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Spinach and Ricotta Filling for Pasta

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 22, 2007

Time

20 minutes

Yield

Serves 4 to 6 (Makes about 2 1/2 cups)

Spinach and Ricotta Filling for Pasta

Ingredients

¾ pound stemmed spinach leaves, washed2 tablespoons butter ½ small onion, minced (about ¼ cup)1 cup ricotta cheese ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 egg yolk

Before You Begin

This filling works well with either a tomato or brown butter sauce (see related recipes). Other leafy vegetables such as kale and Swiss chard may be substituted for the spinach. Three-quarter cups frozen chopped spinach may be used if desired; defrost spinach and squeeze out excess liquid before cooking it with the onions.

Instructions

  1. Place cleaned spinach leaves and any water that clings to them in a nonreactive soup kettle. Cover and cook over medium heat until spinach wilts, about 5 minutes. Cool spinach slightly, squeeze out the excess liquid, and chop fine; set aside.
  2. Heat butter in a small skillet. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in chopped spinach and salt to taste; cook for 1 minute.
  3. Transfer spinach mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients; adjust seasonings and set aside. (Can be covered and refrigerated overnight.)
Spinach and Ricotta Filling for Pasta

Spinach and Ricotta Filling for Pasta

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

20 minutes

Yield

Serves 4 to 6 (Makes about 2 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

¾ pound stemmed spinach leaves, washed
2 tablespoons butter
½ small onion, minced (about ¼ cup)
1 cup ricotta cheese
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg yolk

Ingredients

¾ pound stemmed spinach leaves, washed
2 tablespoons butter
½ small onion, minced (about ¼ cup)
1 cup ricotta cheese
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg yolk

Ingredients

¾ pound stemmed spinach leaves, washed
2 tablespoons butter
½ small onion, minced (about ¼ cup)
1 cup ricotta cheese
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg yolk

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted a fresh pasta recipe that could be used to create a variety of filled pasta shapes. We found that the food processor kneaded our simple dough, made with just flour and eggs, almost to perfection. Kneading the dough by hand for an additional minute or two made our pasta dough silky and smooth. Running the dough, in pieces, through a manual pasta machine until it was translucent gave us the delicate egg pasta recipe we were after.

Before You Begin

This filling works well with either a tomato or brown butter sauce (see related recipes). Other leafy vegetables such as kale and Swiss chard may be substituted for the spinach. Three-quarter cups frozen chopped spinach may be used if desired; defrost spinach and squeeze out excess liquid before cooking it with the onions.

Instructions

  1. Place cleaned spinach leaves and any water that clings to them in a nonreactive soup kettle. Cover and cook over medium heat until spinach wilts, about 5 minutes. Cool spinach slightly, squeeze out the excess liquid, and chop fine; set aside.
  2. Heat butter in a small skillet. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in chopped spinach and salt to taste; cook for 1 minute.
  3. Transfer spinach mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients; adjust seasonings and set aside. (Can be covered and refrigerated overnight.)

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