Hanging pasta on cupboard door to dry

Hanging pasta on cupboard door to dry

Yesterday I got out the pasta machine to make flat bread. It hadn’t been out of the cupboard in several years and I had forgotten how easy it was to use and how well it kneaded dough. Today I heard Italian food being discussed on the radio and the recipe for pasta was given. Last time I made my own pasta I ended up with strands all over the kitchen all stuck together, and I didn’t think it tasted all that good. This time I made a small quantity and served it as a side with garlic, olive oil and a small amount of cheese. It was absolutely beautiful.

Ingredients

This serves about 6, can be halved for 2/3 serves

  • 300g plain flour (00 flour if available)
  • 5g salt
  • 180g eggs – probably 3 eggs and 2 yolks
  • Semolina or polenta for tossing the strands in. After being dusted with semolina the dough can be swirled into nests. Much easier than hanging off a stand or cupboard doors. The semolina comes off as the pasta is cooked.

Method

  1. Weigh the ingredients into a bowl and stir together.
  2. Pour the mix into the food processor (a dough blade on the mixer works but this dough is pretty dry and tends to go around in a clump) and process for a minute or so until all the ingredients are somewhat together.
  3. Remove the dough onto a floured surface and bring it together, pressing and folding to form a disk.
  4. Rotating and pressing the disk, knead for about 10 minutes.
  5. Wrap the dough disk in plastic wrap and leave for and hour to rest.
  6. After resting, open the disk of dough up, knead briefly, divide into 2 disks and cut each one into quarters. Flour them well. Cover with plastic wrap while preparing for forming and rolling.
  7. Set up the pasta machine or the Kitchen Aid attachment and open the wheel to the widest setting.
  8. Take one of the dough segments and flatten it out on a floured surface with a rolling pin. Run the piece of dough through the machine, folding and rotating and repeating and working down to narrower settings.
  9. Add flour to both sides of the pieces as necessary.
  10. Attach the slicing wheel and run the pieces through, catching the strips and either hang them over cupboard doors to dry or have some polenta or semolina and flour on the bench and swirl the pasta strips through it to coat. They can be wound up into lose nests and left in piles on the bench.

Cooking

  1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, adding 1 tbsp salt per litre. Add the pasta and cook for approximately 3 minutes. Drain into a seive and reserve the cooking water to use to moisten the pasta.
  2. This is so tasty – it is best eaten tossed with garlic, olive oil and a small amount of parmesan cheese.
  3. Another alternative is to get a glass dish and squish a layer of butter, parmesan and olive oil on the bottom, some dried sage, salt and pepper mixed with the butter add to the flavour. Scoop the hot pasta into the bowl and stir to coat evenly.

Boscaiolo

  1. For a boscaiolo cook the chopped bacon, drain off some of the oil and add some chopped mushrooms, continue cooking until wilted. Set aside until the pasta is ready.
  2. Whisk up a couple of egg yolks .
  3. Make up the pasta as above, stirring the hot pasta into the butter /oil mix, then add the egg yoks and stir, then fold through the bacon and mushrooms and serve with parsley, black peppper and extra parmesan.