Two basic doughs — one just flour and water enriched with olive oil, the other with egg yolks — form the backbone of a family of dishes shared by cultures around the world. I count cut pasta, ravioli, and gnocchi and pastalike dumplings like spaetzle in this category.
This section focuses on Italian-style pastas, and the recipes range from rich and eggy to vegan to bright and herby; they’re all classic. All-purpose flour is the most convenient and conventional flour to use, though semolina also makes a lovely pasta. But as long as you make some adjustments, you can use any flour for pasta, whether your reason is to change flavor, add nutrients, or avoid gluten; see the table on page 344.
The most traditional way to make fresh pasta is by hand, but it’s far easier to start the dough in a food processor, then roll it thin with a pasta-rolling machine.
For literally handmade pasta, pile your flour on a smooth, clean work surface (for fresh egg pasta) or in a large bowl (for eggless pasta) and create a well in the middle of the flour. Put your eggs or liquids into the well, then use a fork or wooden spoon to incorporate the flour. Once a dough begins to form, use your hands to fully incorporate the rest of the flour. It’ll be messy at first but should start to come together within a couple of minutes. It’s at this point, when the dough is still shaggy, that you want to add more liquid (water or olive oil) or flour in small amounts. You’ll know which to add by the look and feel of the dough: If it’s mushy and sticking to your hands, you need more flour; if it’s not coming together and separated into dried-out-looking pieces, you need more liquid.
From this point it’s a matter of kneading for a few minutes. Form the dough into a ball and sprinkle it and your work surface with some flour. Use the heel of your hand to push into the middle of the dough; fold the dough over, rotate it 90 degrees, and push into it again. Continue kneading until the dough is completely smooth with some elasticity to it. If you pull off a piece, it should stretch a bit before breaking; if it breaks off immediately, keep kneading. If the dough is sticking to your hands or the work surface, sprinkle it with flour, just enough to keep it from sticking.
Using a food processor is not for purists, but I like it, and the end result is nearly the same as handmade. Put the flour and salt in the processor’s bowl and pulse it a couple of times; add the egg and a bit of the liquid you’re using and turn the machine on. Gradually add the rest of the liquid(s) until the dough forms a ball. Remove the dough and knead it by hand (see below) or sprinkle it with a good amount of flour and use the pasta-rolling machine to knead it. To use the pasta roller, set the rollers at the thickest setting and work the dough through several times, folding it over after each roll. Slowly work your way down to about the middle thickness setting, then let the dough rest.
|
|
|
Step 1 To make pasta by hand, first make a well in the mound of flour and break the eggs into it, then mix to incorporate the flour. |
Step 2 To knead the dough, use the heel of your hand to push into the middle of the dough, fold the dough over, rotate it 90 degrees, and push into it again. |
You can roll pasta without a machine: Just use a rolling pin, roll from the center out, and keep flouring and turning the dough. But if fresh pasta is something you make or intend to make regularly, a good hand-cranked pasta machine is essential. It will cut down your rolling time by at least half. Most come with a cutter attachment, which will also save you time and give you beautifully cut pasta. These machines are simple to use, easy to maintain, and worth the investment, which is only about $40. (You can also buy an attachment for your stand mixer for considerably more money.)
Secure the machine on a sturdy counter or tabletop, making sure the crank handle has clearance and that there is surface area on both sides of the machine. Sprinkle the machine and surrounding surfaces with flour and set the rollers at the thickest setting (most machines use sequential numbers to indicate settings, but some use letters or just tick marks). Dust a portion of dough with flour and pass it through the machine. Add more flour if the dough sticks.
Decrease the separation of the rollers by one notch and pass the dough through; continue decreasing the thickness one notch at a time and rolling the dough. It’s important to roll pasta gradually this way, otherwise the dough will tear. If the dough tears or sticks, ball up the dough and start over. When you get to the thinnest setting, cut the sheet of pasta in half so it’s a more manageable length. Roll the sheet through twice more; it’s now ready for cutting, stuffing, or freezing.
To clean your pasta-rolling machine, use a clean, dry pastry or paint brush to brush off the flour. Use a dinner knife to scrape off any bits of dough stuck to the rollers and wipe off the exterior with a damp cloth or paper towel. Do not use water; it will gum up any flour in the machine and the gears may rust.
|
|
|
Step 1 Begin by putting a piece of dough through the thickest setting. Repeat. |
Step 2 Decrease the distance between the two rollers, making the strip of dough progressively thinner. Note that as the dough becomes longer, it will become more fragile. Dust with flour between rollings if necessary. |
The fun comes when you cut the pasta into shapes, which can be just about anything. Use the machine’s cutting attachment, a knife, or pasta or pizza cutter for the long, flat fettuccine or tagliatelle (basically the same thing; one is just bigger than the other).
To hand-cut fettuccine, pappardelle, lasagne, or similar ribbonlike pasta, dust the sheet of pasta with flour or cornmeal, loosely roll it lengthwise, and cut the roll crosswise as thick or thin as you like. Toss the cut pasta to separate the strands so they don’t stick together, adding in a bit more flour or fine cornmeal if necessary. You can leave the noodles in a tangle if you’ll be cooking them shortly or hang individually (on a pasta drying rack if you have one but you can also use the backs of chairs or hangers) to dry if not using right away. Homemade fresh pasta is best used the day it is made.
|
|
|
Step 1 To make any broad noodle, sprinkle the pasta sheet with cornmeal or flour, roll it up, and cut across the roll at the desired width. |
Step 2 Unroll the noodles, and sprinkle with more flour or cornmeal. |