Who doesn’t love pasta - especially when it’s made from scratch! We’re sharing some tips + tricks (and recipes!) with you to help you in making your own pasta dough.
PASTA DOUGH
2 cups all purpose flour or 00’ flour
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon water, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon salt
Semolina flour, for dusting
On a clean flat surface, create a well in the middle of the flour. Combine remaining ingredients in the well and gently beat with a fork.
Gradually work in the flour to form a soft ball of dough. Kneed for about 5-6 minutes. Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
Dust work surface with semolina flour. Form desired shapes with the dough. Refrigerate or freeze immediately if you will not cook the pasta.
To cook, bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add salt to taste. Add fresh pasta to boiling water. Cook for 3-5 minutes and strain water.
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And what’s a good pasta dough recipe without a delicious sauce to go with it? Here are 2 we know you’ll love:
CLASSIC PESTO SAUCE
4 cups fresh basil leaves loosely packed
½ cup olive oil
⅓ cup pine nuts
2 garlic cloves
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
¼ cup pecorino cheese
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until a smooth paste forms. Serve immediately.
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TOMATO JAM CROSTINI
26 large vine-ripened tomatoes
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Chop tomatoes into approximately 1 to 1½ inch pieces. Spread out evenly on baking sheet along with onion, garlic, and thyme.Bake for 1 hour. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.
Whisk together honey, oil, vinegar, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Drizzle over tomatoes. Return pan to oven and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool. Scrape all contents of baking sheet into a bowl. Stir to combine, mashing while you stir to break down the tomatoes and form more of a cohesive mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk ricotta, add oil and season.
Spread each baguette slice with cheese and top with tomato jam. Garnish with thyme if desired.
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AGLIO E OLIO SAUCE
Yield: 2 servings
½ head of garlic, separated and peeled
½ cup flat leaf parsley, rinsed and finely chopped
½ cup good quality olive oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
½ lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Parm cheese to taste:
Heavily salt a large pot of water, and bring to a boil. Cook pasta until slightly underdone while completing the steps below.
Slice the garlic cloves thinly, and set aside. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat until barely shimmering. Add sliced garlic, stirring constantly, until softened and turning golden on the edges. Add the red pepper flakes and lower the heat to medium-low.
Add the pasta, drained, with about 1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking water. Squeeze lemon juice over top, and mix into the pasta with the fresh parsley. If sauce is too watery, continue to cook for 1-3 minutes, until pasta has absorbed more liquid. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
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TIRAMISU
1 and 1/4 cups (300ml) very strongly prepared espresso, warm or room temperature
6 Tablespoons (90ml) Grand Marnier
40–45 ladyfingers*
16 ounces (about 2 cups; 450g) mascarpone, cold or at room temperature
1/4 cup (60ml) dark rum
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
2 cups (480ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder
Dip the ladyfingers: You will form 2 layers each of dipped ladyfingers and mascarpone/whipped cream.
Whisk the espresso and Grand Marnier together in a shallow bowl.
One at a time, quickly dip each side of the ladyfinger into the espresso mixture. Arrange the dipped ladyfingers in the baking pan to make one solid layer. Reserve remaining espresso mixture and ladyfingers for another layer.
4. Make the mascarpone cream: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the mascarpone and rum together on medium speed in a large bowl until smooth. Add a smooth layer with offset spatula on top of lady fingers.
5. Whip the heavy cream: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract together on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. Add smooth layer on top of mascarpone mixture.
6. Repeat this process one more time: Dipped lady fingers, mascarpone, whipped cream. Refrigerate uncovered for 2-3 hours.
7. Add cocoa layer, then chill: After a couple hours in the refrigerator, sift a dense layer of cocoa powder all over the top. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then refrigerate for at least 8-9 more hours and up to 1 day.