This easy Jamie Oliver Spinach Pici Pasta is a quick, nutritious dish packed with vibrant flavors. The fresh spinach pasta is paired with a delicious combination of garlic, courgettes, and sweet cherry tomatoes. You can easily swap ingredients to suit your taste, making it a flexible, hearty meal everyone will love!
Ingredients Needed
- 200g (7 oz) baby spinach
- 300g (2 ⅓ cups) Tipo 00 or plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- Olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic
- ½ teaspoon dried red chili flakes
- 200g (7 oz) baby courgettes (zucchini)
- 320g (11 oz) ripe cherry tomatoes, on the vine
- 50g (1.75 oz) pine nuts
- ½ a bunch (15g / 0.5 oz) of fresh basil
- 50g (1.75 oz) Parmesan cheese
- Extra virgin olive oil
How To Make Spinach Pici Pasta
- Prepare the Dough: In a food processor, blitz the spinach and flour together until a dough ball forms. The dough should feel like playdough and not be sticky. If it feels too sticky, add a little more flour until you reach the right consistency.
- Shape the Pici: Tear off 2cm (¾ inch) balls of dough and roll them into long, thin sausage shapes (think fine green beans). The beauty of this pasta is that each one will be different, so feel free to have fun and get little helpers involved.
- Dry the Pici (Optional): You can cook the pici right away or leave them to dry for a few hours or even overnight.
- Prepare the Sauce: Boil a large pan of salted water for the pasta. In a separate large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Peel and finely slice the garlic, then add it to the pan with the chili flakes. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the Vegetables: Slice the courgettes (zucchini) finely and add them to the pan. Halve the cherry tomatoes and add them as well. Cook for about 5 minutes until softened, then stir in the pine nuts. Add a ladleful of the reserved boiling water from the pasta and leave the sauce on the lowest heat while you cook the pasta.
- Cook the Pici: Add the freshly rolled pici to the boiling salted water. If using fresh pici, cook for about 5 minutes. If the pici has been left to dry, cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Test the pasta for an al dente texture.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Once the pasta is ready, drain it, reserving a mugful of cooking water. Toss the pasta into the vegetable sauce. Add most of the finely grated Parmesan and stir in the sliced basil (reserve the baby leaves for garnish). If needed, loosen the sauce with a bit of reserved pasta water.
- Serve: Divide the pasta onto warm plates, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and baby basil leaves. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Don’t Overwork the Dough: When making the pici, don’t knead the dough too much. Just blitz it in the food processor until it forms a ball. Overworking the dough can make the pasta tough.
- Use Plenty of Flour for Rolling: When rolling out the pici, dust your surface generously with flour. This will prevent the dough from sticking and help maintain the pasta’s shape.
- Cook the Pici Immediately: If you make the pici fresh, cook them right away. Fresh pasta cooks quickly, so keep an eye on it to avoid overcooking.
- Add Water to the Sauce for Perfect Consistency: When mixing the pasta with the sauce, add a little of the reserved pasta water to adjust the sauce’s thickness. This helps the sauce stick to the pasta.
- Don’t Skip the Parmesan and Basil: For the best flavor, be generous with the Parmesan and basil at the end. They add the finishing touch that brings all the ingredients together.
How To Store And Reheat Leftovers?
- Refrigerate: Allow the leftover spinach pici pasta to cool completely to room temperature. Once cooled, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Freeze: If you want to freeze the pasta, let it cool completely before placing it in a freezer-safe container. The pasta can be stored in the freezer for up to 1 month. To thaw, simply place it in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Reheat: Heat a pan over medium heat. Add the pasta with a splash of water or extra olive oil to prevent it from drying out. Stir and cook for 5–7 minutes until hot.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1/4 of the recipe)
- Calories: 500
- Total Fat: 21.6g
- Saturated Fat: 4.3g
- Total Carbohydrate: 56.6g
- Dietary Fiber: 4.7g
- Sugars: 5.8g
- Protein: 20.2g
Try More Jamie Oliver Recipes:
- Jamie Oliver Squash And Ricotta Ravioli Pasta
- Jamie Oliver Courgette Tagliatelle Pasta
- Jamie Oliver Mushroom And Cauliflower Pasta
- Jamie Oliver Ricotta And Parmesan Ravioli Pasta
Jamie Oliver Spinach Pici Pasta
Description
This easy Jamie Oliver Spinach Pici Pasta is a quick, nutritious dish packed with vibrant flavors. The fresh spinach pasta is paired with a delicious combination of garlic, courgettes, and sweet cherry tomatoes. You can easily swap ingredients to suit your taste, making it a flexible, hearty meal everyone will love!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a food processor, blitz the spinach and flour together until a dough ball forms. The dough should feel like playdough and not be sticky. If it feels too sticky, add a little more flour until you reach the right consistency.
- Shape the Pici: Tear off 2cm (¾ inch) balls of dough and roll them into long, thin sausage shapes (think fine green beans). The beauty of this pasta is that each one will be different, so feel free to have fun and get little helpers involved.
- Dry the Pici (Optional): You can cook the pici right away or leave them to dry for a few hours or even overnight.
- Prepare the Sauce: Boil a large pan of salted water for the pasta. In a separate large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Peel and finely slice the garlic, then add it to the pan with the chili flakes. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the Vegetables: Slice the courgettes (zucchini) finely and add them to the pan. Halve the cherry tomatoes and add them as well. Cook for about 5 minutes until softened, then stir in the pine nuts. Add a ladleful of the reserved boiling water from the pasta and leave the sauce on the lowest heat while you cook the pasta.
- Cook the Pici: Add the freshly rolled pici to the boiling salted water. If using fresh pici, cook for about 5 minutes. If the pici has been left to dry, cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Test the pasta for an al dente texture.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Once the pasta is ready, drain it, reserving a mugful of cooking water. Toss the pasta into the vegetable sauce. Add most of the finely grated Parmesan and stir in the sliced basil (reserve the baby leaves for garnish). If needed, loosen the sauce with a bit of reserved pasta water.
- Serve: Divide the pasta onto warm plates, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and baby basil leaves. Enjoy!
Notes
- Don’t Overwork the Dough: When making the pici, don’t knead the dough too much. Just blitz it in the food processor until it forms a ball. Overworking the dough can make the pasta tough.
- Use Plenty of Flour for Rolling: When rolling out the pici, dust your surface generously with flour. This will prevent the dough from sticking and help maintain the pasta’s shape.
- Cook the Pici Immediately: If you make the pici fresh, cook them right away. Fresh pasta cooks quickly, so keep an eye on it to avoid overcooking.
- Add Water to the Sauce for Perfect Consistency: When mixing the pasta with the sauce, add a little of the reserved pasta water to adjust the sauce’s thickness. This helps the sauce stick to the pasta.
- Don’t Skip the Parmesan and Basil: For the best flavor, be generous with the Parmesan and basil at the end. They add the finishing touch that brings all the ingredients together.
Jamie Oliver Spinach Pici Pasta