parmesan

Fresh Egg Pasta by Amy Cantu

Print Friendly and PDF

I never fully understood why anyone liked pasta with butter and parmesan. It always just sounded bland and boring to me. I filed it under "picky kid food". This luscious and ethereal fresh egg pasta changed my entire understanding of what pasta with butter and parmesan could actually mean. These wide ribbons were at once delightfully delicate and richly filling. A quick toss with a pat of butter and shower of grated parmesan infused the springy strands with a bit of luxury and saltiness without masking its simple glory. Cynthia and I went mad for it - dancing around the kitchen, swooning, moaning, eyes-rolling-into-the-back-of-our-heads, madness. This fresh pasta meets and exceeds any and all expectations you might have for homemade noodles.  If eating a bowl of nothing but plain pasta is too one note for you, (I promise that I struggled to consider eating anything else with it,) Cynthia's spring vegetables are a bright and punchy (if not guilt-appeasing) match to the simple indulgence of homemade pasta.

Notes: Homemade pasta is not terribly difficult to make, even for a novice. It can even be made with no special equipment, except perhaps a rolling pin. I had a pasta machine collecting dust in the closet (I almost forgot I even had it and only used it once 10 years ago), so I pulled it out to see if it still worked. It does, and it's been getting a lot of use ever since we tested this recipe. I pulled inspiration and direction from both Serious Eats, which has yet to fail me, and also a recipe from Melissa Clark in New York Times Cooking. I love the delicate richness of an extra egg yolk and detailed, fool-proof directions from Serious Eats; I also liked the addition of olive oil in Melissa Clark's version, which added flavor and made the dough easier to roll out. My first batch of pasta sported some ragged edges and uneven texture, but it still tasted better than any pasta I'd ever eaten. So, don't toss out any uglies - close your eyes and enjoy the perfect taste!

If the recipe makes more pasta than you need, the strands can be twisted together into a few loose nests and then frozen to cook later. The frozen pasta can be cooked without thawing, adding an extra minute or two to cook through.



Time: 1 hour
Serves: 4-6

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon extra version olive oil
2 eggs
4 egg yolks

Dump the flour onto a clean work surface, making a large well in the center. Sprinkle the salt and drizzle the olive oil over the flour. Carefully pour the eggs and egg yolks into the well. Use a fork to break up the egg yolks and beat well. With a bench scraper, fold flour into the egg, creating a shaggy dough ball. Scrape the dough from fingers then continue to knead the dough using the heels of your hands until the dough is very smooth and elastic. Add additional water 1 tablespoon at a time, if the dough feels too dry, or add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time, if the dough feels too wet. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let rest at least 30 minutes on the countertop or overnight in the fridge.

To use a pasta machine:

Cut dough into quarters. Place one quarter on a lightly floured work surface and re-cover the remaining dough. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into an oblong shape about 1/2-inch thick.

Set the pasta machine to the widest setting. Pass the dough through the pasta machine to make a sheet, then repeat 2 more times. 

Place dough on a lightly floured work surface. Fold both ends in so that they meet at the center of the dough, and then fold the dough in half where the end points meet, trying not to incorporate too much air into the folds. Using rolling pin, flatten dough to 1/2-inch thick. Pass through the rollers 3 additional times.

Reduce the setting, and repeat rolling and folding the dough, passing it through the machine 2 or 3 times before going to the next setting. For pappardelle and fettuccine, stop rolling when the dough is about 1 or 2 settings wider than the thinnest one on your roller. For lasagna noodles, and for ravioli and other stuffed or filled pasta, go to the thinnest setting. 

Narrow the setting by 1 notch and repeat the folding and rolling process. Repeat once more (the dough should now have passed through the third widest setting). Continue passing the dough through the rollers, reducing the thickness by 1 setting each time until it reaches the desired thickness. It should now be very delicate and elastic to the touch, and slightly translucent.

Place rolled dough onto a work surface or baking sheet lightly dusted with flour or lined with parchment paper, folding the dough over as necessary so that it fits; sprinkle with flour or line with parchment between folds to prevent sticking.

Cover dough with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel to prevent drying, then repeat rolling and folding process with remaining dough quarters. If making noodles, cut dough into 12- to 14-inch segments. Run the dough through the pasta machine again using the cutter attachment, or cut the dough into your desired width using a pizza cutter or chefs knife.

If rolling by hand:

Cut the rested dough into 2 pieces, keeping them covered with plastic wrap or a dish towel when not in use. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough until it is as thin as a penny for fettuccine and pappardelle, or even thinner for lasagna sheets. This will take some time and arm strength, but the process is easy and the results are rewarding! Cut the noodles to the desired width and length using a pizza cutter or chefs knife.

To cook the pasta:

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, add fresh pasta and boil for 1 to 3 minutes, depending on thickness of the pasta. Drain well. 

To enjoy this simple indulgence, toss noodles with butter, a light sprinkling of coarse salt, and a heavy shower of freshly grated parmesan cheese. Perfection!

Pizza Two Ways by Amy Cantu

Print Friendly and PDF

The idea to make pizzas came from an obsession with Broccoli Cooked Forever and my family's deep love for pizza and cheese. If you've never made pizza dough from scratch, I promise it's worth the effort. This dough is easy to stretch (much more so than the stuff you buy from the store), and the crust tastes better than a lot of pizza you'd get delivered! The Broccoli Cooked Forever makes a "sauce" for the pizza that's both creamy and even a little sweet, while the soft, melty fresh mozzarella is the perfect complement. The mushrooms lend the pizza some earthiness. The second pizza was born from another one of my (and Cynthia's) favorite pairings - fontina and roasted tomatoes. Roasted tomatoes topped with fontina cheese - so good! The Canadian bacon adds that salty, meaty bite. One could also make a case for using smoky bacon pieces instead. I certainly wouldn't argue! Bake this as a leisurely weekend meal, or make the dough and/or broccoli ahead of time to make this a quick weekday meal.



Time: 45 minutes
Yield: Two 14" pizzas (serves 6)

For Pizza #1:
Pizza dough (see recipe below)
Cornmeal (to prevent sticking)
1 cup Broccoli Cooked Forever
1/2 pound fresh Mozzarella, 1/4 - 1/3" slices
1/2 cup cremini or button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated
Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, finely chopped, for garnish (optional)

For Pizza #2
Pizza dough (see recipe below)
Cornmeal (to prevent sticking to pizza peel/stone) or Olive Oil (is using a pizza pan)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound fontina cheese, shredded
1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated
1/2 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
6 oz Canadian bacon
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, finely chopped, for garnish (optional)

If you have a pizza stone, place it on your oven's middle rack. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit or as high as it will go. Let heat for 30 minutes or more (1 hour would be better).

If using a pizza stone, sprinkle cornmeal liberally on a wooden pizza peel or the back of a baking sheet. If using a pizza pan or baking sheet, sprinkle the pan liberally with cornmeal. Stretch rested pizza dough into a 14" round. Not being an experienced pizza tosser (and lacking good hand-eye coordination), I flatten a ball of dough into a disc. Then stretch the dough out from the middle, using my knuckles and backs of my hands - as to not poke holes in the dough with my fingernails. As it begins to stretch further, I concentrate on evenly stretching the edges. When the dough is close to the correct size, I put it on the pizza peel (or pizza pan) and continue to stretch and shape the dough until it is roughly 14" and covers almost the entire pizza peel (or pizza pan).

For Pizza #1: Spread Broccoli Cooked Forever evenly over the pizza crust. Place fresh mozzarella slices evenly over the broccoli. Next distribute the mushrooms and red onion over the top. Lastly, sprinkle the grated parmigiano-reggiano. 

For Pizza #2: Brush olive oil lightly over pizza crust. Evenly sprinkle fontina, Canadian bacon, tomatoes, red onion, and parmigiano-reggiano cheese over the crust in that order.

If using a pizza stone, transfer the pizza from the pizza peel/back of a baking sheet to the stone. (If using a pizza pan, place pizza in the oven.) Bake for 10-15 minutes. Pizza is done when cheese is melted with a few golden spots and crust is brown and crispy. Remove from oven, sprinkle with parsley (optional), and serve.

Pizza Dough


Notes: This pizza dough is very forgiving. If you don't have bread flour, you can use all-purpose flour for a chewier crust. If you don't have time to let the dough rise to double in size, let rest for at least 30 minutes before continuing. If you'd like to make it ahead, just put the dough in the fridge and let it rise slowly for several hours. If it rises too much, you can just poke a hole in the dough to deflate it. You can freeze the dough before or after letting it rise, just make sure to defrost and come to room temperature before proceeding with the next step of the recipe.

If you don't have a stand mixer, you could also use a food processor. Simply add the water and oil mixture with the processor running, until it forms a ball (less than a minute). 

To make the dough by hand, make a well in the middle of the flour mixture, and pour liquid mixture into the well. Combine with your fingers or a fork, to make a shaggy dough. Then turn the dough out onto a well floured surface and knead dough until you have a smooth, slightly tacky dough. 

Time: 20 minutes (plus 1 hour and 10 minutes inactive time)
Yield: Pizza dough for two 14" pizzas

4 cups bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons (or 1 envelope) instant yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt)
1 1/2 cups warm water, 110 degrees F
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra to grease bowl

Whisk together flour, yeast, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook. 
Combine water, honey, and olive oil. With the mixer running, slowly pour liquid into the flour mixture. Beat until a dough ball forms. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour one tablespoon at a time. If the dough is dry, add additional water one tablespoon at a time. Dough will form a ball and feel slightly tacky when done. 

Scrape dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead dough for 1 or 2 minutes. Form dough into a ball, transfer to a large, greased bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm place like a sunny window or an oven with the light on, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Divide dough evenly into two pieces and form into two balls. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel, and let rest at least 10 minutes before proceeding to make pizza.