Pasta, a versatile dish enjoyed worldwide, offers a symphony of flavors and textures that can tantalize any palate. From the classic spaghetti and meatballs to the delectable ravioli stuffed with ricotta cheese, pasta has become an integral part of culinary traditions across cultures. This comprehensive guide delves into the art of crafting the perfect pasta dough, providing a master recipe that serves as the foundation for an array of delectable dishes. Whether you prefer the simplicity of aglio e olio or the richness of carbonara, this guide equips you with the knowledge and techniques to create authentic Italian pasta dishes in the comfort of your own kitchen.
Within this article, you'll find a treasure trove of pasta recipes that cater to diverse preferences and skill levels. From the beloved spaghetti Bolognese, a hearty and flavorful classic, to the elegant cacio e pepe, a delightful combination of cheese and pepper, these recipes offer a culinary journey through Italy's diverse regional cuisines. Learn the secrets of crafting the perfect lasagna, a layered masterpiece that showcases the harmony of pasta, cheese, and sauce. Discover the intricacies of ravioli, delicate pockets of pasta filled with savory fillings, and explore the art of creating tortellini, the ring-shaped pasta that embodies the culinary heritage of Bologna.
This comprehensive guide not only provides recipes but also delves into the nuances of pasta making, offering tips and tricks to elevate your pasta-making skills. Learn how to select the finest ingredients, master the art of kneading and shaping the dough, and discover the secrets of cooking pasta to achieve the perfect al dente texture. With detailed instructions, helpful variations, and insightful cooking tips, this guide empowers you to create authentic Italian pasta dishes that will impress your family and friends. Embark on this culinary adventure and unlock the boundless possibilities of pasta, transforming your kitchen into a haven of Italian culinary delights.
BASIC FRESH PASTA DOUGH
Fresh pasta isn't something to master in one go. It takes time and practice, but it yields dividends. This particular recipe is vastly versatile. It can be made into whole grain pasta, by swapping in 1 cup sifted whole wheat, spelt or farro flour in place of 1 cup all-purpose or 00 flour. Add more egg yolks or water as needed and rest the dough for 1 hour. Or try a green pasta, as in this ravioli verdi: Steam or sauté 6 ounces baby spinach (about 6 cups) until just wilted. Spread it out on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and, when cool, squeeze water out thoroughly, a handful at a time, then chop roughly. Purée with 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk, then use this mixture in place of eggs in the recipe. Or, for something a little different, make an herbed pasta, like this pappardelle, by stirring in 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley, chives, chervil, tarragon, or basil in any combination to the eggs before adding to the flour in the main recipe.
Provided by Samin Nosrat
Categories dinner, lunch, pastas, main course
Time 45m
Yield 4 to 6 servings for cut pasta, 6 to 8 servings for stuffed pasta
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Mound the flour in the center of a large, wide mixing bowl. Dig a well in the center of the mound and add eggs and yolks. Using a fork, beat together the eggs and begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well. The dough will start to come together in a shaggy mass when about half of the flour is incorporated.
- Use your fingers to continue to mix the dough. Press any loose bits of flour into the mass of dough. If needed, add another egg yolk or a tablespoon of water to absorb all of the flour. Once the dough comes together into a cohesive mass, remove it from the bowl.
- Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 4 to 5 more minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic and uniform in color. Wrap the dough in plastic and set aside for at least 30 minutes (and up to 4 hours) at room temperature.
- Line three baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly dust with semolina flour. Set aside.
- Cut off a quarter of the dough. Rewrap rest, and set aside. Use the heel of your hand to flatten the dough into an oval approximately the same width as your pasta machine, about six inches. Set the rollers to their widest setting and pass the dough through.
- Lay the dough out onto a lightly floured cutting board or countertop and neatly press together into halves, so it's again about the same width of the pasta machine. Feed the pasta through again at the widest setting. Think of these first rollings as an extended kneading. Continue to fold the dough in thirds and roll it until it is smooth, silky and even-textured. Do your best to make the sheet the full width of the machine.
- Once the dough is silky and smooth, you can begin to roll it out more thinly. Roll it once through each of the next two or three settings, adding flour as needed, until the dough is about 1/4-inch thick.
- Once the pasta is about 1/4-inch thick, begin rolling it twice through each setting. As you roll, lightly sprinkle all-purpose or 00 flour on both sides of the pasta to prevent it from sticking to itself.
- Roll out pasta until you can just see the outline of your hand when you hold it under a sheet, about 1/16-inch thick for noodles, or 1/32-inch thick for a filled pasta. (On most machines, you won't make it to the thinnest setting.)
- Cut pasta into sheets, about 12 to 14 inches long. Dust the sheets lightly with semolina flour and stack on one of the prepared baking sheets and cover with a clean, lightly dampened kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining dough.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 197, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 32 grams, Fat 4 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 7 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 28 milligrams, Sugar 0 grams, TransFat 0 grams
HOMEMADE PASTA DOUGH
Go for it. Once you try homemade pasta, you're hooked. -Kathryn Conrad, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 15m
Yield 6 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- In a small bowl, whisk the first 6 ingredients. On a clean work surface, mix the all-purpose and semolina flours, forming a mound. Make a large well in the center. Pour egg mixture into the well. Using a fork or fingers, gradually mix flour mixture into egg mixture, forming a soft dough (the dough will be slightly sticky)., Lightly dust work surface with flour; knead dough gently 5 times. Divide into 6 portions; cover and let rest 30 minutes., To make fettuccine, roll each ball into a 10x8-in. rectangle, dusting lightly with flour. Roll up jelly-roll style. Cut into 1/4-in.-wide strips. Cook in boiling water 1-3 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 217 calories, Fat 5g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 93mg cholesterol, Sodium 124mg sodium, Carbohydrate 34g carbohydrate (0 sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 8g protein.
EASY HOMEMADE PASTA DOUGH
Consistently great and easy pasta dough. This makes really great homemade linguine or ravioli for a manual pasta machine. If its too sticky, just roll a bit in flour. This recipe makes enough pasta for 24 small raviolis or 4 servings of linguine. Whatever pasta you make should take no more than 4 to 6 minutes to boil.
Provided by pho1962
Categories 100+ Everyday Cooking Recipes
Time 25m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Beat flour, eggs, olive oil, and salt together in a bowl. Add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to flour mixture until a smooth and very thick dough forms.
- Turn dough out onto a work surface and knead for 10 minutes. Let dough rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Divide dough into 8 balls and use a pasta machine to roll and cut dough into desired pasta shape.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 340.8 calories, Carbohydrate 48 g, Cholesterol 139.5 mg, Fat 11.1 g, Fiber 1.7 g, Protein 11.2 g, SaturatedFat 2.2 g, Sodium 635.5 mg, Sugar 0.5 g
MASTER RECIPE FOR PASTA DOUGH
Make and share this Master Recipe for Pasta Dough recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Diana in KS
Categories Spaghetti
Time 5m
Yield 1 pound
Number Of Ingredients 2
Steps:
- Pulse flour in workbowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade to evenly distribute.
- Add eggs; process until dough forms a rough ball.
- (about 30 seconds.
- If dough resembles small pebbles, add water, ½ teaspoon at a time.
- If dough sticks to side of workbowl, add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, and process until dough forms a rough ball.).
- Turn dough ball and small bits out onto a dry work surface.
- knead until dough is smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until you're ready to run through pasta machine.
BASIC PASTA DOUGH
Provided by Food Network
Yield about 1 pound or 4 portions
Number Of Ingredients 2
Steps:
- On a clean dry work surface, make a mound of the flour and, using your fingers, make a well in the center of the mound. Using a fork, break the shell of the eggs one by one and drop the eggs into the center of the well you made of the flour. With the fork, beat the eggs together. Again using the fork, slowly begin to fold the flour in towards the center of the well to incorporate the flour into the beaten eggs. As you mix the flour with the beaten eggs, it will begin to form a doughy mass. Work this mass using your fingers until it begins to lose its moist and sticky character.
- When the mass begins to feel uniformly dry, begin to work the dough using both hands: kneading with the palms of both hands, pushing from the center of the ball of dough outwards and folding the near edge inwards to begin the kneading cycle again. The kneading stage should take about 10 minutes by hand.
- After the dough has been fully kneaded, it is time to thin the dough into sheets suitable for cutting. A manual pasta machine works wonders at this stage. Cut the ball of dough into three equal pieces. Form these pieces, by hand, into equal rectangular shape to be passed through the rollers of the pasta machine. Set the cylindrical rollers at their widest opening, put a piece of dough in the space between rollers and crank the handle to pass the dough through. As the sheet of pasta comes out the bottom of the rollers it should be set on a dry cotton towel to rest while you begin on the next piece. Repeat the thinning process with the remaining pieces of pasta, thinning and then setting aside, consecutively so that each piece of pasta is equally rolled out. When all the pasta has passed through the first rolling stage, set the machine to the next setting to begin rolling the pasta thinner. Start the rolling process again, beginning with the first piece of dough and continue with the remaining pieces. As each is rolled thinner set it aside and continue onto the next.
- As you return to the first piece of dough, set the cylinders one setting closer. Continue in this fashion until the pasta dough has been rolled out as thinly as possible.
- As the sheets of dough rest, keep them on a cotton towel, to prevent sticking to the work surface. When they are all rolled out you are ready to cut the pasta into the desired shape. They can be cut using the cutting wheels of the rolling machine or by hand using a knife.
Tips:
- Use the right flour: All-purpose flour is the most common type of flour used for pasta dough, but you can also use semolina flour or durum wheat flour for a chewier texture. If you're using a gluten-free flour, be sure to use a blend that includes a starch, such as potato starch or tapioca starch.
- Measure your ingredients carefully: The ratio of flour to liquid is important for the texture of the pasta dough. Too much flour will make the dough dry and crumbly, while too much liquid will make it sticky and difficult to work with.
- Knead the dough until it's smooth and elastic: Kneading the dough develops the gluten, which gives pasta its chewy texture. Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes, or until it's smooth and elastic.
- Let the dough rest before rolling it out: Letting the dough rest allows the gluten to relax, which makes it easier to roll out. Rest the dough for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
- Roll the dough out thinly: The thinner you roll out the dough, the more tender the pasta will be. Roll the dough out to a thickness of about 1/16-inch.
- Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water: The pasta should be cooked in a large pot of boiling water that's been salted. The water should be at a rolling boil when you add the pasta.
- Cook the pasta until it's al dente: Al dente means "to the tooth" in Italian. It refers to the texture of pasta that is cooked but still has a slight bite to it. Cook the pasta for the amount of time specified in the recipe, or until it's al dente.
Conclusion:
Pasta is a versatile dish that can be enjoyed in many different ways. With a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time, you can make your own delicious pasta at home. So next time you're in the mood for pasta, give this master recipe a try. You won't be disappointed!
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