Coloring fresh pasta is easier than you think. All you need to do is add a few natural ingredients, such as vegetables or spices, to the classic dough made of flour, eggs, and salt to achieve beautiful hues without using artificial dyes.
Best natural ingredients for coloring pasta
Vegetables are among the best ingredients to naturally color pasta:
- Spinach → deep green
- Cooked pumpkin → bright orange
- Yellow bell peppers and tomatoes → yellow and red, respectively
Some spices can also be great allies:
- Saffron → golden yellow
- Turmeric → yellow-orange
- Unsweetened cocoa→ brown
How to make perfectly colored fresh pasta
To achieve a uniform and visually appealing colored dough, follow these tips:
Don’t overuse coloring ingredients
The amount of vegetables or spices should not exceed 50 g per 500 g of flour, as too much can alter the classic flavor of the pasta.
Blend vegetables after cooking
Boil them and puree them to minimize excess water that could compromise the dough’s texture. For example, when using spinach or Swiss chard, finely chop, boil, and then blend them with an immersion blender before incorporating them into the dough.
Use liquid ingredients for more intense colors
Tomato paste, pumpkin juice, or beet puree create vibrant hues, but in this case, reduce the number of eggs slightly to balance the added moisture.
Let the dough rest
After incorporating the coloring ingredients, let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes to allow the flour to fully absorb the added elements, ensuring a perfect texture.
All the colors of the rainbow for your fresh pasta
- Green pasta
For a bright green color, boil spinach or Swiss chard, blend them into a smooth puree, and mix them into the dough. The result will be a vibrant emerald green pasta. - Yellow pasta
For a golden yellow tone, use saffron or boiled and blended yellow bell peppers, gradually adding them while kneading. - Orange pasta
You can achieve a rich orange color with boiled and blended pumpkin or carrots. For a yellow-orange hue, turmeric is also a great option. - Red pasta
Tomato paste is perfect for giving pasta a bright red color while adding a subtle sweetness. - Dark-toned (chocolate/brown) pasta
For darker tones, add unsweetened cocoa powder. The key is to use these ingredients in moderation to maintain a balanced flavor. - Purple pasta
Purple pasta can be made using cooked beets, boiled red cabbage, or mashed purple potatoes, all of which give the dough an intense purple shade. - Pink pasta
To achieve a delicate pink tone, use a small amount of cooked beetroot puree (about one teaspoon per 100 g of flour).
Coloring fresh pasta naturally is a fun and creative way to bring unique flavors and vibrant colors to your dishes.
How to color pasta without artificial dyes
Do you prefer to avoid powdered food colorings and make the most of nature’s natural pigments? No problem! There are many ways to color fresh egg pasta or semolina pasta using only vegetables, spices, and other natural ingredients. Each method offers a unique and delicious result.
If you want to create green pasta, you can use spinach, Swiss chard, or nettle in the amounts already mentioned—about 10 g of vegetables per 100 g of flour. This will give the pasta an intense color without altering its taste. Simply boil the chosen vegetable in lightly salted water, blend it into a puree, and incorporate it into the dough. If you want to enhance both the color and the flavor, you can opt for borage, basil, or parsley, which have more pronounced aromas.
To achieve yellow pasta, add one sachet of saffron (half a sachet if making egg pasta) or one teaspoon of turmeric per 100 g of flour. If you prefer a more distinct flavor, you can use yellow bell peppers that have been cooked over low heat, blended, and strained before being added to the dough.
For red pasta, which is perfect for a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner, tomato paste is the best choice. You’ll need 600 g of flour and 4 tablespoons of tomato paste, which should be added directly to the dough. If you prefer using tomato purée, you will need two extra tablespoons to achieve a rich red color.
Do you want orange pasta? You can use turmeric, curry, or vegetables like pumpkin and carrots, but keep in mind that these will add a naturally sweet flavor to your pasta, influenced by the ingredients used. If you choose pumpkin, your dish will be closer to pumpkin pasta rather than just colored pasta. To make it, simply add 100 g of boiled and blended pumpkin puree per 100 g of flour. If making egg pasta, reduce the number of eggs accordingly. If you prefer carrots, 50 g per 100 g of flour is enough to achieve a vibrant orange color. In both cases, steam the vegetables until soft, then blend them into a puree before incorporating them into the flour, which should be arranged in a well on your work surface.
Looking for something even more unique? Try making pasta in shades of pink, fuchsia, or purple using beets. A small piece of boiled and blended beet is enough to color 500 g of flour, following the ratio of 30 g of beet per 100 g of flour. Alternatively, you can use boiled red cabbage, blended and mixed with lemon juice, which will shift the color toward a fuchsia hue.
For black pasta, the classic choice is squid ink, a perfect base for seafood sauces. You can buy it in sachets at the supermarket, following the dosage on the label, or extract the natural ink from fresh squid. To avoid overdoing it, dilute the ink sac’s contents with two tablespoons of water and gradually add it to the dough while kneading to monitor the color change.
And what about brown pasta? If you think it’s unusual, try using unsweetened cocoa powder. Add one level teaspoon per 150 g of flour, but be aware that these ingredients will significantly influence the flavor of your pasta. This type of pasta pairs best with meat-based sauces, especially game meats like wild boar, venison, or pheasant, guaranteeing a dish full of depth and character.
