I love pasta.
While there are advantages to both fresh and dried pastas, I prefer fresh pasta. Fresh pastas give you the freedom to create dishes with different or unique flavors, various colors or shapes and fillings.
The downfall to fresh pasta is the limited shelf life, whereas dried pastas can be stored almost indefinitely.
Flour provides the structure of the pasta. Therefore, it is important to choose one that has the qualities for making the best dough. All-purpose flours can be used for most pastas. Whole wheat flour, semolina, rye flour, ground legumes (e.g., chickpeas) can be used in conjunction with all-purpose flour to give the pasta unique flavors and textures.
Eggs are used frequently to provide moisture, flavor and structure to the pasta. Different pastas may call for either whole eggs, egg whites or just the yolk to maintain the proper moisture.
Many recipes also call for water, again to maintain the proper moisture. Doughs that are too dry or too wet are often difficult to work with.
Often oils are added to maintain pliability. Make sure to add your salt as well. You could also add herbs or vegetable purées to change the texture and flavor of your pasta.
Make sure you consider the moisture level when adding ingredients to your dough. You might need to add additional flour or limit the water used. If adding vegetable purée, you could sauté it to concentrate the flavors and decrease the moisture content of vegetables.
While pasta can be made with the use of your hands, a rolling pin and a knife, it is easier with the “correct” equipment. You could use an electric mixer with a dough hook or a food processor to mix the dough. Then use a pasta rolling machine to roll it out.
Then you can apply different cutting attachments depending on the type of pasta you are preparing. Once pasta is rolled and cut, you are ready to cook.
Fresh egg pasta
Ingredients:
½ pound of all-purpose flour (more or less depending on moisture)
Pinch of salt
2 eggs (whole)
½ fl oz water (more or less depending on moisture)
½ fl oz oil
Combine flour and salt in a bowl, make a well (hole) in center. Place eggs, water and oil in the well. Work quickly to pull the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stir until a loose mass forms. As dough is mixed, adjust the consistency with additional flour or water. (This can also be done in either an electric mixer with dough hook or in food processor to mix.)
Turn dough out on floured work surface and knead dough until texture becomes smooth and elastic. Gather and smooth kneaded dough to form a ball. Cover and let dough rest at room temperature for at least one hour.
Roll dough (with either rolling pin or use pasta rolling machine) into thin sheets and cut into desired shapes. Pasta is now ready to be cooked or stored in refrigerator for up to two days.
To make herbed pasta, add 2-3 oz chopped fresh herbs to the eggs, adjusting flour as needed.
To make pumpkin, carrot or beet pasta, sauté 6 oz puréed cooked pumpkin, carrots or beets until reduced and dry. Cool, then add to the eggs. Adjust flour as needed.
Directions:
Make sure that you choose a pot that is both wide and tall enough for your pasta. To cook pasta, you need about 1 gallon of water to every 1 pound of pasta.
Add ½ to 1 oz of salt to the water. Taste the water. It should taste salty but not unpleasantly salty.
Make sure that water is boiling before adding pasta and that you stir to separate strands or shapes.
Adding your pasta to water is different depending on the shape of pasta. If using flat pasta, add all at once, gently submerging the strands into the water as the pasta softens. Stir a few times to separate strands and prevent from sticking together. If using filled pasta (ravioli), lower into water and decrease heat to simmer to keep shapes from falling apart.
Fresh pastas might cook in about 3 minutes, whereas dried pasta can take 8 minutes.
Once pasta is cooked to the appropriate texture, drain immediately. Drain flat pasta in a colander. Shake gently to help drain water. Tube pasta can hold water, so take a spoon to stir gently to remove as much water as possible.
You could reserve some pasta water to add to your sauce.
Filled pasta should be removed from water with a slotted spoon and gently placed in a colander to drain or blot briefly to remove excess water. Now add sauce and dig in.
Sheriff Elkhyati is an executive chef at Sage.
April 28, 2021 at 12:00PM
https://ift.tt/3tUWzNQ
SHERIFF ELKHYATI: The joy of making fresh pasta - SCNow
https://ift.tt/31oM9uv
Pasta
No comments:
Post a Comment