Strettine Paglia e Fieno

Method

1. Prepare the spinach puree: blanch spinach in boiling water until tender, drain, squeeze out excess water, then blend until smooth.
2. Make the plain egg dough: on a work surface, mound the flour and create a wide well with low edges. Crack the eggs into the well and beat them with a fork, gradually incorporating the flour from the edges. Knead until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic and let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
3. Make the spinach dough: repeat the same process as the plain dough, but before incorporating the flour, add the spinach puree to the beaten eggs and mix until the color turns green. Then add flour and knead. Let rest.
4. Roll out the plain dough: flatten the rested dough slightly, then using a rolling pin, roll from the center outward, rotating the dough a quarter turn after each roll. Repeat until the sheet is thin and even. Let the sheet dry on a wooden board or cotton cloth until the edges begin to lift and the surface is dry but not brittle.
5. Roll out the spinach dough similarly and let it dry.
6. Once both sheets are dry, dust them lightly with semolina. Stack the plain sheet on top of the spinach sheet, then roll them together loosely into a log.
7. Using a coltellina (straight-blade knife), cut the log into strips of about 1 cm width (strettine). Unroll the strips carefully.
8. For the sauce: melt butter in a pan over gentle heat. Add finely sliced onion and cook until softened. Deglaze with a splash of white wine, cover, and cook until the onion is tender.
9. Add prosciutto crudo slices to the pan and cook for about one minute, until just warmed.
10. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, reserving some pasta water if needed.
11. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss well. Remove from heat.
12. Grate lemon zest over the pasta and mix.
13. Serve the pasta, topping with crispy prosciutto (if desired) and an extra grating of lemon zest.