Rich And Tender Homemade Pasta Dough ~ Zesty Cheese Tortellini

Rich & Tender Homemade Pasta Dough

Spend the afternoon leisurely rolling out your own homemade pasta. It’s a process well worth the time and effort. This basic recipe can be used for traditional shapes like spaghetti, linguine and pappardelle nests or used as a base for making stuffed shapes like our Zesty Cheese Tortellini (recipe follows). You’ll need a pasta roller for this endeavor.

Ingredients:

2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) kosher salt
3 eggs
1 yolk
Semolina or all-purpose flour, for dusting                                                

Directions                                                                                      Whirl flour with salt in a food processor. Add eggs and yolk. Whirl just until mixed and crumbly. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Bring dough together, kneading into a fairly smooth ball and forming into a flattened round disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Let rest 30 minutes at room temperature.

 Cut disc into four equal pieces. Work with one piece at a time, rewrapping the rest tightly with plastic wrap. Using your hands, shape that piece into a small, flattened disc. Dust pasta dough and pasta roller with flour. Using the widest setting on pasta roller, roll out dough 2 or 3 times. Continue to feed the sheet through the roller, reducing the thickness of each round until you have a very long piece about 1/16-inch (1-mm) thick (ideally 6 or 7 on the pasta roller or thinner). Cover with plastic wrap then a dampened cloth (not too wet). Repeat with remaining pieces of dough.                                      

Cut into long spaghetti or linguine noodles by hand-cutting to your desired thickness. Or roll through a noodle attachment to your preferred width, dusting with flour periodically. Hang dry noodles on a pasta rack. (If you don’t have one, try using your oven door handle.) Let dry 10 to 15 minutes before cooking.

To cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt until it tastes like the sea, approximately 1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 mL) kosher salt. Gently add pasta, swirling with a wooden spoon to separate the noodles. Boil until pasta is al dente; this usually happens once pasta floats to the surface, about 1 to 3 minutes. Drain well before tossing with sauce.    Makes 1 lb (455 g) pasta for 4 servings

 Zesty Cheese Tortellini  

You will not regret taking the time to treat yourself and others to these pillowy delights. Make a day of it, whipping up the dough and carefully shaping before cooking. Or spread out the work by making the pasta dough and filling the day before, and shaping on the day of cooking. Enjoy with your favourite sauce or try it in our Brussels Sprouts & Crispy, Spicy Crumbs Linguine in place of linguine. Or turn our Umami Brodo with Parmesan & Porcini into a main course by adding the tortellini to the final dish. If you have extra filling, serve over toast with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of fresh herbs.  Recipes will follow tomorrow for Brussels Sprouts, & Crispy, Spicy Crumbs Linguini and also Umami Brodo With Parmesan and Porcini.
 
Filling
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) traditional ricotta
1/2 cup (125 mL) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tsp (10 mL) freshly grated lemon zest
1 tsp (5 mL) kosher salt or 1/4 tsp (1 mL) table salt
Generous pinch nutmeg
1 recipe of Rich & Tender Homemade Pasta Dough, rolled into sheets and prepared up until Step 2
All-purpose or semolina flour for dusting                                              Directions:
Stir ricotta with Parmigiano- Reggiano, zest, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Working quickly, spread out one sheet of prepared pasta dough and cut into 3-inch (8-cm) squares.

 Over one square of dough, dollop 1 tsp (5 mL) filling near one corner of square. Dampen edges along entire square. Pull diagonally opposite corner up and over filling so you have a triangle. Press around the filling so that there are no air pockets, and edges are sealed and lined up as best you can. Fold edges up and around filling without pressing too firmly. There should be a little breathing room between that folded edge and the filling. Cross the two corners by wrapping triangle around your finger and seal by dampening with a little water and pressing two edges together. The shapes don’t need to be perfect. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough and filling setting tortellini on a lightly dusted baking sheet and covering with plastic wrap. These can be made just a couple of hours in advance of cooking. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
 
To cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt until it tastes like the sea, approximately 1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 mL) kosher salt. Gently add pasta, swirling with a wooden spoon to separate the pasta. Boil until al dente (this is usually reached when pasta floats to the surface of the water), about 1 to 3 minutes. Drain well before tossing with sauce or adding to soup.
Makes 48 tortellini and herbal notes that pair

White Asparagus & Crab Soufflé

White Asparagus & Crab Souffle

White asparagus is an expensive treat. It’s less assertively flavoured than green, and shouldn’t be fussed with too much. Use true Parmigiano- Reggiano here, and look for high-quality lump crab meat in the refrigerator section rather than purchasing the stuff in shelf-stable cans. Serve alone as a first course or as a main alongside a 
delicate green salad.
Ingredients:
4 oz (115 g) lump crabmeat, drained
½ lb (225 g) white asparagus, stalks peeled
Pinch finely grated black pepper
¼ tsp (1 mL) salt
4 tbsp (60 mL) unsalted butter
Fine bread crumbs
2½ oz (70 g) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
¼ cup (60 mL) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 mL) warm whole milk
3 large eggs, separated

Directions:

Using your fingers, shred the crabmeat while picking over for bits of shell. Set aside.

Cut the asparagus into 2-inch (5-cm) lengths. Cook in boiling salted water until tender, 6 to 9 minutes, depending on thickness. Drain and dry on a paper towel. Purée, along with the pepper and salt, in a food processor; reserve.

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; remove from stovetop. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the inside of a 6-cup (1.5-L) souŠé dish with butter. Coat dish with a thin layer of bread crumbs.

Measure a scant ¼ cup (60 mL) of the Parmigiano and set aside for the top of the soufflé.

Return butter to medium heat and sprinkle flour over; stir to combine. Cook until very lightly golden, about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, a little at a time. Once smooth, let boil 2 minutes longer, whisking constantly. Remove from heat, whisk in egg yolks, the larger measure of the Parmigiano, then asparagus purée. Stir in reserved crab; set aside.

In a large clean bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Stir about one-quarter of egg whites into asparagus mixture. Carefully fold in the remaining egg whites using a rubber spatula. Scrape into prepared dish, sprinkle with remaining Parmigiano and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until pu–ed and golden. 

Serves 4 to 6 

 

Baked Mushroom Parmigiana 5*****

Baked Mushroom Parmigiana 5*****

Create a truly comforting casserole by breading and baking ample-sized caps then layering with loads of cheese and tomato sauce. This style of tomato sauce can be applied to other recipes like classic lasagna. Want a side of pasta? Simply double the sauce.

Ingredients:

Quick Tomato Sauce:

2 cans (each 875 g) 28 oz. whole San Marzano tomatoes

½ cup (125 mL) extra virgin olive oil
10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ tsp (2 mL) chili flakes
2 tsp (10 mL) granulated sugar
1 basil sprig including stem
Breaded Mushrooms
3 tbsp (45 mL) extra virgin olive oil
1½ cups (375 mL) panko bread crumbs
¾ cup to 1 cup (175 to 250 mL) all-purpose flour
4 eggs, beaten
12 medium-large or large portobello mushroom caps (stems removed) I used "stuffing" mushrooms from Costco 1 cup (250 mL) finely grated 
   Parmigiana- Reggiano
3 cups (750 mL) coarsely grated mozzarella, about 340-g ball
½ cup (125 mL) fresh basil leaves
Directions:

Open canned tomatoes so you can quickly add and avoid burning the garlic while fiddling with an opener. Pour ½ cup (125 mL) oil into a large wide pot. Set over medium heat. When shimmering or hot, add garlic and chili flakes. Stir frequently until lightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully add tomatoes. Using a wooden spoon or potato masher, gently break up the tomatoes. Add sugar. Stir often over medium until sauce comes to a simmer. Reduce heat so sauce gently simmers but isn’t splattering (likely low or medium-low). Add basil. Cook, stirring occasionally until thickened and flavourful, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove basil from sauce.

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

Bread mushrooms. Pour 3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil into a frying pan and set over medium-high heat. Add bread crumbs. Stir until toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. Cool completely. Place flour, eggs and toasted bread crumbs in separate pie plates or wide shallow dishes. Dust mushrooms with flour then dip in egg. Coat with bread crumbs. Set on a large rimmed baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven until crispy-coated, about 12 minutes.

Spoon about 1 cup (250 mL) tomato sauce into a 9 x 13-inch (3-L) baking dish, spreading to evenly coat base of dish. Add 6 breaded and baked mushroom caps. Dollop with half of remaining sauce. Sprinkle with half of cheese. Repeat with a second layer, ending with cheese.

Reduce oven temperature to 375°F (190°C).

Bake in centre of preheated oven until mushrooms are very tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Scatter basil overtop. Serve a stack of 2 caps for each serving alongside pasta or a hearty green side such as steamed broccolini or roasted asparagus.    Makes 6 servings