I remember very well my grandmother and my mother standing at their kitchen tables, first forming the pasta dough on a board with their hands and then rolling the dough with a long broom handle.
At the time, I thought this was too much work for pasta. After I was married, mixers and processors and pasta machines became very popular, so I was then willing to try my hand at this age-old tradition.
With modern equipment, making homemade noodles is not difficult and I have shortened the process as much as I can without losing taste or quality. Certainly this is not something you would do everyday, but it is fun to make your own pasta once in a while.
When you want something special for dinner, homemade lasagna is a really good choice and making your own lasagna noodles will take it a step further.
Lasagna made with homemade whole wheat spinach noodles tastes so much better than using the dried variety. Whole Wheat pasta made from scratch tastes entirely different from anything you can buy.
If you normally do not like store-bought whole wheat pasta, this recipe may change your mind. Homemade lasagna noodles do not need to be boiled before assembling the lasagna, thus another step is eliminated.
Homemade Spinach Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles
Makes 16 lasagna noodles
Ingredients:
- 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed very dry
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup King Arthur semolina flour
- 1 cup King Arthur white whole wheat flour
- flour for board and rolling
Directions:
Place spinach, eggs, olive oil and salt in processor bowl. Cover and blend until pureed.
Add flours to spinach mixture and process until smooth and the dough forms a ball.
Place on a floured board, cover and let rest 10 minutes.
After the dough has rested, divide into 4 even pieces.
Set aside and cover 3 pieces while you work with the 4th. piece
Lightly dredge the working space and dough with whole wheat flour.
Flatten the dough with your hand so it will feed through the smooth thinning rollers.
Roll the piece of dough through the largest setting on your machine.
Remove the dough, fold in thirds, so it is as wide as the machine roller.
Repeat the roll.
Cut the sheet in half.
Dial the machine down to the next smallest setting and roll each pasta strip through.
Continue to dial to the next setting.
Cut each strip in half again. Roll each strip making sure to dust with flour if the strips become sticky.
Dial to the 2nd to the last smallest setting and roll each strip. You should have four strips each about 12-13 inches long and 3 inches wide.
Do not use the last setting because it will make the noodles too thin for lasagna.
Lay out three kitchen towels and sprinkle them with semolina flour.
Arrange the rolled out pasta strips on the towels and dust each with semolina flour.
Repeat the entire process with the other three pieces of dough. You will have 16 strips.
If you are not ready to make the lasagna or you want to make the noodles the day before, you can place them in a container between sheets of waxed paper dusted with semolina flour, 2 noodle strips per layer, and refrigerate the container until you are ready to assemble the dish.
When it comes time to make the lasagna, you will place 4 pasta strips in a 13×9 inch baking dish and add three more layers of 4 noodles in between layers of sauce and cheese.
Putting the Lasagna Together
Ingredients:
- 16 homemade spinach whole wheat lasagna noodles, uncooked
- Bolognese Sauce (made with ground beef or turkey)
- Make a double batch so you have enough sauce for the lasagna and extra sauce to serve with the lasagna.
- see post for recipe: http://jovinacooksitalian.com/2012/04/21/two-sauces-for-everyday-meals/
- Grated Parmesan cheese
Filling:
Mix together all the ingredients, cover and refrigerate until you are ready to make the lasagna.
- 3 cups skim milk ricotta
- ½ lb mozzarella cheese chopped or shredded
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil
- 2 large eggs, beaten or ½ cup egg substitute
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish with olive oil spray.
Spread 1 cup Bolognese sauce over bottom of prepared dish. Arrange 4 lasagna noodles in dish. Arrange 1/3 of the cheese filling on top. Spoon 1 cup Bolognese sauce over cheese. Repeat layering 2 more times. Top with 4 lasagna noodles. Spread 1 to 1 1/2 cups sauce over the top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Cover lasagna with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until noodles are tender and top is golden, about 15 -20 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.
Lasagna Ready To Be Baked.
If you would like to make whole wheat lasagna noodles without spinach, here is a recipe you can use:
Homemade Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups King Arthur semolina flour
- 1 1/2 cups King Arthur white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup olive oil
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