Bigoli With Chicken Livers Recipes

Steps:

• To mix the dough in the food processor, put the flour (all purpose and whole wheat, if using) and salt in the work bowl and process briefly to blend. Drop the butter into ½ cup warm milk; stir to melt the butter, then mix in the milk and beaten eggs. Start the food processor running, then pour in the liquids through the feed tube. Process for 30 to 40 seconds until a dough forms and gathers on the blade, leaving the sides and bottom of the bowl clean. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If it is dry and crumbly, add a bit more milk and process. Turn the dough out of the bowl and knead into a smooth ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest at room temperature for a half hour before extruding the dough. If you have a torchio, fit it with the large-hole bigoli die. With a pasta extruding machine or attachment-or a meat grinder-use a disk with ¼-inch holes or as close to that size as you have. If using a meat grinder or attachment be sure to remove the rotary cutting before extruding the dough. Put the dough through a home pasta extruder and cut the strands of pasta into 8-inch lengths as they emerge. Immediately dust them with flour and lay them flat, not touching, on a floured tray or baking sheet. Keep covered with a floured towel until you cook them. (You can freeze the strands on the sheet pan, then wrap them together in plastic wrap, in portions for cooking. Keep in a plastic container to protect from breakage. Cook without thawing.)

Steps:

• Clean the chicken livers, removing all the fat, veins, and membranes. Chop them into small bits with a chef's knife.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and all the butter in the large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion and the bay leaves, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. When the onion is wilted and translucent, stir in the chopped chicken livers, and salt again lightly.
• Pour in 1/4 cup hot stock, raise the heat, and cook, stirring, until the moisture is nearly evaporated. Clear a space in the skillet, drop in the tomato paste, toast it in the hot spot for a minute, then stir the paste in with the chopped livers and onion. Scatter the frozen peas into the skillet, stir, then pour in the remaining stock.
• Bring the liquid to a boil, and adjust the heat to keep it bubbling steadily. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and generous grinds of black pepper. Let the sauce cook and reduce, stirring occasionally, until most of the moisture is gone and it has a thick, flowing consistency, 10 minutes or so. Adjust the seasonings, and have the sauce simmering when the pasta is dressed.
• Meanwhile, fill the large pot with 8 quarts of water, add 2 tablespoons salt, cover, and heat to a rolling boil. Shake excess flour off the bigoli, drop into the pot, and return rapidly to the boil. Cook, occasionally stirring, until the pasta is nearly al dente (time will vary with the thickness of the strands). Lift bigoli from the water with a spider, drain briefly, and turn it into the simmering sauce. Toss together until the pasta is fully cooked and dressed with sauce.
• Turn off the heat, toss in the parsley, the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, and a cup of the grated cheese. Serve immediately, passing more cheese at the table.