Pappardelle Recipes

Steps:

• Place the flour on a clean, dry work surface. Make a hole (this is also called a well) in the center of the flour pile that is about 8 inches wide (bigger is definitely better here). Crack all of the eggs and the yolk into the hole and add the olive oil, salt and 1 to 2 tablespoons water.
• Using a fork, beat the eggs together with the olive oil, water (or more if needed) and salt. Using the fork, begin to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture, be careful not to break the sides of the well or the egg mixture will run all over your board and you will have a big mess! Also, don't worry about the lumps. When enough flour has incorporated into the egg mixture that it will not run all over the place when the sides of the well are broken, begin to use your hands to really get everything well combined. If the mixture is tight and dry, wet your hands and begin kneading with wet hands. When the mixture has really come together to a homogeneous mixture, THEN you can start kneading.
• When kneading it is VERY important to put your body weight into it, get on top of the dough to really stretch it and not to tear the dough. Using the heels of your palms, roll the dough to create a very smooooooth, supple dough. When done, the dough should look VERY smooth and feel almost velvety. Kneading will usually take from 8 to 10 minutes for an experienced kneader and 10 to 15 for an inexperienced kneader. Put your body weight into it, you need to knead! This is where the perfect, toothsome texture of your pasta is formed. Get in there and have fun!
• When the pasta has been kneaded to the perfect consistency, wrap it in plastic and let rest for at least 1 hour. If using immediately, do not refrigerate.
• To roll the pasta: Cut off 1/3 of the pasta dough, reserve the rest and keep it covered.
• Squash the pasta with the heels of your hands to facilitate it going through the pasta roller. Dust with flour. Put the pasta through the roller set on number one. Roll the dough through 2 times, dusting it with flour if it feels sticky or tacky.
• Fold the pasta into thirds and put it through the machine on number one again.
• Change the setting on the pasta roller to number two and run the pasta through. Continue to roll the pasta through the machine, changing the setting each time to a larger number (this will make the opening on the pasta machine smaller). When you get to the desired thin-ness (I recommend number six), cut the pasta into 10-inch lengths. Flour the dough generously and stack them in a pile. Cover the stack with plastic or a clean tea towel and proceed rolling the rest of the pasta.
• When the pasta is all rolled, take 3 sheets of pasta and fold both ends of the pasta over each other until they meet in the middle.
• Using a sharp knife, cut the pasta rolls into 1-inch widths. Unroll the pasta "ribbons" and dust with semolina and reserve on sheet trays.
• When ready to use, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain.

Steps:

• Make the dough. Sift both flours together on a large work surface and make a well in the center. Place the eggs, olive oil and a pinch of salt in a bowl, then pour into the well; with a fork, break up the eggs, then gradually mix the wet ingredients into the flour mixture just until combined.
• Knead by hand. Gather the dough into 2 equal-size balls; flour the surface. To knead each piece, push the dough away from you with the heel of your hand, fold the dough over itself and turn it counterclockwise. Continue pushing, folding and turning until the dough is smooth and elastic, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Rest the dough. Pat each piece into a ball. Flatten slightly, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. (You can freeze 1 ball for later, or roll out both and freeze the cut pasta.)
• Roll out the dough. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and dust with flour. Starting in the middle, push away from you with a rolling pin, easing up on the pressure as you approach the edge. Continue rolling the dough into a sheet, turning occasionally, until you can see your fingers through the bottom. Let dry about 10 minutes.
• Cut the pappardelle. Dust the top of the sheet of dough with flour and loosely roll it into a cylinder. Using a sharp knife, cut into 3/4-inch-wide slices. Unwrap the noodles; dust with semolina and gently toss to separate. Place on a sheet pan and cover with a tea towel until ready to cook (or freeze in freezer bags for up to 2 months).

Steps:

• In a large cast-iron casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the carrot, onion and celery and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 5 minutes. Add the lamb, coriander, fennel, cumin, rosemary and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the liquid evaporates, 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the wine and cook until evaporated, 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, along with the stock and bring to a boil. Cover partially and cook over moderately low heat until the liquid is slightly reduced, 25 to 30 minutes.
• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, shaking well. Add the pasta to the sauce. Add the butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and toss over low heat. Serve the pasta in bowls, topped with the ricotta and mint.

Steps:

• First make the Beef with red wine & carrots (see 'Goes well with'). You will need half the finished stew for this recipe.
• Put the stew in a large pan and use 2 forks to roughly shred the beef. Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer, then gently cook for 15 mins. Meanwhile, cook the pasta.
• Spoon some sauce onto each portion of pasta, or stir through and top with Parmesan to serve.

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook until it releases its juices and is almost cooked through, about 7 minutes. Add onion and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cream and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a rapid simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta and add to sauce, tossing to combine and adding enough pasta water to create a creamy sauce that coats pasta. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Wash and dry mushrooms thoroughly and slice thin.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet.
• Add garlic and sauté over medium heat about 1 minute.
• When garlic begins to color, add sliced mushrooms.
• Sauté mushrooms over high heat until lightly colored.
• Add wine.
• Cook until wine is reduced by half, stirring constantly.
• Add parsley and cook 1 minute longer.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Fill a very large saucepan two-thirds full with salted water.
• Bring water to a boil.
• Add pasta.
• Bring water back to a boil and cook pasta uncovered until 'al dente'.
• Drain pasta and place in skillet with sauce; add butter.
• Toss pasta, sauce and butter over medium heat until sauce coats pasta, 20 to 30 seconds.
• Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Prepare the pasta dough and chill it.
• Trim all the excess skin and fat from the duck legs. Heat 2 cups of the stock, and pour it over the dried porcini. Let soak for 1/2 hour or longer. When the mushrooms have softened, drain and squeeze them, reserving all the soaking liquid; chop the porcini into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Using the food processor, mince the onion, celery, garlic, and all the fresh herbs for 20 to 30 seconds, to a moist paste, or pestata.
• Set the big pan over medium-high heat, and film the bottom with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Lay all the duck legs in the pan, skin side down; sprinkle on 1/2 teaspoon salt, and sizzle for a couple of minutes, until the skin side is browned. Flip the legs over and continue cooking, adjusting the heat and moving the meat as needed, until nicely browned all over, then remove them to a bowl or platter.
• If you want to continue cooking with the duck fat, leave 4 tablespoons of it in the pan. Otherwise, pour it all out and use 4 tablespoons of olive oil instead. Return the saucepan to the heat, and scrape in all of the paste from the food-processor bowl. Stir it all over the hot pan, scraping up the browned bits, for 2 minutes or so, until it is nearly dry and toasting.
• Return all the duck legs to the pan, and tumble them in the hot pestata. Scatter in the chopped porcini, stir and toss with the legs, and cook for several minutes, until everything is sizzling.
• Pour in the wine, raise the heat, and turn and tumble the duck and seasonings until the wine has almost cooked away. Pour in the porcini-soaking liquid (leave any mushroom sediment in the container), and sprinkle another 1/2 teaspoon salt all over. Heat to a boil, turning the duck legs and stirring to amalgamate all the seasonings in the broth.
• Set the cover ajar-leaving a crack for evaporation-and cook at an actively bubbling simmer, turning the duck frequently. Add stock every 20 minutes or whenever needed, so the liquid level is about two-thirds of the way up the meat. After 1 1/2 hours or so, when the duck is quite tender and loose on the bone, turn off the heat, and let the legs cool completely in the covered pan.
• Remove the duck legs from the saucepan, and pull all the meat off the bones. Discard the bones and cartilage; tear the meat into good-sized shreds. Spoon fat from the sauce, and stir in the meat. If the sauce is dense, loosen it to a flowing consistency with more stock; heat to a bubbling simmer, and cook for another 15 minutes. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Let the sauce cool again, or use some or all of it to dress the pappardelle now.
• To dress 1 pound of pappardelle, put half the sauce in a wide skillet (or the same pan you cooked it in, if you are using it right away); use all the sauce if cooking 2 pounds pappardelle. Have the sauce at a simmer when you drop the pasta into the cooking water. If it is concentrated, moisten it with stock or hot pasta water.
• Cook the pappardelle in at least 6 quarts of salted water (8 quarts or more for 2 pounds), at a rolling boil, just until al dente, about 2 or 3 minutes. With a spider, lift the strands from the pot, briefly drain, and lower them into the sauce. Toss the pappardelle over and over to dress them thoroughly-if the sauce is too thick, loosen it with spoonfuls of pasta-cooking water; if the sauce is soupy, cook rapidly, tossing the pasta, until it thickens.
• Turn off the heat, and toss the pasta with half of the grated cheese; drizzle over it a final flourish of olive oil. Serve from the skillet, or pile the pappardelle in a large warm serving bowl. Pass more cheese at the table.
• Fresh Pasta for Pappardelle (and Tortelli Maremmani)
• Put the flour in the bowl of the food processor and process for a few seconds to aerate. Mix the egg, egg yolks, and olive oil in a measuring cup or other spouted container.
• With the machine running, pour the liquids quickly through the feed tube on top of the flour. After 20 seconds, most of the dough should clump up on the blade. Process for another 15 seconds or so-no more than 40 seconds total. (If the dough does not gather on the blade and process easily, it is too wet or too dry. Feel the dough, then work in either more flour or some ice water, in small amounts, using the machine or kneading by hand.)
• Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead it by hand for a minute, until it's smooth, soft, and stretchy. Press it into a disk, wrap well in plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for 1/2 hour.
• To roll out the dough in a pasta machine, cut the pound of dough into four equal pieces. Work with one at a time, keeping the others covered. Run the first piece of dough through the rollers at the widest setting several times, to develop strength and smoothness. Repeat with all the pieces. Reset the machine to a narrower setting, and run the first piece through, extending it into a rectangular strip. Let the rollers move the dough, and catch it in your hand as it comes out. Roll it again, to stretch and widen it. Lightly flour and cover the strip, then stretch the other pieces.
• Roll and stretch all the pieces at progressively narrower settings, until they spread as wide as the rollers (usually about 5 inches) and stretch to 20 inches or longer. Cut the four long pasta strips in half crosswise, giving you eight sheets, each about a foot long and 5 inches wide. Lay these flat on the trays in layers, lightly floured, separated, and covered by towels.
• Lay out a rolled sheet on the floured board; dust the top with flour. Starting at one of the short ends, fold the sheet over on itself in thirds or quarters, creating a small rectangle with three or four layers of pasta.
• With a sharp knife, cut cleanly through the folded dough crosswise, in 2-inch-wide strips. Separate and unfold the strips, shaking them into long noodles. Sprinkle them liberally with flour so they don't stick together. Fold, cut, and unfurl all the rolled pasta sheets this way, and spread them out on a floured tray. Leave them uncovered, to air-dry at room temperature, until ready to cook.