Seaweed adds great flavour and an essence the Japanese call umami—which translates to “savoury.” Umami is considered one of the great building blocks of flavour. A food processor makes short work of the job of making this pasta. It is also good for making ravioli and lasagna. For a simple meal, boil the pasta and toss it with a little butter, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese.
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp (15 mL) seaweed powder (here)
½ tsp (2 mL) salt
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp (30 mL) water
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, seaweed powder, and salt. Add the egg and pulse again to mix. Add the water 1 tablespoon (15 mL) at a time until the dough comes together in a ball. Remove from the food processor, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Cut the dough into 2 pieces and run each piece through a pasta machine to make a long, thin sheet. Lay each sheet on a flat work surface.
Cut the sheets into 1-foot (30 cm) segments. These can be cooked and used as pasta sheets for lasagna or ravioli. You can also cut the sheets with a knife (or pizza cutter) or use the pasta cutter attachment of the pasta machine to make pappardelle, linguini, or spaghetti.
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for 3–4 minutes, then drain and serve with butter, olive oil, or chanterelle tomato sauce (here).
Variation:
1 Tbsp (15 mL) mushroom powder (here) in place of the seaweed powder
SERVES 4