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Community Corner

Hard To Beat Fresh-Made Pasta For Great Flavor

Here's a savory dish Teddy made that begins by rolling out and cooking fresh pasta.

Editor's note: Warren resident Frank DeVico has been following his son, Teddy, 15, as Teddy learns about gourmet cooking and fine restaurants. Teddy launched his own blog at teenchefteddy.blogspot.com, and he and Frank will be sharing their experiences in this column.

Readers with questions about cooking, restaurants and new flavors for Frank and Teddy to explore are welcome to email them to john.patten@patch.com, then check back every Friday for the DeVicos' Culinary Quest.

"Fresh pasta is king in my world, the textural chew puts dry pasta to shame," Teddy said. "Don't get me wrong dry pasta can be delicious, but if I had to choose between the two I would choose fresh every day of the week.

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"The recipe I use comes from 'The French Laundry Cookbook'; the pasta dough itself is very high in percentage of egg yolks, which adds a great richness and a gorgeous golden hue.

"To start the dough, pour your flour out onto your cutting board and make a well (pile up the flour, leaving a n area in the middle to add the wet ingredients). Add the remaining ingredients and mix (I like to use a fork) the wet ingredients together slowly incorporating some flour.

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"Do not break the well! If you do, the egg mixture will spill out and make a massive mess.

"Once all of the flour is incorporated the kneading begins...I knead my dough in my Kitchenaid mixer for about 8 minutes.I don't have a pasta machine.. .I should get one.

"Rolling out pasta by hand is not customary anymore, but I had to work with what I had. I used a rolling pin and rolled out the dough as thin as possible and then squared it off and cut some pappardelle.

"To cook the pasta, bring a gallon of water to boil and season heavily with salt—you want the water to taste like the ocean. This is the only chance to season the pasta in the inside. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until the pasta is almost al dente. Strain the pasta and put it in your sauce for a minute or two. Here's tip: throw some of that starchy pasta liquid into your sauce to thicken and add flavor!

"The sauce I used today consisted of sweated onion and garlic, reduced chicken stock, lemon, butter, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese. I garnished the pasta with some seasoned ricotta and that was it.

"Simple food done great really cannot be beat. What a success this was, I will be making this more often."

Pasta Ingredients: 8 oz flour, 6 egg yolks, 1 whole egg, 1 TB Milk, 1 /12 tsp Olive Oil
Pasta Directions:

  • Dump the flour on your cutting board and make a well.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and whisk them together with a fork
  • Slowly incorporate the flour and then form into a ball
  • Knead in stand mixer for 8 minutes (or by hand for about 15-20 minutes, depends on kneading skills)
  • Use pasta machine to roll out (If you do not have a pasta machine roll it out as thin as possible with rolling pin)
  • Square the dough and cut into 1/4 inch strips
  • Cook for 2 minutes in heavily salted water
  • Add to your sauce with a little bit of the starchy pasta water and cook for another minute
  • Serve with seasoned riccotta

Sauce Ingredients: 1 Onion, 6 cloves garlic, 2 cups homemade chicken stock, salt and pepper to taste, zest and juice from one lemon, 1 TB butter, 3/4 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese, 1 TB Grapeseed Oil
Sauce Directions:

  • Slice the garlic and onion thinly
  • Add onion, salt, pepper, and oil to pan over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes and then add the garlic and cook for another 10 minutes
  • Add the chicken stock and put the burner on high and let it reduce by half
  • Add lemon, cheese, and butter

Taste for seasoning
Riccotta Ingredients: 1 cup riccotta cheese, salt and pepper to taste, zest and juice of 1 lemon
Riccotta directions: Mix together and taste for seasoning.

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