Remembrance of Things Pasta

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Hand-rolled noodles made from scratch really aren't that difficult. Invest an hour or two now and you'll ultimately save more time.

Make two batches at once (mix them separately so you don’t overcrowd your food processor). Enjoy one batch tonight, and freeze the other―in meal-sized portions―for quick and delicious weeknight dinners. Pair them with an easy sauce.

They refer to the dough for this rustic hand-shaped pasta as "Rich Man's Golden Pasta," because in Italy it's a luxury to use precious egg yolks to moisten and enrich pasta dough. Makaruni, common in Istria, is a pasta that grandmothers used to make when there was no time to roll, cut, and shape other pastas. Use this rich dough to prepare pappardelle when time allows.

Makaruni Pasta:

2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
Dash of salt
6 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
5 large egg yolks

Preparation

1. To prepare pasta, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and dash of salt in a food processor. Combine 6 tablespoons water, 1 1/2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil, and egg yolks in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. With processor on, slowly pour water mixture through food chute, processing just until dough forms a ball. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 5 times. Shape dough into a disk. Dust dough lightly with flour; wrap in plastic wrap. Let stand 30 minutes.

2. Pat dough into a 3 x 8–inch rectangle 1-inch thick. Divide dough into 8 equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), divide dough into 14 equal pieces. Roll each piece between your palms back and forth, into a strand about 2 inches long. Place strands on a well-floured jelly-roll pan. Repeat procedure with remaining dough portions to form 112 strands.

3. Bring 6 quarts water to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Place pasta in a sieve, and shake off excess flour. Add pasta to pan. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes or until done; drain.

Pasta Basics:

Step 1:

Combine all dry ingredients in a food processor, and slowly add wet ingredients through the food chute with the motor running. Process just until the dough begins to form a ball.


Step 2: Knead Dough

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead a few minutes, until the dough is smooth and shiny on the outside, soft throughout (no lumps), and stretchy. Form the dough into a disk, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. You can store it in the refrigerator for one day, or freeze it for up to six weeks.

Step 3: Form Makaruni
Divide dough into 8 equal portions. Divide one portion at a time into 14 equal pieces. Roll each piece between your palms back and forth, into a strand about 2 inches long. Place strands on a well-floured jelly-roll pan. Repeat procedure with remaining dough portions

Toss and Cook

Bring 6 quarts water to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Place pasta in a sieve and shake off excess flour. Add pasta to pan. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes or until done; drain.

Freeze Your Extra Batch
Lightly flour the pasta, and lay it out on trays that fit into your freezer. Freeze just until set, then pack it in small air-tight plastic bags or containers. This makes it easy to portion pasta―if you're cooking for two, put only two servings' worth in each bag.

Don't defrost before you cook the pasta; simply drop the frozen pieces into boiling water. When you cook frozen pasta, always use an additional quart of water so the temperature does not drop when the pasta is added. If the water takes too long to return to a boil, the pasta will stick together in the pot.

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Makaruni with Sausage, Peppers, and Feta
Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked pasta (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 cups (1/4-inch-thick) slices red bell pepper, each cut in half crosswise
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
8 ounces turkey Italian sausage
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup sliced pitted kalamata olives
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Cook the pasta in boiling water. Drain the pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt; sauté 2 minutes. Remove casings from the sausage. Add sausage, oregano, and garlic to pan; cook 4 minutes or until sausage is done, stirring to crumble sausage. Add pasta, reserved cooking liquid, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cheese, olives, and black pepper; cook for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently.

Vodka Sauce

1 tablespoon butter
2/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon water
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1/3 cup vodka
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cover and cook 3 minutes or until tender. Add tomato sauce; simmer, partially covered, 8 minutes or until thick. Combine flour and water, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture to pan; cook 1 minute. Add half-and-half, milk, vodka, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Stir in cheese. Reduce heat to low; cook 3 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring frequently. Add cooked pasta; toss to coat. Sprinkle with basil.



Roasted Eggplant-Tomato Sauce
Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

3 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled eggplant (about 12 ounces)
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups chopped tomato (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/4 cup sliced pitted kalamata olives
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup chopped fresh oregano
4 cups hot cooked pasta (about 8 ounces uncooked)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) finely shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.

To prepare sauce, place eggplant in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; bake at 425° for 15 minutes, stirring once. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 3 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Add tomato and next 5 ingredients (tomato through pepper); bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low; cook 3 minutes or until slightly thick. Add eggplant, basil, and oregano; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Toss the sauce with the pasta, and sprinkle with cheese.



Morel Mushroom Sauce

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 2/3 cups pasta mixture and 1 tablespoon cheese)

Sauce:

2 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 ounces dried morel mushrooms
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup no-salt-added tomato paste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon truffle oil
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

To prepare sauce, bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add morel mushrooms to pan. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 40 minutes. Drain morel mushrooms through a colander over a bowl, reserving morel mushrooms and liquid. Halve morel mushrooms lengthwise; set aside.

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan, and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Clear a spot in bottom of pan. Add garlic to clear spot in pan, and saute for 30 seconds. Add salt, thyme, and pepper; sauté 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Add reserved morel mushrooms and cremini mushrooms to pan. Cover, reduce heat, and cook for 4 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and cook 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently. Clear a spot in bottom of pan. Add tomato paste to clear spot; cook 1 minute. Stir tomato paste into mushroom mixture.

Stir in 1 cup reserved mushroom liquid. Cook for 8 minutes or until very thick, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining mushroom liquid; cook for 4 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally. Add pasta and parsley to sauce mixture; toss well. Stir in truffle oil. Serve with cheese

Source: Cooking Light