So I have made my first tagliatelle and cannelloni, even ravioli, once, trying out different thicknesses and levels of rolling lengthwise and across, the pasta dough with and without olive oil, with large eggs and medium eggs, ...much more still to try and master.
One thing is clear, making your own pasta is not so difficult at all and it tastes really great. I doubt that I will be buying fresh pasta from a shop any time soon.
Now is mushroom time and therefore a very simple but still delicate recipe with the lovely yellow chanterelles or Eierschwämmli as they are known in Switzerland. In Estonian they are called "kukeseened" - in direct translation "cock´s mushrooms".
Fresh Pasta Recipe
300g wheat flour, durum wheat, if possible
3 medium eggs
1 teaspoon of olive oil
a small pinch of salt
Put the flour on the working table and make a hole in the middle. Break the eggs into the hole, add the oil and a little salt. Now start working with a fork from the middle mixing the eggs with the flour into a dough. Knead for a few minutes with your hands. If the dough is sticky, slightly wet your palm(s) with cold water and pat the water from your palms into the dough. Cover with the plastic film and leave to rest in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.
Set up the pasta rolling machine and spread some flour around the workspace. Roll from the widest towards the thinner width. At the widest level roll a handful of dough once, then fold twice and roll again lengthwise or fold into three and roll across. Roll a couple of times in the next width as well. Then follow through the other widths. I find #2 or #3 a suitable width for my tagliatelle. #1 feels too thin with a sauce. On the other part of the machine cut the thin pasta sheets into tagliatelle, drop into some flour to keep them from sticking together and spread the tagliatelle on kitchen towels. They may dry there until it´s time to boil the pasta.
Before boiling the pasta, prepare the sauce as the pasta needs only a few minutes. Set a big pot with water to boil. Add a teaspoon of salt into the water before it starts to boil.
Chanterelle Mushroom Sauce
600g chanterelles
20-30g butter
500ml fresh cream
salt and pepper
chives or flat parlsey
In the meanwhile clean the chanterelles from any soil or other unnecessary parts and particles. If necessary cut the bigger mushrooms into smaller pieces.
Set a sautee pan to the heat and put the chanterelles into an empty pan. Stir a few rounds and cook the mushrooms until the water comes out and evaporates before adding the butter. Sautee for a few minutes until the mushrooms start to brown a little. Add the cream and season with salt and black pepper. Cook the sauce for 5 minutes, then take off the heat.
Now the water is simmering. Don´t let it bubble, otherwise the pasta will be too soft.Cook the pasta for 2-3 minutes, but be careful not to over cook them. Rinse the tagliatelle, sprinkle some olive oil on pasta to avoid sticking and immediately mix the pasta with the sauce.
Garnish with chopped chives or parsley.
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| Fresh pasta with fresh chanterelle mushrooms |