Garlic Scape Carbonara

We're fans of pasta alla carbonara.  Whole wheat  pasta combined with lots of garlic and pepper,  local eggs from healthy chickens, and just enough uncured center-cut bacon make the seemingly indulgent classic a relatively healthy meal as well. (You can even add fresh greens, if you'd like.)

This late spring/early summer version features spicy, tender garlic scapes (the stalks of the garlic plant cut off in spring so the plant can focus all its energy on the garlic bulb) instead of mature garlic cloves.  (Garlic scapes also make a lovely pesto!)

Garlic Scape Carbonara 
printable recipe

Serves 4

12 garlic scapes, cut into 1/2-inch lengths
2 ounces bacon, chopped fine
1.5 oz parmesan, freshly grated
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8oz whole wheat spaghetti
salt

Set a medium pot of water to boil.

Beat eggs lightly and stir in parmesan and pepper, reserving some cheese for topping the finished dish.  Set aside egg mixture.

Heat a 12-inch skillet and cook bacon over medium heat for about 2 minutes, just until the fat begins to render.  Add the garlic scapes.  (Center-cut bacon has less fat, so I added about a teaspoon of grapeseed oil to keep the pan from being too dry.)

Continue cooking garlic scapes and bacon about 10-12 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until the garlic scapes begin to shrivel and brown.  If at any point the pan becomes to dry and food begins to stick, add a splash of water to deglaze.


Meanwhile, generously salt the boiling water and cook pasta until al dente. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and drain the pasta.  Immediately add cooked pasta to the pan with the garlic scapes and bacon.  Toss over medium heat with a splash of cooking water.  Reduce heat to the lowest setting and add egg/cheese mixture, tossing over low heat, just long enough for the sauce to thicken and adhere to pasta.  If you notice the eggs beginning to cook, immediately remove pan from heat an continue tossing.


Serve immediately topped with remaining parmesan cheese.

Classic Basil Pesto and Pasta alla Genovese

It’s great to be back in the kitchen!  After spending the last few months buying a house, moving, attending night/weekend work events, and rehearsing and performing a show, we had one of our first free evenings at home.  It was wonderful. I put together a patio table, tended my tomatoes and herbs, and made dinner! I even had the time to make notes as I cooked and hauled out the camera to take pictures of said dinner.  It was CSA delivery day, so many of these ingredients made it onto the table the same day they left the farm.

Basil pesto is very dear to my heart (and palate for that matter).  It was one of the first recipes I mastered and one of my first forays outside the world of spaghetti and tomato sauce.

My "greener" pasta alla genovese is so called because this particular recipe has a much larger ratio of green beans and potatoes to pasta than the original.  For a more traditional version, halve the amount of potatoes and green beans and double the pasta (1 pound of each ingredient).

Classic Basil Pesto

printable recipe
Yields about 1 ¼ cups.

2 oz fresh basil leaves, washed
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 small-medium cloves of garlic
1/3 cup (1¾ oz) pine nuts
1 oz parmigiano reggiano, freshly grated (about 1 cup, if using a fine Microplane)
salt to taste (if needed)

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a food processor. Process about 5 seconds.  Scrape down sides and repeat.  Add cheese and process until ingredients are combined and reaches desired consistency.  Taste for salt and add olive oil if pesto is too dry.

Use immediately or store as follows:
refrigerator: in an air tight container with a layer of olive oil over the top (up to 2 weeks)
freezer: freeze in an ice cube tray; transfer to a freezer-safe sealed container (up to 3 months)

"Greener" Pasta alla Genovese

printable recipe
Serves 6 as a main course.

For a more traditional version, use 1 pound each of potatoes, beans, and pasta.

2 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into ½-inch pieces
2 pounds fresh green beans, washed, ends snipped and cut in half
8oz farfalle pasta (or other short shape)
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 cup basil pesto
freshly grated parmesan, to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt.  Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. With a mesh or slotted spoon, remove the potatoes to a large bowl.

Return the water to a boil.  In a second large bowl, prepare an ice bath for the beans. Add the beans and cook for 3-5 minutes, until crisp-tender.  Remove beans with a mesh or slotted spoon and immediately submerge in ice bath to halt cooking. After a few minutes in the ice bath, drain the beans and add them to the potatoes.

Add more water if needed to cook the pasta. Return water to a boil, and add the remaining tablespoon salt.  Cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water and drain pasta.

In a large bowl, combine the pesto and a splash of cooking water.  Stir, adding more water as needed to great a smooth sauce. Add warm pasta, potatoes and beans. Toss to combine. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Kale Love

The first time I tried kale, I was pretty sure it wasn't for me. I had seen a post claiming that baked kale chips were perfect for people who don't like kale.  Since I didn’t know whether or not I liked kale, I thought the recipe would be a good introduction and a good use of the kale we had gotten in one of our weekly produce boxes.  We were more than a little disappointed.  Maybe I overcooked them (it's tough to tell when a dark green leaf starts to turn brown), but the chips tasted like burnt popcorn.

It was a couple months before we tried kale again, but when we did, we went for the other extreme: raw kale salad.  I was pleasantly surprised by how much I (and the rest of my family) like it, and I started making a point of looking for kale whenever I was at the farmers market. 

Two years later, kale has become a staple around our house. It's one of my favorite greens and one we've practically survived on this winter (our first back in Arkansas without the luxury of the year-round Dupont Circle Farmers Market).  Even when local produce was scarce at our co-op and the pickings slim at the small winter market, there was always kale.  (And now that it's spring, we’re still seeing plenty of it.)

I've made this dish at least once a week over the winter. It's quick, and the ingredients are fairly easy to keep on hand.  If I don't know what to make for dinner or don't feel like spending the evening in the kitchen, I make this.  We’re still surprised at how good it is every time we sit down to a bowl of pasta with kale and carrots.

It's also a forgiving recipe. Have another vegetable on hand? Add it to the pan! Love lots of garlic in everything? Throw that in too! Veggies starting to stick to the pan but the pasta's not done? Deglaze with some white wine and keep them going until you’re ready to add the kale.

Pasta with Kale and Carrots
printable recipe

Serves 4.

8 oz. dried short pasta (whole wheat or regular; we love farfalle)
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (or other sautéing oil)

2 medium carrots
½ red onion (optional)
2 small or 1 large bunch kale (we've been using a locally grown black kale)

2 ounces freshly grated parmesan

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper


Bring a 4-quart pot of water to boil.

Wash kale, remove tough ends of stems, and roughly chop.

When water is boiling, salt generously and add pasta.
Heat about a tablespoon of oil over medium heat in a 12-inch skillet.  Peel carrots and slice about ⅛ inch thick.  Chop onion if using.  Add onions and carrots and cook until softened and just beginning to brown, stirring occasionally.  Add kale when the pasta is almost done and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
When pasta is al dente, reserve ½ cup cooking liquid and drain pasta.

Add pasta, half the cheese, and about half of the reserved pasta cooking liquid to the pan of vegetables.  Toss over medium heat about 2 minutes.  If it looks dry, add a bit more cooking water or extra virgin olive oil.

Serve immediately topped with remaining parmesan cheese.

Variation: This dish is also great with roasted tomatoes—not enough to make a sauce, but just enough to color the dish and add some extra brightness and flavor. Add them to the pan a couple minutes before adding the kale.  (Of course, I recommend using tomatoes preserved from last summer, but I’m sure a jarred store-bought variety would also be good.)

Greens alla Carbonara (a compromise)

It’s an almost nightly discussion—what to have for dinner. My meat-loving husband wants something…well, meaty and hearty, and I want something leafy and green.  Since I do most of the cooking and we don’t buy a lot of meat, I usually win on the dinner front. However, I almost never object to a bit of bacon or sausage for some extra flavor (and we almost always have a bit tucked away in the freezer). 

The following dish was born out of my desire for something a little healthier and Brian’s love for traditional spaghetti alla carbonara. 

For this version, I went heavy on the eggs and light on the bacon, with a big helping of sautéed greens.  Brian agreed that it wasn’t any less satisfying than the Roman classic. 

Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Leafy Greens 
printable recipe
Serves 2.

4 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
2 eggs
1 ounce freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
1 large bunch tendergreen mustard* or other cooking green
2 teaspoons olive or grapeseed oil
1 ounce bacon, finely chopped
5 small garlic cloves, whole with skins removed
freshly ground black pepper
salt

Set a large pot of water to boil.  Beat the eggs in a bowl.  Set aside.

To prepare the greens, remove the tough ends of the stalks (if any) and roughly chop the greens.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high in a 12-inch skillet.  When the oil is hot, quickly sauté the greens with a couple pinches of salt.  (This should be fairly quick, almost like stir-fry.)  When the greens are wilted, remove from pan and set aside.  Lower heat to medium.

Add the bacon.  When the fat begins to render, add the garlic cloves.  Sauté, stirring occasionally until bacon is cooked and garlic is browned.  Remove from heat. Remove garlic and press through a garlic press or chop.  Add back to pan.

In well-salted, boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente. Before draining, scoop out about ½ cup cooking water.  Drain pasta.

Return the pan to medium heat.  Add pasta to and about ¼ cup cooking liquid to bacon.  Toss over heat for 1-2 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Add half of parmesan and beaten eggs and quickly toss to coat pasta.  If needed for desired consistency, add a bit more cooking water.  Add lots of ground black pepper, most of the remaining parmesan, and the greens.  Toss to combine. 

Serve immediately topped with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

*I came across this locally grown green at our co-op, where it was simply labeled “tender greens.” A staff member assured me that it was a good cooking variety. Some searching revealed that this green is in the mustard family and is often called “tendergreen mustard greens” or “tendergreen mustard spinach.” The bunch I bought was quite long and slender and fairly pale green in color.  For a green related to mustard, it was surprisingly (and pleasantly) not spicy. 

Fresh Lima Beans

Lima beans are not sexy.  No one gets excited about lima beans, right?  What child – or adult for that matter – doesn’t feel a little put-off by the thought of a can of lima beans? 
But have you ever had fresh lima beans?  Like right-off-the-farm fresh?  If you had, you might just think lima beans were pretty fantastic. 

I’d been wanting to try them fresh since I came across them at the market last summer.  I was determined not to miss them this time, so I snagged the first pint I saw. 

Here are a couple of simple, quick, healthy recipes that exemplify the philosophy that food doesn’t have to be complicated to be amazing. A few fresh, quality ingredients and a few minutes in the kitchen are all you need.  This small batch lasted the two of us through 2 ½ meals, but it can also be doubled or tripled for a larger group.  You can jump to the recipes by clicking the links below.

Cooking Fresh Lima Beans
Rustic Lima Beans with Sausage and Bread
Lima Beans and Pasta

Note: Raw lima beans must be cooked before they are eaten.

Cooking Fresh Lima Beans

Yield about 2 ½ cups.

10 ounces (about 2 cups) fresh lima beans (or more)
2 cups of water (per 10 ounces of beans)
¼ teaspoon salt (per 10 ounces of beans)

Rinse beans.  Combine beans and water in a pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-high and continue boiling for 15 minutes.  Drain and rinse beans.

Add salt and ½ cup water and boil an additional 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow beans to cool in water (which allows them to absorb the salt).

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Rustic Lima Beans with Sausage and Bread

The white wine adds a nice brightness and elevates to another level this otherwise very basic dish.

Serves 2 as a main course.

1 ½ cups cooked lima beans
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ medium yellow onion, chopped
2 teaspoons butter
4 ounces fresh sausage (I used North Mountain Pasture’s Lincolnshire sausage, seasoned with sage, mace, and ginger. Yum.)
½ cup dry white wine
1 clove garlic, cut in half

8 slices baguette or other rustic bread
extra virgin olive oil, for brushing

Rub bread slices with one half of garlic clove and brush lightly with extra virgin olive oil.  Arrange (oiled side up) on broiler-safe baking dish and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until translucent, about 4-5 minutes.

Add sausage and cook, stirring and breaking into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until very little pink remains.  Add butter, beans, ½ clove garlic and white wine.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until wine is cooked off.

Meanwhile, turn broiler on high and toast bread until lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes. (Watch the bread closely, as it can go from “almost there” to burnt in no time.)

Serve beans and sausage warm alongside toasted bread.

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Lima Beans and Pasta

I particularly love this dish because it’s like a non-soup version of  pasta e fagioli, evoking similar flavors and nostalgia.

Serves 3.

1 cup cooked lima beans
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ medium yellow onion
1 ounce bacon, chopped fine
6 ounces fresh tagliatelle or dried fettuccine
½ cup passata (strained tomatoes)*
salt
pepper
1 ounce parmesan, freshly grated

Fill a medium saucepan about ¾ full of water and set to boil.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally for 2 to 3 minutes.  Add bacon and cook until onions are translucent (about 8 minutes). 

Stir in passata and season with pepper.  If your tomato puree did not already have salt added, season with salt to taste.

When water is boiling, cook pasta a minute or two short of al dente.  Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking liquid and drain pasta.  Add pasta and cooking liquid to bean/sauce mixture and cook down for 1-2 minutes.  (The starches in the pasta water and the cooking help the sauce stick to the pasta. 

Serve topped with freshly grated parmesan.

*Passata (or strained tomatoes) is a staple in Italian kitchens.  It’s made from raw tomatoes “passed” through a sieve (hence its name) and packaged without any additives.  Strained tomatoes are becoming more and more common in American grocery stores.  Boinaturae and Pomi are both great brands.  You can also make your own from fresh tomatoes!  If you can’t get strained tomatoes, substitute tomato puree or plain tomato sauce. 

Cannelloni with Chard

The original title of this post was “manicotti with chard.” I never really knew the difference between manicotti and cannelloni but assumed they were simply two regional or dialectical names for the same thing.  I chose “manicotti” for this dish because I’ve always liked the way it feels to say it.  The combination of the open ‘o’ [ɔ] and the double ‘t’ [t.t] in the “-otto” suffix (plural -otti) is onomatopoetically tied to the meaning of the suffix – a meaning appropriate for this dish.  

If I may go off on a brief linguistic tangent, one of the many things I love about the Italian language is its use of diminutive and augmentative endings.  There are two primary augmentative endings in Italian: -one and -otto.  While -one purely means “big,” -otto connotes something slightly different: a rounder, sometimes chubby sort of largeness – just like it sounds!  The point is that I called this dish “manicotti” simply because I liked to the think of the stuffed tubes of pasta as chubby little “sleeves” (maniche=sleeves). 

In doing some research for this post, I was surprised to discover that there is absolutely no mention of manicotti in any of my Italian cookbooks.  This includes a number of books dedicated solely to pasta (and even detailing dialectical variations of pasta names).  My go-to Italian dictionary (Garzanti Linguistica) defines a manicotto as (1) a sleeve usually made of fur and open on both ends (i.e. a handwarmer) or (2) a cylindrical joint used to connect two tubes or to transmit rotary motion between two coaxial shafts.  There is no official culinary meaning of manicotti in Italian, and the accepted definitions don’t sound like something I’d want on my dinner plate.

On the other hand, Garzanti Linguistica defines a cannellone as a fat tube of stuffed pasta, dressed with sauce and baked. Cannellone is made up of the root word canna (meaning cane, reed, or tube) with both a diminutive (-ello) and an augmentative (-one) ending.  A bit simpler. And more appetizing.

You may argue that you have, in fact, eaten manicotti at an Italian American restaurant and that it wasn’t, in fact, a mechanical part or a winter accessory.  It has been Brian’s experience that Italian-American restaurants use the term cannelloni for meat-stuffed pasta tubes and manicotti for those stuffed with vegetables and cheese.  Others argue that the distinction is based upon whether or not the pasta is ridged or whether it comes as flat sheets or pre-made tubes.  Some say that one is savory and the other sweet or that manicotti are traditionally made with crepes rather than pasta (this may be specifically Southern Italian or Argentinian-Italian).  In order to avoid confusion, I’ll stick with reputable sources and go with the term cannelloni.

Now, on with the recipe…

I’ve been pleased to find chard (aka Swiss chard, rainbow chard, etc.) almost year round at the farmers market, so we’ve eaten a lot of it throughout the winter months and into spring and early summer.  I was recently looking for a new way to use chard and found myself with tub of local ricotta and all the ingredients for a baked pasta dish: a jar of my passata, a few eggs, some flour, and cheese…and ecco: cannelloni with chard! It’s a subtle but important variation on the often all-too-familiar baked pasta with spinach.

 

Cannelloni with Chard Cannelloni con Bietola

Yield 8 cannelloni. Serves 4.

pasta
6 ounces fresh pasta dough (~½ batch of homemade pasta all'uovo),
                                                                                cut into 8-10 6"x8" sheets
sauce
12 ounces passata (or tomato puree)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped (about 6 large leaves)
¼ teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

filling
5-6 ounces chard
olive oil
1½ cup (about 14 ounces) ricotta
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 ounces whole milk mozzarella, freshly grated
2 ounces parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped (about 6 large leaves)
⅛ teaspoon salt
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

topping
½ ounce finely grated parmesan

Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Preheat oven to 375°F.

Wash chard and allow to drain (but do not dry completely).  Roughly chop chard.  In a large skillet, heat a small drizzle of oil over medium heat.  Add chard and cook, stirring frequently until wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, stir together sauce ingredients and set aside.

In another medium bowl, stir together filling ingredients (including cooled chard) and set aside.

Salt the now-boiling water and cook fresh pasta sheets for 3 minutes, or until al dente.  (If using dried pasta, cook until al dente, according to package instructions.)  Drain and gently toss with a small amount of oil (to prevent sticking). 

In two 2-quart casserole dishes or one 9"x13" baking dish, spread about ¼ cup of sauce.

Working with one sheet at a time, lay pasta out on a flat surface (taking care not to tear it).  Spread with ¼ cup filling and, starting with a short end, roll the pasta into a tube and place in baking dish.

Repeat with remaining pasta and filling.  Top cannelloni with remaining sauce and bake for 30 minutes.  Top with remaining parmesan and bake another 5 minutes.

Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Garlic Scape Pesto

One of the many wonderful things about shopping at the farmers market is that it inspires me to try new things.  I’m generally a rather adventurous eater, but the grocery store is so overrun with familiar products that I hardly notice the unfamiliar ones.  Faced with the comparatively small number of in-season selections at the farmers market, the unusual and unfamiliar catch my eye.  Chances are there’s someone at the stand who can advise me on how to use whatever I pick up, and if I forget to ask, there’s a wealth of information online. 

Among my culinary firsts this spring are garlic scapes.  A garlic scape is the stalk part that grows up from the garlic bulb, which is developing underground.  Apparently the stalk is cropped off in the spring so that all of the plant’s efforts can be concentrated into growing the garlic bulb itself.  It’s baffling to me that I’ve never seen garlic scapes in the supermarket.  I mean, a garlic plant is a 2-for-1 deal, so why isn’t anyone taking advantage of it?  My confusion was only compounded when I actually tasted the scapes. 

Garlic scapes are milder than mature garlic.  Every bite is infused with that wonderful garlicky flavor, but it won’t jump out and bite you if you get too close.  Chopped and pan-fried garlic scapes have the appearance and texture of cut green beans or cooked asparagus. 

But the best way to enjoy these curly green curiosities?  Pesto! 

Garlic scapes with a touch of basil and lemon.  It’s like a warm afternoon sun tempered by a cool spring breeze.  Try it.  You’ll see what I mean…

Garlic Scape Pesto



Serves 4

8 ounces pasta, fresh or dried
5 garlic scapes (about 3½ ounces/100g), plus 3-4 garlic scapes for garnish*
¼ cup almonds (1¼ ounces/35g)
small handful basil (½ ounce/14g)
½ cup freshly grated parmesan (1 ounce/28g)
½ teaspoon lemon zest
scant ½ cup olive oil
pinch of salt

*Note: Sautéed garlic scapes add additional texture to the final dish, but the pesto can be made without them.

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat.  Toast almonds, tossing frequently, until lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Remove and discard bulb and top of garlic scapes.  Chop five scapes into 1-inch pieces. In a food processor combine chopped garlic scapes, toasted almonds, basil, 6 tablespoons parmesan, lemon zest and olive oil.  Process, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed.  Stop before pesto becomes a smooth puree; it should still have a bit of texture.

For the garnish, heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Cut remaining garlic scapes into 1-inch pieces.  Add to skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until tender and well browned. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil.  Salt well and cook pasta until al dente.  Before draining, reserve ½ cup of cooking liquid. 

Add pesto to the now-empty pot and stir in half of the reserved cooking liquid, adding more as needed until pesto resembles a thick sauce.  Toss pasta with pesto over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.

Serve topped with sautéed garlic scapes and parmesan cheese.

back to basics: homemade pasta all'uovo

Some of my earliest and most cherished memories of my grandmothers revolve around their homemade pasta.  It’s no wonder, then, that I love making my own. The smell of flour mixing with fresh eggs, the feel of the soft, smooth dough, the thin, silky ribbons that fall from the plates of the pasta machine.  And the taste.  There is absolutely no comparison between fresh egg pasta and dried pasta from the supermarket.  Brian says (and I would agree) that one of the best things about homemade pasta is its mysterious ability to melt in your mouth while remaining perfectly al dente. 

There are lots of things that can be done with a basic pasta recipe.  From spaghetti to fettuccine, lasagne to cannelloni, farfalle to orecchiette.  You can play with adding spices and herbs to the dough.  I love the combination of black pepper fettuccine with scallops in a white wine sauce.  Saffron pasta is a Milanese classic and squid ink pasta a Venetian tradition.  I’ve even seen pasta made with cocoa.

Although the main ingredients are always the same (flour and eggs), the proportions can vary significantly.  I’ve seen recipes that call for as many as nine egg yolks or as few as one egg per cup of flour.  Much depends on the type of flour and the desired consistency of the pasta. After years of experimenting, I’ve found the proportions that I like best.  Give it a try and feel free to adjust as you see fit.

This explanation is fairly long.  Use the links below to jump to different points within the recipe:

Making the Dough
Using a Pasta Machine
Rolling and Cutting by Hand
Drying
Cooking
Storing

Pasta all'uovo, fatta in casa (Homemade Egg Pasta)


Yield 1 pound pasta (dried).  Serves 8.

Ingredients
3 (375g) cups all-purpose flour (or “tipo 00” if you can find it), plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
4 large to extra-large eggs (The fresher the better; if you can get free range eggs from a local farmer, do!)

Making the Dough
Measure the flour onto a clean countertop.  Using your fingers or a fork, mix in the salt.  Form the flour into a mound and make a well in the center.

Crack one or two eggs into the well.

Use a fork to gently beat and incorporate, drawing flour from the insides of the well, taking care not to break through the wall completely.  (Don’t worry if you don’t get this right the first time.  I spent plenty of time chasing egg across countertops before I got it right.)

When the egg resembles a thick paste, add the next one and repeat, incorporating it with the egg and flour from the sides of the well until the mixture resembles a thick paste once again.  Repeat with the remaining eggs.

When the final egg has been mostly incorporated, use your hands to gather the dough and any remaining flour into a ball.  Knead.  If the dough is too dry, add water, a few drops at a time until you’ve incorporated all the dry flour.

Continue to knead for 4-6 minutes, until dough is smooth and homogeneous. (It won’t be very elastic at this point.)  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.

After resting, the dough will be supple and elastic.  Cut the dough into fourths. Set aside one fourth of the dough and rewrap the remaining 3 pieces.

Using a Hand-crank Pasta Machine
Secure the pasta machine to your countertop and set the roller plates to the widest setting.  Flatten the dough as much as possible, using your hand.  It should be no more than ½-inch thick.  Dust both sides with flour.

With one hand, feed the dough through the roller plates of the pasta machine, turning the crank with the other hand.

Fold the dough into thirds (like a letter) …

…and feed through the pasta machine(with folds perpendicular to the rollers).

Repeat the process of folding and turning 2 to 3 more times, until the dough is smooth and about the width of the rollers.

Decrease the thickness setting one notch.  Roll the pasta through again. 

Repeat this process (no folding), decreasing the thickness setting one step at a time, until you reach the desired thinness. (For most shapes, the thinnest setting works best.  However, I’ve found that for spaghetti, the next thicker setting is best.)

If the dough gets tacky at any point, dust it with flour.

As the pasta gets longer and thinner, it becomes more and more of a juggling act to feed the dough, turn the crank, and catch the dough as it comes out.  However, with a bit of practice, you’ll find what works best.

Before rolling to the final setting, dust both sides with flour.  I usually cut the dough into shorter lengths (2 or 3 pieces) to make it easier to handle.   It will approximately double in length, so keep that in mind when deciding how to cut it.

The final dough sheet(s) should be smooth, elastic and almost translucent. Dust the dough lightly with flour and cover with plastic wrap, wax paper, or a damp, lint-free towel while you proceed with the remaining three pieces of dough.

If making lasagna, manicotti, or cannelloni, cut dough sheets into 9-12 inch lengths, depending on  your preference (and pan size).  Proceed with drying. 

Cutting a Basic Shape: Fettuccine
Prepare a place to dry the finished pasta.

Once you’ve rolled out all the dough, attach the fettuccine-cutting plate to the machine. 

Uncover one sheet of dough, trim to desired length (10 inches is standard but we like ours a bit longer), dust both sides with flour, and carefully feed it through the machine. (Don’t throw away the scraps.)

Hang to dry (or toss with flour).  Proceed with remaining dough.

 

Using a Rolling Pin

Although a pasta machine makes the process easier and the results more consistent (and is a great investment if you plan to make pasta fairly regularly), having one is by no means a requirement.  A rolling pin and a sharp knife work just fine.

Dust ¼ of dough with flour and roll away from you with rolling pin, extending and flattening the dough.  Rotate the dough 90 degrees every few strokes.

If the dough shrinks back, cover with plastic and allow to rest for 5 minutes.  (Resting allows the gluten to relax.)  Resume rolling.  Repeat resting period, if necessary.

The final hand-rolled dough will not be quite as thin as can be achieved using a pasta machine.  (Mine were about 1/16- and 1/32-inch, respectively.)

However, the dough should still be elastic and fairly translucent.

Cutting Fettuccine by Hand

Dust dough with flour and roll as tightly as possible into a cylinder.

Using a very sharp paring knife, cut dough into approximately ¼-inch pieces.

Unroll, toss with flour, and set aside to dry. 

 

Drying the Pasta

You can buy a rack specifically for drying pasta, but there are also a number of ways to improvise a drying rack. 

My grandmother used a clean broom handle suspended between two chairs. 

I use plastic clothes hangers suspended from a pot rack or kitchen cabinets.  (If not cooking immediately, after about and hour, remove the pasta carefully from the clothes hangers and lay out on a cooling rack to finish drying.  If left on the hanger longer, they become too brittle and break in half when removed from the hanger.)

You can also simply toss the pasta with flour and spread it out over a floured surface.  (A lint-free towel over a cooling rack works well.)

 

Cooking the Pasta

Allow pasta to dry slightly before cooking (to prevent sticking).

Cook fettuccine for 3 minutes in well-salted boiling water.  Hand-cut pasta should be cooked 1-2 minutes longer. 

Hand-cut pasta on left.  Machine-cut pasta on right.

 

Storing the Pasta

Pasta must be completely dry before storing.(Depending on thickness and drying method, I usually let mine dry 8-48 hours.)

Store at room temperature in an airtight container. The dried pasta will break easily, so it’s best to store it in something rigid (i.e. an airtight food storage box or a zipper bag inside a shoebox).  The pasta will keep this way for a few months.

The Scraps

There will inevitably be trimmings and other bits of dough aren’t long enough to serve as fettuccine.  These scraps are great for soups!  Dry and store as above.