Pasta is a staple in Italian cuisine, after Marco Polo is said to have brought back the idea of noodles from China. Take this well-loved ingredient to new heights by making your own fresh pasta, tossed with our delicious sauce recipes.
Pasta is a staple in Italian cuisine, after Marco Polo is said to have brought back the idea of noodles from China. Take this well-loved ingredient to new heights by making your own fresh pasta, tossed with our delicious sauce recipes.
Fresh Pasta
You can make the pasta dough the day before, but once it is rolled and cut, it is best to cook it within four hours. Alternatively, the cut pasta can be hung to dry, then transferred to an airtight container for up to seven days. Or twist pasta into small mounds and freeze on trays, then transfer to freezer bags and freeze for up to two months. Cook from frozen.
PERFECT PASTA STEPS
Prep + Cook + Standing 50 mins / Serves 4
2½ cups (400 g) Italian “00” flour or high grade flour (see CHEF’S TIPS)
4 eggs (59 g each), at room temperature
Flour, extra, to dust
Fine semolina, to dust
1. Place flour in a mound on a work surface. Make a large well in the centre; break eggs into well. Using a fork, gently beat eggs, while with your other hand, reinforce the edge of the flour well to prevent any egg escaping. Continue stirring with the fork, drawing in the flour until the mixture is very thick; finish working in the remaining flour using your hands.
2. Once flour is incorporated, knead the dough (it should be firm, not sticky) for 5 mins or until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap; stand for 30 mins.
3. Divide dough into 6 pieces. Flatten one piece with your hand until 3 mm thick; dust lightly with flour. For machine-rolled pasta, set the pasta machine to its widest setting and feed the dough through 4 to 5 times, folding it in half each time and turning it 90 degrees until it is smooth and the width of the machine ( if necessary, lightly flour pasta to stop sticking).
4. Continue feed the dough through, without folding, narrowing the settings on the machine one notch at a time (the highest number is the thinnest setting), until you reach the second last setting. Place the pasta sheets on a semolina-dusted work surface. Repeat with remaining dough.
5. Drape the pasta lengths over a clean opened cupboard door or clothes drying rack. Leave for 10 mins to dry slightly. To use the pasta machine cutter, feed the dough lengths, one at a time, through cutting attachment. Sprinkle lightly with semolina flour and place on tray.
6. Or for hand-cut pasta, dry for an hour, then lightly dust pasta sheets with semolina, roll up loosely and cut into desired widths without pressing down too firmly.
7. Bring a 6 L saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add pasta; stir once. Cook until tender, then drain. Fresh pasta takes from 20 secs to 2 mins to cook, depending on thickness. Serve immediately with your favourite sauce.
Chef’s Tips
Hand-rolled pasta: Using a rolling pin, roll out dough pieces on a lightly floured surface, rolling from centre toward edges. As the dough gets thinner, rotate it 90 degrees until 2 mm thick.
Cutting pasta: For ribbon pasta, dust with semolina and roll in an 8 cm-wide flat length, then cut into 7 mm- (fettuccine), 5 mm- (tagliatelle) or 1.5 cm-wide (pappardelle) strips.
Flour: In Italy, flour is graded 1, 0 and 00. Doppio zero flour or “00” flour is available from supermarkets and delis; it is the most refined, with a talcum powder-like texture and relatively high protein content (9.5 per cent), perfect for making pasta.
PAPPARDELLE CARBONARA
Prep + Cook 45 mins/ Serves 4
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
100 g thinly sliced pancetta, torn
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
4 eggs, beaten lightly
¾ cup (60 g) freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve
1 quantity Fresh Pasta (see page 100), cut into pappardelle (1.5-cm widths) or 400 g dried papperdelle
1. Heat oil in a medium frying pan, add pancetta and cook over medium heat for 5 mins or until starting to crisp. Add garlic, cook, stirring for 1 min.
2. Combine eggs and Parmesan in a bowl.
3. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, drain.
4. Off the heat, return pasta to saucepan. Add pancetta mixture, egg mixture and ¼ cup or enough of reserved pasta cooking water to form a sauce, stir until well combined. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, serve with extra Parmesan.
There’s Nothing Wrong With Dried Pasta!
We love our dried pasta just as much as the fresh kind – it’s just a different love. And one is certainly not superior to the other, as they each have their strengths. Dried is quick and easy to whip up, so satisfying and perfect for family dinners. In general, short pasta like penne and rigatoni go perfectly with chunky thick sauces, while long strands and ribbons like spaghetti or linguine are better suited for pesto, oilbased or light cream sauces. For perfectly al dente pasta, always cook your dried pasta for a minute or two less than the packet directions advise.
AMATRICIANA
Prep + Cook 45 mins / Serves 4
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
200 g round pancetta, chopped
1 medium (950 g) brown onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
2 x 400 g cans diced tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp fresh basil leaves, plus extra to serve
1 quantity Fresh Pasta (see page 100), cut into desired widths, or 400 g dried pasta
½ cup (40 g) freshly grated Parmesan
1. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat; cook pancetta for 5 mins or until starting to crisp. Remove from pan using a slotted spoon, place on a paper towel-lined plate. Add remaining oil to pan; cook onion, stirring occasionally, for 10 mins or until soft but not browned.
2. Add garlic and chilli; cook, stirring for 1 min or until fragrant. Add tomatoes, sugar and basil; simmer, uncovered, for 20 mins or until thickened.
3. Blend or process sauce, if desired, then return to heat and add pancetta.
4. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water; drain. Serve with sauce, adding a splash of reserved cooking water if necessary to amalgamate sauce with pasta. Top with Parmesan and extra basil leaves.
LINGUINE WITH GARLIC PRAWNS
Prep + Cook 15 mins / Serves 4
750 g uncooked king prawns
1 quantity Fresh Pasta (see page 100), cut into linguine, or 400 g dried linguine
⅓ cup (80 ml) extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
2 small red chillies, seeded, sliced thinly
2 tbsps finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to serve
Lemon halves, to serve
1. Shell and devein prawns. Butterfly prawns by cutting along the centre back without cutting all the way through.
2. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, drain.
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan for 1 to 2 mins or until just cooked through. Remove from pan.
4. Add remaining oil, garlic and chilli to pan; cook over medium to high heat for 1 min or until fragrant but not coloured.
5. Add the cooked pasta, prawn and chopped parsley to garlic mixture in pan. Toss to combine, adding a splash of reserved pasta cooking water if necessary. Serve with lemon halves and extra parsley.
PUTTANESCA
Prep + Cook 45 mins / Serves 4
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium (150 g) brown onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 anchovy fillets, chopped
2 x 400 g cans diced tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp fresh basil leaves
1 cup (150 g) drained, pitted black olives, chopped
2 tbsps baby capers
1 quantity Fresh Pasta (see page 100), cut into desired widths or 400 g dried pasta
2 tbsps flat-leaf parsley leaves
1. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium to low heat; cook onion, stirring occasionally, for 10 mins or until soft but not browned.
2 Add garlic and anchovies; cook stirring for 1 min or until fragrant. Add tomatoes, sugar and basil; simmer, uncovered, for 15 mins or until thickened.
3. Blend or process sauce, if desired (this creates a smooth consistency, but is not necessary), then return to heat and add the olives and capers; simmer a further 5 mins. Season to taste.
4. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, drain. Serve immediately with sauce and parsley, adding a splash of reserved cooking water if necessary to help amalgamate the sauce with the pasta.
PHOTOS: JOHN PAUL URIZAR/BAUERSYNDICATION.COM.AU
