If you like making homemade pasta dough, you are going to love making these! Three different naturally colored doughs rolled together into one sheet, cut and shaped into farfalle pasta.
Song of the day: True Colors - Cyndi Lauper
If happiness had color, it would be this
Making homemade pasta is so fulfilling. Putting colorful pasta together with a fun shape, using natural coloring is even better. The three colors of the doughs are the following:
- Green - spinach
- Yellow - turmeric
- Red - beets
You will need to make three different egg pasta doughs: semola rimacinata (semolina flour), egg, and spinach puree for one; the second would be semolina flour, egg, and turmeric powder; as for the third, again, semolina flour, egg, and beet puree.
The dough is done, the fun begins
You could totally make the three doughs by hand, although, for the next steps, you are better off with a Kitchen Aid complete with the pasta roller attachment or a hand crank machine. Also required, a wide and clean work surface, marble or wood.
- Cut a ¼ inch thick slice of each dough ball. Place on a floured surface and roll out to a ¼ inch rope. Avoid overflouring the surface and the ropes.
- Put the ropes alongside of each other, we did green, yellow, and red, however feel free to put them in any order you wish.
- With your fingers, press down joining the three ropes together as best as you can, the pasta machine is going to do the rest.
- With the pasta machine on the lowest -or widest- setting (1), slowly feed the joint ropes into the rollers, making sure to grab it on the other side. Note: as the ropes are going through, they may want to separate. Just keep them together as it's going through the rollers. Repeat this process of rolling the pasta going one notch at a time, until you reach n. 5 or until you have a nice medium thickness of pasta.
How to trim the tricolor pasta sheets
- Now that the first sheet is all rolled out, time to trim it. Use a corrugated pasta cutter (or ravioli wheel), trim both sides and ends, then, cut the pasta sheet into 2 ¼ inch long rectangles (5.5 cm). Note: do one sheet at a time, to prevent them from drying out. Also, gather together all the scraps of dough, roll into a ball, and cover with plastic wrap.
Pinching to create farfalle
- Grab one of your rectangles and placing your index finger in the middle (for us, the yellow), your thumb and middle finger on each end, slowly bring the thumb and middle finger to your index finger, gathering the folds of pasta, then removing the index, and pinching to close the center.
- Continue doing this until all your sheets are trimmed, and formed into farfalle. Place on a well floured baking sheet, making sure they do not overlap.
How to store the farfalle
If you are not going to cook the farfalle right away, the best way is to cover them on the baking sheet with plastic and put them in the freezer. Once frozen, they can be placed into an airtight freezer container. To cook them, do not thaw them, place them frozen into the boiling water.
Suggestions for sauces
Any white sauce would compliment this pasta: butter and sage, cream-based sauces such as gorgonzola, taleggio, adding veggies like peas, broccoli, spinach, asparagus.
How to use the scraps of dough
If you are curious to see what we did with the scraps of dough, well, we made marbleized fettuccine.
How you do that: take all the scraps of dough, form into a ball and cover with plastic until ready to use. Then, cut into ¼ inch slices, press them into a rectangle and run through the pasta roller starting from 1 end continuing until 5 or 6. Lay sheets down on a floured surface. Starting from the first sheet that you rolled out, run it through the fettuccine attachment. Place them on a floured baking sheet, making sure to toss them well with semolina flour. Continue this until all your sheets are done and you have a lovely tray of marbleized fettuccine.
How to Make Tricolor Farfalle Pasta
If you like making homemade pasta dough, you are going to love making these! Three different naturally colored doughs rolled together into one sheet, cut and shaped into farfalle pasta.
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 4-6 people 1x
Ingredients
Green dough:
- 130 g semola rimacinata (semolina)
- 1 large egg
- 40 g spinach puree
Yellow dough:
- 100 g semola rimacinata flour (semolina)
- 1 large egg
- 5 g turmeric
Red dough:
- 130 g semola rimacinata (semolina)
- 1 large egg
- 40 g (about 2 Tbsp) beet puree
Instructions
- Wash and blanch spinach. Drain well, squeeze any remaining water then add some to a food processor to obtain the puree. On a scale, weigh 40 g and set aside. Wash the food processor.
- Peel 2 small beets and boil them until fork tender. Add them to the food processor with some of their water. Puree until smooth. Weigh 40 g and set aside.
Green dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the hook attachment, add the semolina flour, egg, and spinach puree. Mix until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Shape into a ball, cover with plastic, and set aside.
Yellow dough:
- In the bowl of the stand mixer with the hook attachment, add the semolina flour, egg, and turmeric powder. Mix until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Shape into a ball, cover with plastic, and set aside.
Red dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the hook attachment, add the semolina flour, egg, and beet puree. Mix until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Shape into a ball, cover with plastic, and set aside. Note: let the doughs rest for half hour.
Rolling the dough:
- Cut a ¼ inch thick slice of each dough ball. Place on a floured surface and roll out to a ¼ inch rope. Avoid overflouring the surface and the ropes.
- Put the ropes alongside of each other, we did green, yellow, and red, however feel free to put them in any order you wish.
- With your fingers, press down joining the three ropes together as best as you can, the pasta machine is going to do the rest.
- With the pasta machine on the lowest -or widest- setting (1), slowly feed the joint ropes into the rollers, making sure to grab it on the other side. Note: as the ropes are going through, they may want to separate. Just keep them together as it's going through the rollers. Repeat this process of rolling the pasta going one notch at a time, until you reach n. 5 or until you have a nice medium thickness of pasta.
Trimming and shaping:
- Now that the first sheet is all rolled out, time to trim it. Use a corrugated pasta cutter (or ravioli wheel), trim both sides and ends, then, cut the pasta sheet into 2 ¼ inch long rectangles (5.5 cm). Note: do one sheet at a time, to prevent them from drying out. Also, gather together all the scraps of dough, roll into a ball, and cover with plastic wrap.
- Grab one of your rectangles and placing your index finger in the middle (the yellow), your thumb and middle finger on each end, slowly bring the thumb and middle finger to your index finger, gathering the folds of pasta, removing the index, and pinching to close the center.
- Continue doing this until all your sheets are trimmed, and formed into farfalle. Place on a well floured baking sheet, making sure they do not overlap.
Notes
If you are not going to cook the farfalle right away, the best way is to cover them on the baking sheet with plastic and put them in the freezer. Once frozen, they can be placed into an airtight freezer container. To cook them, do not thaw them, place them frozen into the boiling water.
With the scraps of dough you can make marbleized pasta.
Any white sauce would compliment this pasta: butter and sage, cream-based sauces such as gorgonzola, taleggio, adding veggies like peas, broccoli, spinach, asparagus.
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Category: Pasta, Vegetarian
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: pasta, italian, homemade, fun, delicious, beets, spinach, turmeric, dough, tricolor
I love baking and kneading dough because it takes me to a happy place in my soul.
Ramya says
Will be making all soon i love pasta soooooooooooo much i never had tricolor farfalle pasta before perfect for my after office meals sorry i love commenting on your posts sorry again will dm you guys if i make this and let you guys know how it goes Thanks Ramya
Thank you Ramya, you will love making this pasta.
Anna says
What a fantastic recipe! Me and my friend are always on a lookout for different and more unique homemade pasta recipes, and I just can't wait to share this one with her! I'm so excited to try it!
★★★★★
Oh you'll have a lot of fun making tricolor farfalle! Let us know how it goes!
Tristin says
It has been a while since I've made my own pasta, but it is always worth it. This pasta is so beautiful and looks like so much fun!!
★★★★★
Always worth it! Fun to make and the taste, well, it cannot compete! Hope you try it!
GUNJAN C Dudani says
This is such a great idea to make your own colored pasta. My kids would love it. Such a doable recipe and well explained.
★★★★★
So much fun to make! The kids will love to help. Hope you try, and let us know!
Veronika says
Wow! This pasta looks amazing! I can imagine how kids will be excited to eat this colorful pasta!
★★★★★
Thanks! They are fun to make and also delicious to eat. We will post soon a wonderful recipe for them!
Heidy says
I was very impressed with the flavors in this homemade pasta noodles recipe and enjoyed it. Thanks for posting specific easy to follow instructions and tips! That made life so much easier. Have a great Sunday!
Heidy
★★★★★
Thanks Heidi! It's not the fastest and easiest of recipes but so much worth it.
Beth says
I love how you've used the bright colors of beets, spinach and turmeric to color the pasta, with all their health benefits. I know that you call for semolina flour for the farfalle and that it's already not a simple recipe, but can these pasta be made with whole wheat flour?
★★★★★
I have never used whole wheat flour to make homemade pasta. But I don't see why not. The rule when making homemade pasta, if it's too dry, add a few drops of water until it is workable and gets smooth.
Jacqueline Debono says
I make a lot of homemade pasta but have never made any with more than colour. But I really should. Your farfalle look beautiful.
★★★★★
Thank you!! I make a lot of homamde pasta, too, but I tell, you, this colorful one felt really fulfilling! Hope you try it 😉 !
Ksenia @ At the Immigrant's Table says
Not only is this pasta absolutely stunning, but the recipe is also incredibly approachable and authentic. You've really managed to hit the holy trifecta!
★★★★★
Thanks so much! I hope people get enticed to make it! It's quite a process, but so fun and fulfilling!
Ramona says
This recipe for tricolor pasta looks so exciting and really interesting! the colors are super pretty and I am definitely convinced to try and make this. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
★★★★★
Thank you! I really hope you try making it, it's not that bad, a bit long, but doable and fun.
Moop Brown says
This pasta looks so colorful and vibrant! I love the bright colors and unique flavors used.
★★★★★
Thank you! It was a real pleasure to make. And to eat. Will be posting that soon.