Tag: pasta

Posted on » by Michael » Theme:

Classic Fresh Egg Pasta

I used this pasta for the lasagna recipe. I rolled to a 6 (Kitchenaid), next time I think 4 is probably thin enough.

Making fresh pasta can be an intimidating process, especially if you’re not used to working with flour and water. But it’s also an imminently achievable skill, and once you’re comfortable with the basic technique, there’s really no reason why you can’t reap the rewards on a regular basis. This recipe is for a light, springy, delicate fresh pasta that’s as well-suited to slicing into noodles as it is to making stuffed pastas, which require super-thin, pliable sheets of dough.

Why It Works

  • Using a higher ratio of egg yolks to egg whites ensures delicate, rich, yellow noodles with a classic Italian flavor and texture.
  • Kneading by hand allows for optimal control over the quality of the dough.
  • Adding salt to the dough provides a more balanced flavor.

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces (280g; about 2 cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (I used 00 flour)
  • 2 whole large eggs (110g; about 4 ounces)
  • 4 yolks from 4 large eggs (70g; about 2.5 ounces) (I ended up using almost a whole extra egg)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for salting water

Directions

To Make the Dough: On a large, clean work surface, pour flour in a mound. Make a well in the center about 4 inches wide. Pour whole eggs, egg yolks, and salt into well and, using a fork, beat thoroughly. When combined, gradually incorporate flour into the eggs until a wet, sticky dough has formed.

  1. Using a bench knife, scrape excess dough from fork and fingers. Begin to fold additional flour into the dough with the bench knife, turning the dough roughly 45 degrees each time, until dough feels firm and dry, and can form a craggy-looking ball, 2 to 5 minutes.
  2. Press the heel of your hand into the ball of dough, pushing forward and down. Rotate the ball 45 degrees and repeat. Continue until dough develops a smooth, elastic texture similar to a firm ball of Play-Doh. If dough feels too wet, add flour in 1 teaspoon increments. If dough feels too dry, add water slowly using a spray bottle.
  3. Wrap ball of dough tightly in plastic wrap and rest on countertop for 30 minutes.

To Roll the Pasta: Meanwhile, place a sheet of parchment paper on a tray or cutting board and dust lightly with flour. Unwrap rested dough and cut into quarters. Set one quarter on work surface and re-wrap remaining dough. With a rolling pin, flatten the quarter of dough into an oblong shape about 1/2 inch thick.

  1. Set pasta maker to widest setting and pass dough 3 times through the machine at this setting.
  2. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface. Fold both ends in so that they meet at the center of the dough, and then fold the dough in half where the end points meet, trying not to incorporate too much air into the folds. Using rolling pin, flatten dough to 1/2-inch thick. Pass through the rollers 3 additional times.
  3. Narrow the setting by 1 notch and repeat Step 7. Repeat once more (the dough should now have passed through the third widest setting). Continue passing the dough through the rollers, reducing the thickness by 1 setting each time until it reaches the desired thickness. It should now be very delicate and elastic to the touch, and slightly translucent.
  4. Place rolled dough onto a work surface or baking sheet lightly dusted with flour or lined with parchment paper, folding the dough over as necessary so that it fits; sprinkle with flour or line with parchment between folds to prevent sticking.
  5. Cover dough with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel to prevent drying, then repeat Steps 5 through 9 with remaining dough quarters. If making noodles, cut dough into 12- to 14-inch segments.

To Cut Noodles: Adjust pasta machine to noodle setting of your choice. Working one dough segment at a time, feed dough through the pasta-cutter. Alternatively, cut folded dough by hand with a chef’s knife to desired noodle width.

  1. Divide the cut noodles into individual portions, dust lightly with flour, and curl into a nest. Place on parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and gently cover with kitchen towel until ready to cook. Pasta can be frozen directly on the baking sheet, transferred to a zipper-lock freezer bag, and stored in the freezer for up to three weeks before cooking. Cook frozen pasta directly from the freezer.

To Cook: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta, stir gently with a wooden spoon, chopsticks, or a cooking fork, and cook, tasting at regular intervals until noodles are just set with a definite bite, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Drain, toss with sauce, and serve.

Posted on » by Michael » Theme:

Pasta Al Forno con Gamberi E Spinaci (Baked Lasagna with Shrimp and Spinach)

Ultimate Pasta – Julia Della Croce P.133

In my opinion this is a 10/10. It was a bit of work (would be a lot less if I hadn’t made my own pasta. I made the pasta so thin that the recipe only used a tiny fraction of the pasta that I had made.

  • Ingredients
  • ½ quantity fresh egg pasta (1/2 lb/250g)
  • Salt, to taste

For the filling

  • 2lb spinach washed and stems removed
  • lb (500g) fresh raw shrimp, washed and shelled
  • 4 TB unsalted butter
  • 1 large onion, very finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
  • freshly ground white or black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) plain tomato sauce
  • ~2 cups bechamel  (500ml) flavored with nutmeg (I used about extra 1/4-1/2 cup)
  • 1/2 cup (60g) freshly grated Parmesan (I used more than this b/c I spread some between each layer)

Directions

1.Roll the pasta as thin as possible (I think about a 4 on the kitchen aid is good enough I went with 6 and think it was too thin). With a knife or fluted pastry wheel, cut the sheets of pasta into 3 1/2 x 4 1/2 in (8 x 11cm) rectangles and let them rest on dry dish towels for at least 15 minutes.

  1. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts (5 liters) of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 ½ tablespoons of salt and slip in the pasta, two or three pieces at a time, and cook for a total of 1 minute. Retrieve with a slotted spoon and immediately immerse in a bowl of cold water (do not put ice in the water as it will make holes in the pasta). Lay the strips on a damp dish towel and finish cooking and cooling all the pasta in the same manner. Do not overlap them. Pat dry.
  1. Place the spinach in a large, deep, lidded pan with no water except the drops still clinging to the leaves after washing. Steam the spinach until tender, tossing occasionally for even cooking, 5-10 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain, and leave until cool enough to handle. Using your hands, squeeze out most of the excess water. Finely chop the spinach and set aside.
  1. Using a small knife, make a slit down the back of each shrimp and remove the dark intestinal vein. Rinse well under cold running water, pat dry, then finely chop and set aside.
  1. Warm the butter in a skillet and add the onion. Saute over medium heat until wilted, about 4 minutes. Add the shrimp and saute quickly just until they turn pink, stirring to cook evenly. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chopped spinach, salt, and pepper.

6. Preheat the oven to a temperature of 400°F (200°C).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Combine the tomato sauce and the béchamel. Select a 10 x 14in (25 x 35cm) baking dish. Smear a very thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Carefully place a layer of the lasagna noodles over the sauce, making them touch without overlapping, and covering the entire surface area.

  1. Smear a thin layer of sauce over the lasagna. Spoon some of the spinach- shrimp mixture over it. Over that, scatter some of the grated Parmesan. Lay down another layer of lasagna, making sure there are no gaps and no overlapping. Repeat the process of layering, ending with a layer of lasagna topped with bechamel sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan.
  1. Slip the dish onto the middle oven rack. Bake until the sauce forms a light golden crust, about 20 minutes. Do not overcook. Remove the dish from the oven and leave to settle for 10 minutes. Cut into squares, and serve hot.

 

Posted on » by Michael » Theme:

Pasta with Tomato and Almond Pesto (Pesto Alla Trapanese)

 Ingredients

  1. ¼ cup slivered almonds
  2. 12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes (about 2 1/2 cups)
  3. ½ cup packed fresh basil leaves
  4. 1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
  5. 1 small pepperoncini (hot peppers in vinegar), stemmed, seeded, and minced (about 1/2 teaspoon) (see note)
  6. Table salt
  7. pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
  8. ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  9. 1 pound pasta, preferably linguine or spaghetti
  10. 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup), plus extra for serving

Instructions

Serves 4 to 6

A half teaspoon of red wine vinegar and ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes can be substituted for the pepperoncini. If you don’t have a food processor, a blender may be substituted. In step 2, pulse ingredients until roughly chopped, then proceed with the recipe, reducing processing times by half.

1. Toast almonds in small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until pale golden and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Cool almonds to room temperature.

2. Process cooled almonds, tomatoes, basil, garlic, pepperoncini, 1 teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes (if using) in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. With machine running, slowly drizzle in oil, about 30 seconds.

3. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water; drain pasta and transfer back to cooking pot.

4. Add pesto and ½ cup Parmesan to cooked pasta, adjusting consistency with reserved pasta cooking water so that pesto coats pasta. Serve immediately, passing Parmesan separately.