Making Your Own Pasta

I just got back from a full week conference. Don't worry, I'm still partially food blogging while writing my thesis. I finally accepted the offer to do my PhD in Ottawa, Ontario. I found a marvelous place to live with a huge fully equipped kitchen, at least twice as large as my home kitchen. This means more tested recipes with a new group of people. I haven't given much thoughts about how to plan a one-person menu, any suggestions?

During the conference week, I went to a kitchen equipment store and saw a pasta machine that was on sale for only $20. The cost of such machine is about $70. Before buying a kitchen appliance, I have to get the approval of my parents and strangely, they were strongly in favor in buying one. When I came home, I immediately open some of my favorite cookbooks, start making pasta and cut it into fettuccine. Pasta requires three basic ingredients: egg, flour and salt. My first attempt of making pasta was impressively success. This is the first time that I have ever tasted fresh pasta and it taste very different from the dry ones. No wonder that on this season of Hell's Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay can tell if the pasta is made fresh or not. Fresh ones have a soft and tender texture which absorb the full flavour of sauces. The recipe is adapted from The Cook's Book - Concise Edition.

Serves 2
Preparation Time: 25 mins
Cooling Time: 30 mins
Cooking Time: about 1 min, depending on the shape
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 eggs

Procedure

Dough
1. Pour flour onto the surface and form a well, large enough to hold the eggs.

2. With a fork, whisk eggs and slowly incorporate it with flour. Add salt to eggs and continue pulling small amounts of flour until it becomes thick.

3. Once thick, start kneading and add the remaining flour until it can no longer absorb the flour.

4. Set dough aside, clean work surface and dry hands.

5. Knead the dough on clean surface until smooth and elastic. Sprinkle a bit of flour if very sticky, but don't let dry.

6. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 mins. This will help soften the dough, enough to be stretched.

Pasta Machine
7. Cut dough in half. Flatten the dough and pass it through the widest setting on the pasta machine.

8. Decrease the setting a notch and pass the dough once again. Repeat it once more.

9. Fold the dough into thirds and flatten it. Return to its widest setting and repeat step 7 and 8, 3 more times until the dough fells silky and elastic.

10. Roll the dough through the machine on decreasing settings until desired thickness is reached.

11. Use cutters to cut pasta into fettuccine or tagliarini. Toss a bit of flour to prevent for sticking after cutting.

Cooking
12. In a large pot, boil water and add salt.

13. Add fresh pasta and cook for about 1 min. It is ready when you can no longer taste the rawness of the dough.

14. Drain and serve with your favorite pasta sauce.

Crispy Mozzarella Sticks

I have never tried puff pastry before. Puff pastry (pâte feuilletée) is a dough that once baked, it becomes light and flake. Croissant is actually made out of this dough. These can be homemade or bought in any supermarket in the frozen pastry section. Here is a great appetizer to serve for your guests. This recipe comes from Pepperidge Farm website.

Serves 6

Preparation Time : 15 mins

Baking Time : 17 mins

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 Puff Pastry sheet

1 egg

1 tbsp water

1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese or Parmesan

6 slices of mozzarella (cut into 3'' x 1.5'' each)

1/2 cup of your favorite pasta sauce

Procedure

1. Thaw pastry sheets according to package instructions.

2. Preheat oven to 400F.

3. In a small bowl, beat egg and water with a fork.

4. Roll out the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface into 15'' x 8'' rectangle.

5. Cut pastry into 5'' x 4'' rectangles.

6. For each mozzarella sticks, put it along the long edge of the pastry rectangle and roll up in the pastry. Gently press the pastry along the long edge and pinch the edges to seal. Place the pastry rolls seam-side down on work surface.

7. Brush the tops of each roll with egg mixture. Top it with grated cheese. Transfer it to an ungreased baking sheet. With a fork, prick the tops of the pastry 6 times for each roll.

8. Bake for 17 minutes or until golden brown. It might happen that the cheese might come out during baking.

9. Meanwhile, heat your favorite pasta sauce in a small saucepan.

10. Put the baked rolls on a serving platter. Serve warm with pasta sauce for dipping.

Mediterranean Bread

This week Friday cooking, my Mexican friend baked Mediterranean bread with a touch of sun-dried tomatoes. Everyone loved these breads and it is my pleasure to share her recipe. To be warned, this is a long process.

Preparation Time : 2 hours
Baking Time : 45 mins
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

3+1 cups all-purpose flour
1 envelope Rapid Rise Yeast
1 tsp salt
1 cup of mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup chopped black olives
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, cut into small pieces
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
3 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp cornmeal

Procedure

1. In a large bowl, mix together 3 cups of flour, yeast, salt, black olives, cheese, olive and water. Add the last cup of flour little by little until it reaches a smooth consistency.
2. Turn out dough onto a floured board. Knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes. If necessary, add more flour. Set aside in a bowl and cover with a warm towel. Let it rise in the oven with light on for 45 minutes, until double in size.
3. Punch down. Add coriander and knead well again, for about 5 to 10 minutes. Let it rise for about 30 minutes, until double in size.

4. Again, knead for 5 to 10 minutes and finish kneading with a coating olive oil. Let it rise until double in size.

5. While it is rising, put a pan of water in the bottom of the oven.

6. Preheat oven to 475F. Cut the dough into 2-3 pieces and shape it into your favorite geometry.

7. Bake dough for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 400F and bake for 30 more minutes, or until done.

Pâte brisée

French version of pie crust. A smooth flaky dough used for sweets, quiche and even pies (if shortening is not available). This dough is done in the same fashion as the piecrust.

9-inch pastry
Preparation time : 15 mins + 1 hour chilling
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup cold water

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, mix flour, salt. Add margarine.

2. Rub margarine into flour with fingers to obtain coarse crumbs.

3. Add cold water and incorporate with a fork. The pastry will amalgamate.

4. Finish by reassembling the pastry to a ball, do not overwork the pastry.

5. Place pastry ball into a plastic and let it in the fridge for at least an hour.

Piecrusts

This is a recipe for a 9-inch tart pastry. Read tips, at the end of this post, before doing this. This recipe takes practice.

Preparation Time : 25 minutes + chilling + cooling
Baking Time : 22 to 27 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp shortening
6 tbsp cold margarine or butter, cut up

Preparation

1. In large bowl, mix flour and salt. With pastry blender or two knives used scissor-fashion, cut in shortening and margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

2. Sprinkle in only 2 to 3 tbsp cold water, a tablespoon at a time. Mix lightly with fork after each addition, until dough is just moist enough to hold together.


3. Shape dough into a ball. Wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.

4. Roll dough round gently onto rolling pin; gently ease into pie plate.

5. Preheat oven to 425F. Line tart shell with aluminium foil, fill with pie weights (ie. uncooked rice, dry beans). Bake 15 minutes. Remove foil with weights, bake 7 to 12 minutes longer until golden. Cool completely on rack.

Tips for perfect pastry

- Start with cold ingredients. The kitchen should be cool too.

- Handle the dough as little as possible, or you'll overdevelop gluten in the flour and make tough crust.

- When cutting fat into flour, work quickly so fat remains firm and cold.

- Sprinkle in cold water just until dough is moistened. Toss quickly and lightly with a fork; do not stir. Use the least amount of water to avoid tough crust.

- Chilling dough for at least 30 minutes will make it easier to roll. Wrap tightly.

- To prevent sticking, roll it out on lightly floured surface.

Simple Pizza Dough

Here is a basic recipe of a pizza dough.

Makes 2 (12-inch) thin crust pizzas
Preparation Time : 10 mins
Baking Time : 20-30 mins
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 envelope Rapid Rise Yeast
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup lukewarm water
2 tbsp olive oil

Procedure

1. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, yeast and salt.

2. Stir water and olive oil into flour mixture. Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough.

3. Knead on warm lightly flour surface until smooth and elastic, 4-6 mins.


4. Cover with warm cloth. Put it in the oven with the lights on until dough doubles in size.

5. Cut dough in half. Spread dough on pizza pan. Add your favorite toppings (not too much).

6. Bake at 400F for 20 to 30 mins.

Note
The dough can make one pizza on a 13'' x 9'' baking pan. It is also possible to make mini pizzas.

For kneading, simply check on youtube...

Alternatives
WHOLE WHEAT PIZZA DOUGH : Replace 1 cup all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour

CORNMEAL PIZZA DOUGH : Replace 1/2 cup all-purpose flour with cornmeal

HERB AND GARLIC PIZZA DOUGH : Add 2 tsps Rosemary and 1 clove finely minced garlic along with dry ingredients.