black pepper as well.) Enjoy!

Notes

  • I made the spinach pici dough with a recipe from Cilantro and Citronella, which in turn is adapted from Jamie Oliver's version. This makes 2–3 servings, but since the dough freezes and refrigerates well you can definitely knead up a larger batch and save some for quicker prep for a future meal.

Nutrition Information

Calories 395kcal (20%) Carbohydrates 82g (27%) Protein 13g (26%) Fat 1g (2%) Saturated Fat 0.2g (1%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 0.1g Sodium 634mg (26%) Potassium 595mg (17%) Fiber 5g (20%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 5887IU (118%) Vitamin C 20mg (22%) Calcium 82mg (8%) Iron 7mg (39%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 3plates

Amount Per Serving

Calories 395

% Daily Value*

Calories 395kcal 20%
Carbohydrates 82g 27%
Protein 13g 26%
Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 0.2g 1%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 0.1g 1%
Sodium 634mg 26%
Potassium 595mg 13%
Fiber 5g 20%
Sugar 2g 4%
Vitamin A 5887IU 118%
Vitamin C 20mg 22%
Calcium 82mg 8%
Iron 7mg 39%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.