Homemade Pasta with Ricotta and Spinach

I tried this a few nights ago, when I was snowed in and had plenty of time to cook a nice meal. Fresh pasta is so fun to make and tastes delicious, and I was able to get most my ingredients from the Co-op through our online buying club, Four Season Harvest, which is still going strong throughout the winter at many of our sites! (Check it out at http://www.lancasterfarmfresh.com/static/controls/?page=fourseason.)

Homemade Pasta with Ricotta and Spinach
Serves 4 to 5

Pasta Ingredients
flour (about 5 cups)
5 eggs
salt
olive oil

Sauce Ingredients
olive oil
ricotta (about 2 cups)
whole milk
salt, to taste
spinach (5 to 6 handfuls)
Parmesan cheese, grated

Pasta Directions*
Place flour in a pile on clean workspace. Make a well, and crack 5 eggs into the well. Using a butter knife, slowly work eggs into the flour, using you have created a workable dough. You should have plenty of flour leftover to spread over your workspace when you are ready to roll out the dough. Leave the dough under a glass bowl and let rest for 10 minutes. When dough has finished resting, roll onto floured surface until thin enough to see your fingers through the dough. Cut dough into thin strips. You are now ready to cook! Boil a large pot of water, and add pasta, salt, and olive oil. Cook until pasta has reached desired texture. Drain and gently coat with olive oil.

*There is a fabulous video on Video Jug (http://www.videojug.com/) that I followed to make pasta for the first time. Check it out at http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-fresh-pasta.

Sauce Directions
Heat olive oil in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add ricotta and mix with milk to thin. Add salt to taste and spinach. Cook until spinach has wilted slightly. Add pasta and cook for a few more minutes until pasta and sauce are well mixed. Serve hot, topped with grated Parmesan cheese.