Pasta Making, Spaghetti or Tagliatelle

Recipe yields 8-10 servings of pasta

(about 2 lbs. of dried spaghetti or tagliatelle)

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Ingredients

5.5 cups of semolina flour (plus 2 cups for dusting)

8 large eggs (room temperature)

2 tsp salt

2 tbsp EVOO (plus ¼ tsp for covering dough while proofing)

4 tsp water

 

Utensils

Large bowl or tray for dusting the pasta

Pasta hanger for drying the pasta

Large aluminum pans and plastic bag for storing pasta

Dough mixer

Pasta roller

Pasta cutter

Measuring cups

Measuring spoons

Pizza cutter or scissors

 

Directions

• Pour all wet ingredients into mixing bowl and mix in medium speed. Use mixer’s bread hook.

• Slowly, mix half a cup of flour at a time. Adjust speed as you see fit. You may use a spatula to bring the dough down from the sides. Adjust speed up and down as you see the dough get wetter or dryer with the goal of getting it all together like a bread dough consistency (that stays together as a ball/disc shape) hooked around the bread hook.

• Remove dough from mixing bowl, form a ball and gently rub it with EVOO and plastic wrap it.

• Let proof for 30 mins.

• Cut dough into 8 even and flat triangles. (1 triangle will create roughly 1 serving of cut pasta. 1 serving = 1 pasta plate)

• Take one triangle at a time, lightly dust triangle with flour and pass it through the pasta roller to create one sheet.

• If you are using Kitchen Aid mixer and rolling insert, the recommended speed is 2. Regardless of the type of pasta you will cut at the end, the rolling should happen at an even and slower speed. The speed of the engine is different from the thickness setting on the roller. The thickness differs depending on the type of pasta you will end up cutting. For example, I roll both the spaghetti and tagliatelle sheets up to level 4 thickness. Others go up 1 or 2 more (to 5 or 6 thickness) to get the pasta thinner. I have found that it dries too well that thin and it can break on you very easily. You can do level 4 thickness to reduce risk of pasta breaking and still achieve great taste.

• As you roll to get to desired thickness, pass the pasta sheet on the same setting twice, folding it in half every time. (e.g. roll triangle through on thickness level 1, then fold it in half, then roll it again through thickness level 1, then fold it, and roll it on thickness level 2, then roll it again through thickness level 2 and so on)

• Roll of 8 triangles into sheets and hang them.

• Then, attach the pasta cutter attachment and prepare to cut your pasta.

• For spaghetti, I use mixer speed 7 and the spaghetti cutter.

• For tagliatelle, I use mixer speed 5 and the fettucine cutter.

• Take the first sheet and cut it in half.

• Take the first half and dust it with flour then pass it through the cutter.

• Dust the cut pasta in flour (on a deep tray or bowl) then hang.

• Take the second half and do the same.

• Then repeat the past 4 steps for the remaining 7 sheets.

• Let pasta hang to dry for 48 hours before removing it for storage. (For storage, I use large aluminum trays and cover them with large clear plastic bag.)

• Cooking: Fresh pasta will cook in 1-2 mins in boiling water and rise to the top of the pot; 48 hour pasta will cook for 2-4 mins; After 48 hours, will cook 4-8 mins depending

• Similar/good recipes

       https://culinaryginger.com/homemade-tagliatelle-pasta/

       https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/homemade-pasta/

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Green Pesto Pasta

Make pesto sauce

yields 10-12 ice cubes of pesto (2 cubes needed per plate of pasta)

70g basil leaves (no stems)

2/3 cup of EVOO (high quality)

140g grated pecorino romano

20g hazelnuts

1-2 garlic cloves

pizzico of salt

1 cup of pasta water

 

1. Blend well together and fill ice cube tray and freeze. Once frozen, remove from ice cube tray and store in zip lock bag in the freezer.

 

Make pasta pesto

(250g of pasta yields roughly two big plates of pasta)

1. Boil pasta of your choice al dente. While boiling, grab a cup of boiled pasta water and add it to the sauce

2. In a sauce pan, melt pesto cubes with a tablespoon of EVOO and a cup of boiled pasta water

3. Add al dente pasta and mix well but gentle

4. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving, mix one more time before plating

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White Pasta with Porcini

Make porcini sauce

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp dried onion powder

2 handfuls of dried porcini

2 pinches of salt

2 pinches of black pepper ground

1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce

2 cups white wine

1 cup whole milk

½ cup of pecorino romano

1 tbsp of EVOO (high quality)

A few drops of truffle oil

1 cup of pasta water

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1. Soak dried porcini mushrooms for at least 30 minutes before starting the sauce.

2. In a sauce pan, over medium heat, sauté porcini in EVVO, then add Worcestershire sauce. Mix while adding spices and truffle oil. Then turn the heat on high, wait a few seconds and pour in the wine. Let wine burn off for a few seconds then turn heat back to medium. Add milk and mix gently.

 

Make pasta

1. Boil pasta of your choice al dente (tagliatelle is my favorite). While boiling, grab a cup of boiled pasta water and add it to the sauce
2. ​Add al dente pasta to the sauce pan; turn heat on high for 1 minute then let rest for 5 minutes before serving, mix one more time gently while sprinkling pecorino before plating

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Red Guanciale Pasta

Guanciale is an Italian cured meat product prepared from pork jowl (or cheeks). It is not smoked. Its name is derived from’ guancia’, the Italian word for ‘cheek’. Guanciale may be cut and eaten directly in small portions but is often used as an ingredient in pasta dishes such as ‘spaghetti alla carbonara’ and sauces like ‘sugo all'amatriciana’ or like the one below. It is a specialty of central Italy, particularly Umbria and Lazio. Pancetta, a cured Italian bacon which is normally also not smoked, can be used as a substitute for guanciale. Or bacon. Good quality ingredients will make this dish superb. Take your time choosing the right pasta, cheese, guanciale, and tomato purée (aka passata). 

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Ingredients

For the sauce

24.5 ounces tomato purée (aka passata)
5-8 small slices of guanciale 
1 teaspoon Sea Salt 
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ teaspoon Dried minced onion
½ teaspoon Powdered Black Pepper 

For the pasta:

5 tbsp of EVOO

½ tsp of salt

1 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano

 

Directions

1. In a saucepan, slowly fry the guanciale pieces on low heat, without burning them, to get the liquid taste out onto the pan. 

2. Add the passata. 

3. Then fill the passata bottle 3/4 with water and shake, then add the liquid to the saucepan. 

4. Add 1 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp of onion and ½ tsp of pepper. 

5. Let simmer for 30 mins, stirring occasionally. 

6. In a large pot add water, ½ tsp of salt and ½ tbsp of EVOO and bring to a boil.

7. Check the back of your pasta how long it takes for it to cook al-dente. Time it so when the sauce is ready, so is the pasta.

8. Cook pasta and strain in colander.

9. Add pasta into sauce (hopefully at the end of its 30 minute simmer).

10. Stir.

11. Turn up the heat for 15 seconds.

12. Stir again.

13. Let pasta congeal for 5-10 mins. Do not cover with a lid.

14. Serve in a pasta bowl, with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano and heavily drizzled EVOO.

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Butter and Sage Ravioli

10 oz small cheese ravioli

10-20 fresh sage leaves

1 large garlic clove

¼ stick of butter

Lemon pepper

Sea salt

 

1. Boil in sauce pan for 1.5 mins

2. Drain and leave ½ cup of pasta water

3. Turn heat on high, put back, add 1/4 stick of butter, 10-20 sage leaves, 1 large garlic clove (crushed), lemon pepper, sea salt.

4. Mix lightly (2 stirs), turn-off, let sit for 3 mins and serve.

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