Homemade Rainbow Pasta Salad

Summer time brings me fond memories of my mom's pasta salads, it's refreshing, delicious as well as beautiful.
Today I will be showing you how you can make your own homemade rainbow pasta with natural coloring and without eggs. No pasta machine needed!

I will go over the natural coloring, making the pasta dough, preparing the salad and magic sauce. For this instructable I chose to use half of the dough and save the other half of the dough to be used for the following day.

Note:

The serving size is 8 portions and what is plated is 2 servings for two very hungry people. The sauce recipe is for 4 servings, you will need to double the sauce for the remaining pasta or if you plan to make all 8 servings of pasta at one time.

Tools:

1. Frying pan (non-stick)
2. Pot (large enough for 4 cups of water)
3. Cutting board
4. Rolling pin
5. Knife (sharp)
6. Peeler
7. Julienne peeler
8. Measuring spoons
9. Measuring cup
10. Spatula
11. Blender
12. Strainer (medium, small)
13. Pitcher
14. Containers
15. Plastic wrap

Optional:

1. Bowl
2. Garlic press
3. Tongs
4. Ziplock bags

I included below the brands in bold that were used for this instructable, feel free to use any brands that you may have.

Natural Coloring:

1. (Red) - Beets. 1/2 beet, about 2 inches diameter.
2. (Orange) - Tomato paste. 2 tablespoons.
3. (Yellow) - Carrot. 1 stalk.
4. (Green) - Kale. 1 large leaf.
5. (Blue) - Butterfly pea flower. 7 flower buds (from my Deep Blue Spirulina David's Tea).
6. (Indigo) - Red Cabbage. 1 head total. (half of juice used for indigo and the other half for purple).
7. (Violet) - half of juice remaining from indigo
8. Baking Soda (Arm & Hammer)- 1/8 teaspoon to add to red cabbage juice for indigo color.
9. Lemon - 3 drops added to cabbage juice to turn violet.

Dough: 8 servings

1. Flour (Caputo Chef's 00 soft wheat flour, 2.2 lbs). 3-1/2 - 4 cups. All purpose flour is fine as well.
2. Olive oil (Erato Extra Virgin Olive Oil) - 7 tablespoons.
3. Salt (Hain Sea Salt) - 7 small pinches (one pinch = 1/8 teaspoon).

Salad:

1. Red bell pepper - 1
2. Cucumber -1 or 2
3. Eggs - 4 large
4. Carrot - 1 stalk (2 carrots total, one for coloring and one for the salad)

Optional for garnish:

1. Green onion - 2 stalks
2. Cilantro - 2-3 sprigs

Sauce: 8 servings

1. Soy Sauce (Traders Joe's Soy Sauce Reduced Sodium) - 1/4 to 1/2 cup.
2. Water - 1/4 to 1/2 cup.
3. Sugar - 1 tablespoon.
4. Lemon - 1 total. 1 teaspoon juice plus 3 drops to make the color violet.
5. Grounded White pepper - 1/8 teaspoon.
6. Garlic - 1 clove.
7. White sesame seeds - 2-4 tablespoons.

Optional:1. peanut butter - 2 tablespoons.

Go ahead and gather all the tools for this instructable. If you don't have some of the items, see if you can borrow them from a friend or family member.

I included below the brands in bold that were used for this instructable, feel free to use any brands that you may have.

Natural Coloring:

1. (Red) - Beets. 1/2 of beet, about 2 inches diameter.
2. (Orange) - Tomato paste. 2 tablespoons.
3. (Yellow) - Carrot. 1 stalk.
4. (Green) - Kale. 1 large leaf.
5. (Blue) - Butterfly pea flower. 7 flower buds (picked them out of my Deep Blue Spirulina David's Tea).
6. (Indigo) - Red Cabbage. 1 head total. (half of juice used for indigo and the other half for violet).
7. (Violet) - half of juice remaining from indigo.
8. Baking Soda (Arm & Hammer)- 1/8 teaspoon added to red cabbage juice for indigo color.
9. Lemon - 3 drops of juice added to red cabbage juice to turn into violet color.

Dough:

1. Flour (Caputo Chef's 00 soft wheat flour, 2.2 lbs). 3-1/2 - 4 cups. All purpose flour is fine as well.
2. Olive oil (Erato Extra Virgin Olive Oil) - 7 tablespoons.
3. Salt (Hain Sea Salt) - 7 small pinches (one pinch = 1/8 teaspoon or less).

Salad:

1. Red bell pepper - 1.
2. Cucumber -1 or 2.
3. Eggs - 4 large.
4. Carrot - 1 stalk (2 carrots total, 1 for coloring and one for the salad).

Optional for garnish:

1. Green onion - 2 stalks.
2. Cilantro - 2-3 sprigs.

Sauce:

1. Soy Sauce (Traders Joe's Soy Sauce Reduced Sodium) - 1/4 to 1/2 cup.
2. Water - 1/4 to 1/2 cup.
3. Sugar - 1 tablespoon.
4. Lemon - 1 total. 1 teaspoon juice plus 3 drops to make violet coloring.
5. Grounded white pepper - 1/8 teaspoon.
6. Garlic - 1 clove.
7. White sesame seeds 2-4 table spoons.

Optional:

1. peanut butter - 2 tablespoons.

Wash, rinse, peel, slice, blend, and strain vegetables accordingly.

1. Red - Beets (1/2 of one beet), about 2 inches in diameter.

Peel, section one 1/2 beet, slice into smaller pieces, blender, strain and reserve this color in a container.

2. Orange - Tomato paste. 2 tablespoons.

Open the can of tomato paste or tube when you are ready to incorporate into the dough.

3. Yellow - Carrot. 1 stalk.

Remove the head and tip, peel, slice into smaller pieces, blend, strain and reserve this color in a container.

4. Green - Kale. 1 large leaf.

Slice into smaller strips, blend, strain and reserve this color in a container.

5. Blue - Butterfly pea flower. 7 flower buds (picked them out of my Deep Blue Spirulina David's Tea).

Boil 1/2 cup of water, add flower buds, strain and reserve this color in a container.

6. Indigo - Red Cabbage. 1 head total.

Quarter slice red cabbage, remove core, slice into thin strips, place in the pot, add water to cover the red cabbage and boil for 15 minutes. The color of the liquid will be violet, strain and reserve half of the remaining liquid to make the color violet. Return half of the liquid back into the pot and reduce until about 1/3 cup. Pour into a container, from the 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda, sprinkle a little at a time to get a indigo blue, it will bubble slightly. Rinse clean the pot.

7. Violet - Use the remaining 1/2 juice from making the indigo.

Add this liquid back to the pot and reduce to about 1/3 cup. Pour into a container and add 3 drops of lemon juice. This will turn the color into a more violet color.

This pasta recipe will yield 8 servings, I chose to use half of the dough to make this instructable which will make 4 servings and will use the remaining pasta the following day. The main rainbow pasta plate photo is 2 servings. Please follow the photo procedure above for all colors when mixing, kneading, rolling the dough, slicing and boiling the pasta.

Now is the time to get your tomato paste from a tube or a can ready.

Grab your chopping board, flour, salt, olive oil, rainbow colors and plastic wrap.

The main dough base for all colors is 1/2 cup of flour, a pinch of salt (1 pinch = 1/8 teaspoon) and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Pour 1/2 cup of flour on the chopping board, make a indentation for the salt, olive oil and mix in one of the coloring below.

• Red dough:

Add 3-1/3 tablespoon of beets juice.

Mix and knead into a ball, plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes or overnight.

Repeat mixing, kneading, wrap, rest 30 minutes or overnight for all colored dough.

• Orange dough:

Add 2-1/2 tablespoons of tomato paste.

Add 3 tablespoons of water.

• Yellow dough:

Add 5 tablespoons carrot juice.

• Green dough:

Add 2-1/2 tablespoons of kale juice.

Add 2-1/2 tablespoons of water.

• Blue dough:

Add 5 tablespoons of butterfly pea flower water.

• Indigo dough:

Add 5 tablespoons of indigo cabbage juice.

• Violet dough:

Add 5 tablespoons of violet cabbage juice.

Rolling Out the Dough & Slicing:

• Take your red color dough and cut 1/2 of the dough ( I used only 1/2 of each colored dough for this instructable and will use the remaining dough the following day).
• Add flour on top and below of dough and roll out to about the thickness of a dime or nickel.
• Dust both sides of the dough and fold it in thirds like an accordian.
• Cut into thin strips, dust with flour, shake out dough strips into a bunch and prepare for boiling.
• Repeat this procedure for all colors.

Cooking Pasta:

• Add 3 cups of water to the pot, add pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil.
• Bring the water to a boil, stir 10 times in one direction. Be careful the water is hot.
• Slip the pasta from a plate into a pot and lightly stir for 1-2 minutes. The pasta will sink then float to top.
• Strain, rinse in cold water and add a little olive oil and toss to prevent pasta from sticking together.
• Set aside in container.
• Repeat this procedure for all colored pasta.

Egg Crepes:

• Crack 4 eggs in a bowl, add 1/8 teaspoon and beat the eggs.
• Heat a non-stick frying pan with 1/2 teaspoon oil.
• Coat entire pan with the scrambled egg, flip the egg when middle is not runny, should yield 4 crepes depending on what size pan you use.
• Set aside to cool, slice and for plating.

Toasted Sesame Seeds:

• Heat frying pan with no oil on medium heat, add 3 tablespoon sesame seeds, stir and toast seeds until lightly golden. Set aside for sauce and plating.

Salad:

• Carrot - chop off top and tip of carrot, peel skin, start 1 inch from the tip with a julienne shredder, shred and set aside.

• Cucumber - chop off both ends, peel, start 1 inch from the tip with a julienne shredder, shred and set aside.

• Red bell pepper - chop off both ends, remove core and seeds, section into 2 inch strips, thinly slice and set aside.

• Green onions - chop off both ends, section into 1-1/2 inch strips, slice the white section in half, thinly julienne and set aside.

• Egg Crepes - roll up and slice in shreds and set aside.

• Butter Lettuce - take 4 leaves, slice in shreds and set aside.

Take your blender and make your magic sauce. This sauce recipe is for 4 servings, if you would like to make 8 servings, double the quantity. The sauce is a combination of flavors, savory, lightly sweet, a slight citrus tang, a hint of garlic and the nutty taste of roasted sesame seeds.

Blend the ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of soy sauce
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1/8 teaspoon grounded white pepper
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1/2 tsp of lemon juice
• 1-1/2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds (reserve the other half for garnish)

Optional:

2 tablespoons of peanut butter (I added this for a more sweet creamy texture, omit if allergic).

Plating your homemade rainbow pasta salad is the best and the last part of this instructable.

Take 6 butter lettuce leaves and line your plate.

Layer the following:

• shredded lettuce
• shredded red bell peppers
• shredded egg crepes
• shredded carrots
• shredded cucumbers
• place your rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet) pasta over the salad
• julienne green onions (optional)
• cilantro (optional)
• serve with magic sauce
• top with toasted sesame seeds

Enjoy your beautiful homemade rainbow pasta salad!

Thank you for reading my first instructable! Hope you have a great day!