Homemade Pasta

Thank you so much to Wendy for hosting our pasta night at her house.  She was a great teacher and the food was pretty amazing too!  I brought my camera with me, but for some reason it never made it out of my purse!  Could it have been that I was too busy eating to remember that I was supposed to take pictures of each step?  Most likely...  Regardless, here are the recipes from the night.  The pasta really was quite easy to make and the taste made the effort well worth it!  Enjoy!

Puttanesca Sauce:

1/4 c olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp. red pepper
1-28 oz. crushed tomatoes
1-8 oz. tomato sauce
1/3 cup olives
1 Tbsp. capers
1/2 tsp. oregano
2 Tbsp. parsley

Combine olive oil, onions, garlic and red pepper lakes until onions are cooked.

Add everything but the parsley (or basil) and let simmer for about 20 minutes.

Add parsley and enjoy!

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce:

1 pint heavy cream
1/2 cup butter
2 Tbsp. cream cheese
3/4 c. parmesan cheese
1 tsp. garlic powder

In a saucepan combine butter, heavy cream and cream cheese.  Simmer this until all is melted and mixed well.  Add the parmesan cheese and garlic powder.

Simmer this for 15-20 minutes on low.

Season with salt and pepper.

YSA Spaghetti Sauce:

3/4 c finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. chicken broth
2 (16 oz.) cans chopped tomatoes
2 (6 oz. ) cans tomato paste
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. parsley
2 bay leaves

Chop onion and garlic.  Stir together in a microwave safe bowl with chicken broth.  Microwave on high for 3-5 minutes or until onion and garlic are tender.

Add all remaining ingredients into a large sauce pot and cook on medium setting for 15 minutes.  Turn down to a simmer and cook up to a full hour.  The longer the cooking time adds flavor.

Makes 6 dinner portions

Garlic Herb Butter:

4 Tbsp. butter at room temp.
1 clove garlic
an assortment of fresh herbs (parsley, basil, rosemary, oregano, chives, etc.)

Mince garlic clove with safety scissors.  Blend with butter.  Chop or chiffonade herbs and add to butter mixture to taste.

Pasta all'uovo Fatta in Casa

2 cups flour plus additional 1/2 c. reserved
3 large eggs

In a large bowl, measure 2 cups of flour and create in a well.

Break 3 eggs into a small bowl, making sure there are no bits of egg shell.

Pour the eggs into the well in the flour.

With a fork, carefully pull the flour from the walls into the center, gradually mixing the flour and egg.

When the mixture becomes less sticky, knead the mixture into a ball.  Knead until well mixed and firm but not sticky.  Divide the dough into 6 small balls, about the size of a golf ball.

Start your pasta machine on the rollers farthest apart.  Run the pieces through the rollers, about 6 times on the widest section, folding the pasta top to bottom or side to side to achieve a long sheet slightly narrower than the machine rollers. Continue to roll the sheets through the tollers with ever diminishing settings until you achieve the thickness you wish, usually the smallest setting.

Pile loosly on wax paper until you are ready to boil.

Bring water to a boil.  Put your fresh pasta in the water.  Fresh pasta cooks for about 4 minutes.  it will float to the top when it is ready.  Take a strand out and bite it to make sure it is not tough.

Makes 6 dinner portions.

and since there are no pictures to help, here's a resource to go to for some more tips!

Simple Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

Makes about 4 cups unmilled

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes or a combination of plum and beefsteak, coarsely chopped (about 8 cups)

Coarse salt

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and cook 20 seconds (do not let brown). Stir in tomatoes and 2 teaspoons salt. Raise heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer vigorously, stirring frequently, until sauce has reduced and thickened slightly, 15 to 20 minutes. If a smoother sauce is desired, pass it through the medium disc of a food mill. Season with salt if desired. Let cool. Sauce can be stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Provencal Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

olive oil for brushing pans

1 head garlic

4 pounds vine-ripened red tomatoes (about 10 medium)

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice, or to taste

Preheat oven to 450°F. and lightly brush 2 shallow baking pans with oil.

Separate garlic head into cloves, discarding loose papery outer skin but keeping skin intact on cloves, and wrap in foil, crimping seams to seal tightly. Cut tomatoes into 1/2-inch-thick slices and arrange in one layer in baking pans. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons each of rosemary and thyme evenly over tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.

Put foil-wrapped garlic in one of baking pans with tomatoes and roast garlic and tomatoes in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans halfway through roasting, about 35 minutes total, or until garlic is tender and tomatoes are slightly charred. Unwrap garlic and cool slightly. Peel skins from each clove and force pulp with warm tomatoes and herbs through a food mill fitted with small disk into a bowl.

Finely chop remaining teaspoon rosemary and remaining teaspoon thyme and stir into sauce with orange juice. Season sauce with salt and pepper and reheat if necessary. Sauce keeps, covered and chilled, 4 days or, frozen, 4 months. Reheat sauce over low heat and reseason with orange juice, salt, and pepper.

Basil Pesto

Basil Pesto

Ingredients: Makes 1 3/4 cups

1 cup pine nuts

Coarse salt and ground pepper

8 cups (4 ounces) lightly packed fresh basil leaves

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

¾ cup (3 ounces) Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano, coarsely grated

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts evenly on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until golden and fragrant, tossing once, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

Meanwhile, bring 4 cups salted water to a boil; add basil, and submerge with a spoon. Immediately drain in a colander. Rinse with cold water until cool, then pat basil completely dry in paper towels.

In a food processor, combine nuts, basil, and garlic; season generously with salt and pepper. Process until nuts are finely chopped. With machine running, pour oil in a steady stream through the feed tube; process until smooth. Use immediately, or freeze. Makes 1 3/4 cups

Cook’s notes: To freeze, spoon pesto into an ice-cube tray (2 tablespoons per cube); cover with plastic wrap. Freeze overnight, then transfer cubes to a resealable plastic bag; keep up to 6 months. Defrost pesto at room temperature, about 20 minutes (or at 30-second intervals in the microwave). Mash with a fork before using in recipes. Pesto will freeze better if you omit the cheese before freezing and stir in once thawed.

Pasta Caprese

1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, seeded, coarsely chopped

8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1 x 1/2-inch cubes

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons balsamic or red-wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

12 ounces penne pasta

Mix tomatoes, half of mozzarella, oil, vinegar, and garlic in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature. Mix in basil.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Return pasta to pot. Add tomato mixture and toss gently to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Gently fold in remainder of mozzarella just before serving.

Notes: This is a great basic pasta, especially if you have picky eaters! The dish can easily be dressed up with the addition of capers, artichoke hearts, prosciutto and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. It also tastes great the next day cold with cubed cooked chicken and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.