Making Artisan Pasta

177 Pages·2011·12.99 MB·English

by  Aliza Green

MMMAAAKKKIIINNNGGG AAARRRTTTIIISSSAAANNN
PASTA
PPAASSTTAA

MMMAAAKKKIIINNNGGG AAARRRTTTIIISSSAAANNN
PASTA
PPAASSTTAA
HOW TO MAKE A WORLD OF
HANDMADE NOODLES,
STUFFED PASTA, DUMPLINGS,
AND MORE
I dedicate this book to the pasta artisans of the world,
who create delicious art with their hands daily.
CONTENTS
Foreword........................................8
Introduction.....................................10
PART I: THE BASICS
CHAPTER ONE: CHAPTERTHREE:
PASTA INGREDIENTS 14 FLAVORING PASTA DOUGH 48
Water..........................................18 RoastedRedPepperPasta Dough....................50
Eggs ..........................................19 AsparagusPasta Dough ...........................52
Wheat .........................................22 SpinachPasta Dough (Pasta Verde) ..................53
Red Beet Pasta Dough.............................54
CHAPTERTWO:
SquashPasta Dough..............................55
MAKING PASTA DOUGH
Red Wine Pasta Dough ............................56
FROM WHEAT AND OTHER FLOURS 28
Porcini Mushroom Pasta Dough......................57
Basic Egg Pasta Dough by Hand.....................30 Saffron–White Wine Pasta Dough....................58
Basic Egg Pasta Dough Using a Heavy-Duty Stand Mixer..33 SquidInkPasta Dough ............................59
Basic Egg Pasta Dough Using a Food Processor.........35 ChocolatePasta Dough............................60
Using Other Flours to Make Pasta Doughs..............37 Lemon-PepperPasta Dough ........................61
Whole Wheat Pasta Dough..........................37
BuckwheatPasta Dough...........................38
RyePasta Dough.................................38
Cornmeal-ChipotlePasta Dough.....................39
SemolinaPasta Dough ............................39
Methods for Forming Pasta.........................40
Hand-StretchedPasta Dough ....................42
RollingPasta Dough with a Sheeter................45
PART II: THE PASTA
CHAPTER FOUR:
DUMPLINGS 64
PotatoGnocchi ..................................66
SemolinaGnocchi (Gnocchi alla Romana)..............69
RavioliGnudi....................................72
Matzo Balls.....................................74
Spaetzle........................................76
Passatelli ......................................78
CHAPTER FIVE:
PASTA SHEETS 80
Maltagliati......................................82
LaminatedParsleyPasta...........................84
Lasagna .......................................86
Cannelloni......................................91
CHAPTERSIX:
MAKING CUT PASTA 94
A World of AsianNoodles...........................96
Hand-RolledAlsatianNouilles.......................98
Cappellini.....................................100
PorciniTagliatelle...............................102
Straw and Hay..................................104
Pappardelle and Tagliolini.........................106 CHAPTER EIGHT:
STUFFED PASTA 134
Pasta alla Chitarra..............................108
BuckwheatPizzoccheri ...........................110 MakingRavioli Using a Plaque.....................138
Japanese Udon Noodles...........................112 Tortelloni......................................141
Tortellini ......................................143
CHAPTERSEVEN:
Caramelle.....................................146
SPECIALTY HAND-FORMED PASTA 114
Pierogi........................................148
Ricotta Cavatelli from Puglia ......................116 ChinesePotStickers.............................152
Sardinian Malloreddus ...........................118 UkrainianSour Cherry Vareniki .....................154
Genoese Chestnut Corzetti.........................120 GenoesePansotti................................156
Garganelli.....................................122 GiantAsparagusRaviolo with Soft-Cooked Egg ........158
Chinese Cat’s Ear Noodles (Mao Er Duo)..............124 Turkish Manti...................................162
Pugliese Orecchiette.............................126 SiberianPelmeni................................164
Umbrian Ombrichelli.............................128
GreekTrahana..................................130
Glossary.......................................166
Resources.....................................168
Flour and Grain Weight and Volume Equivalents........170
Index.........................................171
Acknowledgments...............................175
About the Author and Photographer..................176
8 MAKING ARTISAN PASTA
FOREWORD
I FIRST MET ALIZA GREEN when One of my earliest memories
she was working on a new edi- is learning from my grandmother
tion of her book, The Bean Bible. A how to hand roll tordelli, a tradi-
fellow mangiafagioli (bean eater— tional pasta from my home town
also a nickname for people from of Lucca. I can still practically
Tuscany, my home), she contacted do it in my sleep. Follow Aliza’s
me to learn more about the heir- detailed instructions, accom-
loom Tuscan beans that I import panied by Steve Legato’s clear,
for my company, The Republic of attractive photographs, and even
Beans. if you don’t have an Italian grand-
We hit it off immediately mother, you can learn to make
because we share a love of rustic, excellent hand rolled pasta for
unpretentious food with strong tagliolini, tortelli (another name
roots in tradition and contempo- for ravioli), and tortelloni. A per-
rary creativity. She understands sonal favorite is pappardelle, the
cooking from both the heart and wide ribbon-shaped pasta that
the intellect. As a lifelong food has been a Tuscan specialty for
explorer, voracious reader, and hundreds of years, always served
accomplished self-taught chef, with a slow-cooked, herb-scented
Aliza is flexible and curious, and meat or game ragù.
she’s a relentless researcher. In Italy, we eat pasta as just
I don’t know many chefs who one of five courses:
would spend five years studying
(cid:1) ANTIPASTI(appetizers such
Italian just to be able to cook more
as marinated vegetables, olives,
authentic food!
thin-sliced cured meats—or
Aliza spent many years devel-
pimzimonio or raw vegetables
oping her pasta skills, preparing
dipped in extra virgin olive oil)
traditional and creative fresh
pasta for customers in the res- (cid:1) PRIMI (first course, pasta, soup,
taurants where she established polenta, or risotto)
a well-deserved reputation as
(cid:1) SECONDI (meat course, not a
one of Philadelphia’s top chefs,
gigantic steak)
at a time when few thought of
that city as a culinary center. To (cid:1) CONTORNI (side dishes, veg-
research Making Artisan Pasta and etables)
hone her pasta techniques, she
(cid:1) DOLCI (sweets, not too much
worked with chefs, artisan pasta
and not too sweet).
makers, and home cooks in Italy
and elsewhere.
9
Because the meat is surrounded describes how the three main
by other foods, we Tuscans, ingredients in fresh pasta dough—
though meat is important to us, flour, eggs, and water—work, not
eat it in smaller portions. This was just taste. If your potato gnocchi
originally because of economics, taste more like “potato bullets”
but now we also consider environ- (an old Italian name for gnoc-
mental and health concerns. We chi translates to this), through
don’t drown our pasta in sauce, Aliza’s techniques you’ll succeed
and we cook it so it is quite chewy, in making light, tender gnocchi
which is both more healthful and anyone would be proud to serve.
more fun. Perhaps you’ve wanted to try pas-
I’m not a purist. I don’t think satelli, garganelli, or cavatelli?
everything has to be done the Don’t settle for mediocre indus-
same way it was one hundred trial “fresh” pasta, and don’t be
or two hundred years ago, with intimidated by lack of experience.
specific ingredients and pre- Follow Aliza’s instructions and
sentation. If anything, it’s the you’re sure to succeed.
opposite. I love taking traditional Aliza’s pasta is a delicious
dishes from Veneto, Puglia, even combination of authentic and
ancient Rome and translating traditional, creative and seasonal
them into something new. I like hailing from many parts of the
“free-range” cooking that takes world. In Making Artisan Pasta,
inspirations from all periods and she makes the techniques easy
all of Italy. In Making Artisan Pasta, to understand and recreate for
Aliza includes classic Italian reci- home cooks working in home
pes like tortellini from Bologna, kitchens in the real world, though
ombrichelli from Orvieto, and professionals will gain valuable
corzetti from Genoa, as well as knowledge from this book. Aliza’s
manti from Turkey, pierogi from genuine love of pasta shines
Poland, and nouilles from Alsace here, encouraging readers to try
so readers can learn and experi- it for themselves and even learn
ment freely. to make the ultimate: their own
Aliza teaches us why some hand-stretched pasta.
flours yield dough that stretches And, I even use Aliza’s books
easily and others yield dough that to teach my staff about their star
snaps back like a rubber band; ingredients.
why some flours yield meltingly
tender pasta and others yield —CESARE CASELLA
chewy pasta with a bite. She Dean of the Italian Culinary
Academy, New York City
10 MAKING ARTISAN PASTA
INTRODUCTION
MAKING YOUR OWN PASTA is a the quality of ingredients, their
satisfying way to work with your proportion, technique, and combi-
hands to create something beauti- nation is essential.
ful and delicious from ingredients I had the privilege of learning
that you choose. Handmade to make fresh pasta from Marcella
artisan pasta (especially hand- Hazan, who was responsible
stretched dough) is full of for introducing the cuisine of
character: silky, chewy texture; Bologna to the United States in
full, fresh flavor; and pure, bright the late 1970s, as well as by work-
color. You can roll the dough to ing with skilled pasta artisans
any thickness and cut it in any from Southern and Northern Italy.
shape. For stuffed pasta, you can Bologna is known as La Grassa,
create your own fillings from the fat, because of the copious
top-quality ingredients, without amounts of eggs, aged cheese,
preservatives—local and seasonal and fine salumeria (cured meats)
if you desire—and seasoned to used there in the heart of Italy’s
your taste. fresh pasta belt. Back then, I spent
To make most of the pastas time in the kitchens of several
in this book, you’ll need only a Bolognese restaurants where
few well-made tools, reasonable the pasta was made every day
kitchen skills, and some upper from deep red-orange eggs and
body strength. I share helpful tips ultra-silky 00 flour finely milled
from many years of experience, especially for pasta and hand-
some of the pitfalls, and how to stretched into enormous sheets,
fix your mistakes. Remember: thin and large as a tablecloth.
The project that doesn’t work out Over time, new frozen “fresh”
teaches you the most. pasta companies grew, so chefs no
Pasta is fun for all ages, too. longer needed to make their own
Ridged bronze pasta cutting wheel Children love cranking out the pasta. Soon, everyone was serving
sheets of dough, then using a ravi- “homemade” ravioli, and it was
oli plaque to fill their own ravioli. no longer special. But there is no
Adults love sampling new shapes, doubt that for each step you take
flavors, fillings, and sauces, and away from the handmade prod-
everyone can enjoy the many uct that is made fresh every day,
flavors, shapes, and textures of something subtle but important
pasta. As with all simple foods is lost.
such as bread and ice cream,