Homemade Spinach Fettuccine

Editor's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2013. It was updated in 2025 to include additional notes and step by step photos.

There's nothing quite like homemade pasta. This fresh spinach fettuccine is surprisingly simple to make, and it pairs well with everything from an easy white pasta sauce to a hearty marinara.

Baby spinach gives these noodles a vibrant green color, but the flavor is very subtle. Once you cook the pasta and add sauce, you'll hardly notice any spinach taste!

You'll need a set of pasta rollers for this fettuccine: One smooth roller to make the large pasta sheets, and one fettuccine cutter to slice them into strips. In these photos, we used the pasta roller attachments for our KitchenAid mixer; you can also use a manual pasta machine.

With so few ingredients, great pasta really comes down to technique. Read this post thoroughly before you start, and take your time — particularly when it comes to kneading the pasta dough. If it's your first time making pasta, don't worry: We'll walk you through it step by step!

And remember: As with many recipes, the most important ingredient is practice.

Ingredients

Scroll to the recipe card below for a full ingredients list with exact quantities.

• Fresh spinach gives this pasta its stunning green color. We'll blanch and drain the spinach - which preserves the color and removes excess water - before blending it into the pasta dough.
• All purpose flour is the backbone of our pasta. Look for quality flour with a high protein content, which is best for strong gluten development. We test our recipes with and recommend King Arthur All Purpose Flour.
• Olive oil helps us build a little more elasticity into the dough, which makes it easier to knead and roll.

Step by step instructions

Blanch the spinach

Blanch the spinach in salted, boiling water for just a few minutes, until the leaves have wilted. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up any excess moisture, then set aside to cool completely.

Make the dough

Use clean hands to tightly squeeze cooled, blanched spinach in order to remove any excess water.

Add spinach to a food processor with flour and kosher salt. Pulse a few times to break up the spinach, until you have a pale green flour mixture.

Equipment note: This recipe works best with a larger food processor. In these photos, we used a 14-cup Cuisinart model.

Add eggs to the spinach mixture one at a time, pulsing in between each addition. Slowly drizzle olive oil into the mixer while it runs, and pulse until you have a crumbly dough.

Transfer to a lightly floured cutting board.

Knead the dough

Use clean hands to knead the pasta dough for 5-10 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. The dough may feel a bit sticky at first, but should smooth out the more you knead it. When it's ready, the dough should stretch rather than tear as you knead, and should barely stick to your hands or the cutting board.

Pro Tip: Kneading pasta dough helps develop strong gluten networks. Well-developed gluten makes the dough smooth and elastic. This makes it easier to roll and cut the dough, and gives the final pasta a nice al dente texture with plenty of chew. Strong gluten development is also important in homemade bread!

Make kneading easier

If the dough is stiff and difficult to knead, cover it with a bowl and rest for 15-30 minutes. This lets the gluten relax, which makes it easier to knead. After a quick rest, the dough should feel noticeably softer and more pliable.

Once the dough is thoroughly kneaded, cover it with an upside down bowl (this prevents it from drying out), and rest for 30 minutes before cutting and rolling.

Roll into sheets

Cut the pasta dough into 8-10 equal pieces using a bench scraper or a sharp knife. Lightly knead each piece, then press one piece into a thick disc so it will fit into your pasta roller.

Learn more: How to use KitchenAid pasta roller attachments.

Roll the piece of dough into a sheet with a pasta roller, starting with the widest setting and gradually moving down to a thinner setting. For best results, fold the dough in half and re-roll it through the same setting 2-3 times before moving on to the next setting.

On our KitchenAid pasta roller attachment, we start at a wide #1 setting and roll this dough down to a #4. Be sure to consult the instructions for your pasta machine, as the settings and recommendations may vary.

Dust each pasta sheet with a bit of flour to prevent sticking, then set aside and repeat the process until you've rolled all the pasta dough into sheets.

Pro Tip: Place rolled pasta sheets on a large, lightly floured cutting board, and leave them uncovered while you roll out the remaining dough. The pasta will dry a bit as it sits, which will give you cleaner fettuccine cuts later on.

Use the fettuccine roller attachment to cut each fresh pasta sheet into fettuccine noodles. Transfer to a large cutting board, and dust with additional flour to prevent sticking.

When all the noodles are cut, gently twirl them into individual portions and place on a lightly floured sheet pan. Cook the pasta immediately, or freeze to use at a later time!

Pro Tip: This recipe uses all-purpose flour in the dough, since that's what most home cooks have on hand. But if you happen to have semolina flour, use that to dust the cut fettuccine noodles! Semolina flour's coarse texture is especially good at keeping fresh pasta from sticking together. If you don't have semolina flour, no worries - just use additional AP flour here!

How to cook homemade pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a generous pinch of kosher salt. Gently drop your fresh fettuccine pasta into the boiling water, and give them a stir to prevent sticking.

Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente. Drain the pasta, then toss with your favorite sauce!

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