Recipes Meat second dishes Displaying items by tag: pasta
Pasta alla Puttanesca
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MAKES 4-6 servings - 1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced |
In this classic pasta dish, popular in both Calabria and Lazio, the bold flavors of olives, anchovies, and capers are incorporated into a simple tornato sauce. Puttanesca means "harlot style," a reference to the spiciness and saltiness of the dish. |
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In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté until the garlic is lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of black pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Add the anchovies, olives, capers, and parsley and simmer for about 1 minute longer. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Buon appetito! |
Pasta Techniques: Filling Ravioli and Forming tortellini
Filling Ravioli |
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Place one pasta sheet on a lightly floured work surface. Using a chef's knife or pastry wheel, trim the dough into strips 4 inches (10 cm) wide. Layer the strips on a floured baking sheet as directed in the recipe, and roll out and trim the remaining dough pieces. |
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Lightly flour 3 more baking sheets. Lay 1 dough strip on the work surface. Fold the dough in half lengthwise to mark the center and then unfold it. |
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Beginning about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from one of the short ends, piace teaspoonfuls of the filling about 1 inch apart in a straight row down the center of one side of the fold. |
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Dip a pastry brush or your fingertip in cool water. Lightly brush around the filling. |
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Fold the dough over the filling, molding it around the filling to press out any air pockets. With your fingertips, firmly press the edges of the dough together to seal. |
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Using a fluted pastry wheel or a sharp knife, cut between the mounds of filling. Separate the squares and piace, not touching, in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. |
Forming tortellini |
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Place one pasta sheet on a lightly floured work surface. Lightly flour a large baking sheet. Using a knife or pastry wheel, cut the dough into 2-inch (5-cm) squares. |
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Layer the squares fiat on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them so they don't touch and separating each layer with a lightly floured kitchen towel. Roll out and cut the remaining dough sheets. |
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Lightly flour 3 more baking sheets. Place about 1/2 teaspoon of the filling in the center half of each square. Dip a pastry brush in cool water and lightly brush around the filling. |
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Fold a corner of the dough over the filling to form a triangle. Using your fingers, mold the dough around the filling to eliminate any air pockets, firmly press the edges together to seal. |
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Bring the 2 opposite points of the triangle together to form a circle, and pinch the points together to seal. The third point forms a peaked top; curl it back slightly. |
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Place the tortellini, not touching, in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. |
Pasta Techniques: rolling
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Rolling With a Pasta MachineFollow the manufacturer's instructions to anchor the pasta machine to the counter. Turn the dial to set the rollers at the widest setting and attach the crank. |
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Cut the dough into 4 pieces and flatten each into a disk 1/2 inch (12 mm) thick. Run 1 disk through the widest setting on the machine 2 or 3 times. Flour the dough lightly if it starts to stick. |
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Fold the dough lenghwise into thirds, turn the dial to the next narrower setting, and run the dough through again. Repeat this twice, lightly flouring as need. |
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Fold, flour, and run the sheet of dough 2 or 3 times through each progressively narrower setting until the pasta is V16 inch (2 mm) thick, then cut as directed in individuai recipes. Repeat with the remaining disks of dough. |
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Rolling by Hand
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Place a rolling pin in the middle of the dough and start rolling out toward the edge. Pick up the dough and give it a quarter turn. Keep rolling out toward the edge and turning the dough until it is about 716 inch (2 cm) thick, then cut as directed in individual recipes. |
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Cut the pasta sheet into 4 sections 10 inches (25 cm) long. Lay the sections on a lightly floured rimmed baking sheet, layering them and separating the layers with floured kitchen towels |
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Secure the strand-cutting attachment and crank into the pasta machine. One at a time, insert the dough sections into the blades and turn the crank to create strands. |
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Spread the strands out on a lightly floured baking sheet, separating them so they have room, and let them dry for 10-20 minutes. They should feel slightly leathery, but not be brittle. |
Italian pantry essentials
Italian Pantry EssentialsMost of what makes up a typical Italian meal is fresh food, procured and cooked within hours of being eaten. However, pantry staples are used to turn these fresh ingredients into a vast array of dishes. Keep them in stock, and you will have a head start on most Italian recipes. |
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GRAINS, PASTAS, AND LEGUMESArborio, Carnaroli, or Vialone Nano rice* Borlotti or cranberry beans, dried DRIED HERBS AND SPICESBay leaves FRESH STAPLESCheeses for grating and cooking (see left)* Garlic* MISCELLANEOUSAnchovy fillets |
OILS AND VINEGARSBalsamic vinegar Canola or vegetable oil Extra-virgin olive oil Olive oil (virgin) WINE AND SPIRITS Marsala BAKING STAPLESActive dry yeast All-purpose (plain) flour |
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| * Staples marked with an asterisk should be purchased in small quantities and reolaced often. | ||
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