Pappardelle

 
What would a cooking blog be without a recipe for Bolognese?

And what would an obsessive cook's recipe for Bolognese be without the recipe for pasta? - in this case pappardelle.

In Italian the name 'pappardelle' is taken from the word 'pappare' meaning to 'eat ravenously' or to 'gobble up'.

Why Fresh Pasta?

Why fresh pasta you may ask? For the flavour and the texture I would answer.

There is nothing like the flavour of fresh pasta.

In Italy there are some well loved pasta recipes that may seem simplistic - pasta with garlic and oil or 'aglio e olio' in Italian - but that's because the main flavour is the pasta itself. Preparing fresh pasta shows how fantastic pasta can really be as the highlight of the meal rather than just the accompaniment.

Ingredients

 

• 150g Pasta Flour
  
• 150g Semolina
  
• 2 Whole Eggs
  
• 2 Egg Yolks
  
• Olive Oil
  

 

Process

1. Mix the pasta flour and semolina together in a bowl.

2. Add the two eggs and further two egg yolks to the flour mix.

3. Add a short drizzle of olive oil.

4. Mix the eggs, oil, and flour mix in the bowl until it comes together.

5. Tip out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough has come together and is springy to the touch, adding flour if the dough is too wet.

6. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 4 hours before rolling.

7. Cut the dough into four pieces and roll through a pasta machine until the desired thickness.

8. Cut the pasta dough into ribbons 1 inch wide - this is your papardelle.

9. When needed cook in boiling salted water.

 

Of Interest

 

• Some pasta recipes use different amounts of pasta flour and semolina / egg yolks, claiming the more semolina and egg yolks the better the pasta. By adding more semolina and egg yolks the pasta will have a stronger flavour - whether that's good for you all depends on your taste. I've gone 50/50 which I think gives the best result.
  
• When mixing the dough you don't want it to be too wet or too dry. Again find the middle ground. This is difficult to explain because it's a very sensory thing - however it will become evident when you try to roll the dough:
  
  • If the dough is too wet it will slip in the rollers when you are trying to roll it.
    
  • If the dough is too dry it will 'crumble' through the rollers and may become patchy and full of holes.
    
• Ensure you leave the dough to rest in the fridge! Every time I have not rested the dough it becomes very temperamental through the rollers. It is a dream to roll out compared when it is left in the fridge to rest.
  
• Take your dough out of the fridge a half hour or more before rolling - it's much easier to roll dough at room temperature rather than cold.
  
• When rolling your dough try laminating it - flatten it with a rolling pin first so it runs through the machine easier - and then fold the dough and run through again. Re-fold and re-roll a few times. This seems to strengthen the sheet of pasta and allows you to achieve a more consistent rectangular shape.
  
• Cutting the dough into four pieces works for my pasta machine but might not work for yours. Your may need more or less depending on your pasta machine and your technique. I cut the dough into four pieces, roll, and then halve each piece when completely rolled out before slicing into ribbons. From the recipe I end up with eight sheets of pasta that each turn into 5 ribbons of pappardelle.
  
• Ensure that the pasta is floured through the rolling process. As your pasta rolls out it tends to like to stick to things - like the bench. Keeping it floured keeps it manageable.
  
• When cooking the pasta ensure you use a lot of water.
  
• Try not to overcook fresh pasta. It only needs 2 to 4 minutes to cook. Fresh pasta should still be 'al dente'. The pasta you pull out of the water should look similar to the pasta you put into the water. If cooked to the point where it increases in size and becomes very white in colour the pasta may have been overcooked and can become 'gluggy'.
  
• When removed from the water I give my pasta a quick drain and then toss with olive oil to ensure it doesn't stick together before being plated.