How to Make Colored Pasta (All Natural)

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Table of Contents

• Watch how to make it
• How to color pasta naturally
• How to store colored pasta ribbons
• More homemade pasta
• How to Make Colored Pasta (All Natural) Recipe

Watch how to make it

How to color pasta naturally

Start by preparing the different all-natural colored pasta doughs. You can choose to go with only one color or as many colors as you’d like. Just keep in mind that you have to add 1 cup of flour and 1 egg for each color and per portion. You might also need to add a bit more flour to wetter ingredients (like the peppers) so that the dough is not sticky.

For Red Color Pasta Dough

For the red pasta, use 1 medium-sized boiled beetroot. You can also add some boiled carrots to adjust the redness of the beetroot.

Blitz the egg, flour, and vegetables in a high-speed blender or food processor until you obtain a smooth dough.

Knead the dough with your hands to form a smooth ball. If it sticks to your hands, add a bit of flour. Leave it to rest at room temperature (if wanting to save the dough for later then wrap it in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge).

For Orange Color Pasta Dough

For the orange pasta, use 1 red pepper. You first need to roast it in the oven for 10-15 mins at 200C. Then blend and knead the same way as for the beetroot pasta.

Note: You might need to add a bit more flour as the pepper has high water content. We don’t want sticky dough. Just add the flour as you blend.

For Yellow Color Pasta Dough

you can use either 1 roasted yellow bell pepper or turmeric (either powder or fresh root). If you choose to go with the pepper, you can also add a pinch of turmeric powder to make it a brighter yellow. Repeat the same process as above, blending, kneading, and resting the dough. Add a bit more flour, if needed (as the yellow pepper is quite moist).

For Green Color Pasta Dough

Use either 1 cup of spinach or 1 cup of parsley. I tried both and each of them makes a great green color. Repeat the same process of blending, kneading, and resting.

For Purple Color Pasta Dough

You can use either 1 cup of boiled red cabbage or 1-2 baked purple potatoes. You can also add a pinch of baking powder to the cabbage to adjust the hues of purple.

And voila, you have your dough!

Rolling Out Your colored Pasta Dough

After the colored pasta dough has rested for approximately 30 minutes, begin by rolling it out with a rolling pin until it’s thin enough to pass through the pasta machine on the ‘0’ setting. Continue to feed the dough through the setting, folding it in half each time, until it achieves a uniform shape. Lightly flour the dough throughout the process to prevent sticking. Gradually, you can further thin the dough using the machine’s settings.

Alternatively, if you are using a rolling pin throughout, ensure to roll and stretch the dough into even, thin sheets.

Cutting and Shaping

Once you have obtained thin sheets of pasta dough, you can proceed with cutting it. I chose to cut it into long ribbons, like Tagliatelle or Pappardelle, but you can cut it in different shapes/sizes. Be generous with flouring the pasta, so it doesn’t stick together. To cut it into long strips, you just need to fold the pasta a couple of times and then just cut it with a knife. Or, if you are using the pasta machine, choose one of its other settings for cutting.

Cooking Naturally Colored Pasta

Start by preparing a simple dressing: sauté chopped garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Then, cook the pasta separately by color in boiling water for 3 minutes to avoid the color bleeding, especially from the red pasta. Drain and immediately toss with the garlic dressing, or your choice of sauce, and serve.