Step 1

1 Combine the spinach and the 1/2 cup of water in a saucepan over medium-high heat

Step 2

2 Bring to a boil, cover and cook for about 5 minutes (stir once or twice during this time) until the spinach is wilted and tender

Step 3

3 Drain; once the spinach is cool enough to handle, use your hands to squeeze out as much moisture as possible

Step 4

4 Really squeeze (see the headnote)

Step 5

5 Transfer to a blender, add the eggs and puree until smooth

Step 6

6 Scrape the mixture into a bowl

Step 7

7 Combine 2 cups of the flour and the salt in a food processor; pulse to incorporate

Step 8

8 Add the pureed spinach-egg mixture and pulse just long enough for the mixture to resemble small curds

Step 9

9 Pinch together a bit of the mixture; it should form a soft ball

Step 10

10 If it seems dry, add a few droplets of water and pulse briefly

Step 11

11 If it seems sticky, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time, and pulse to incorporate

Step 12

12 Sprinkle a little of the remaining all-purpose flour on a clean work surface and turn the dough mixture out onto it

Step 13

13 Bring it together to form a rough mass and knead for several minutes, until smooth, incorporating only as much flour as necessary to form a firm smooth ball

Step 14

14 Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes

Step 15

15 Set up a pasta-rolling machine or a mixer with a pasta roller attachment, with the rollers on the widest setting

Step 16

16 Dust the work surface around the machine with semolina and keep more on hand for sprinkling on the dough as needed

Step 17

17 Cut the dough into 4 equal quarters and rewrap 3

Step 18

18 Flatten the remaining piece of dough and feed it through the machine

Step 19

19 Lay it on the work surface and fold it in thirds, like a business letter

Step 20

20 Sprinkle with a little semolina and feed it through the rollers again

Step 21

21 Continue to fold and feed the dough through the widest setting two more times

Step 22

22 Move the roller setting to the next narrower notch and feed the dough through this setting twice

Step 23

23 Continue to pass the dough through the rollers twice on each setting until you have a strip that is about 28 inches long and about 1/16-inch thick — setting #6 on a Marcato Atlas hand-cranked machine

Step 24

24 You should be able to see the shadow of your hand through the sheet

Step 25

25 Sprinkle a little semolina flour on a baking sheet and lay the pasta sheets there as you work

Step 26

26 To cook the pasta, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat and salt generously (as in, 3 or 4 pinches of salt)

Step 27

27 Set a large bowl of ice water near the stove for briefly immersing the cooked parboiled lasagna noodles

Step 28

28 Spread a clean tablecloth on a table or clean, flat surface near the stove

Step 29

29 Carefully drop in 4 or 5 lasagna noodles at a time, taking care not to crowd the pot

Step 30

30 Boil for about 1 minute; the noodles cook quickly and should be slightly underdone

Step 31

31 Use a large skimmer to transfer them to the ice-water bath

Step 32

32 Swish them around, then use the skimmer to transfer them to the tablecloth, where you will spread them out flat

Step 33

33 Continue until you have cooked all the noodles

Step 34

34 Use right away