chen Craft Episode 11: Pasta 101

Handmade orecchiette pasta with tomato sauce

For the pasta:

• 1 cup bread flour, or all-purpose flour, extra if needed
• 2 extra large free range eggs
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 generous pinch of salt

For the secret tomato sauce:

• 4 cloves of garlic, grated
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 T smoked chilli flakes
• 2 T tomato paste
• ¼ cup pasta water
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• A small handful of basil leaves, roughly torn, extra for garnishing
• ½ cup freshly grated hard cheese like parmesan or pecorino (or any other local hard cheese), extra for garnishing.

To make the pasta, add the flour to a clean work surface. Create a well in the centre and crack the eggs into it, along with the olive oil and salt.

Using a fork, gently scramble the eggs into the oil before carefully working the inner wall of flour into the egg mixture, gradually scrambling in more flour until the dough is firm enough to begin kneading. If the dough is still very wet and doesn’t hold its shape, add 1 T extra flour at a time.

Begin kneading the dough, stretching and pulling back until it becomes smooth and bounces back when pressed gently with a finger. (This will probably take about 8 minutes of kneading.) Cover your dough with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 35 minutes, or until slightly firmer and chilled.

After resting, divide the dough ball into quarters. Roll you first piece into a sausage-like shape about 15cm long before cutting into equal pillow-like shapes.

Dip a fork into some flour, then press the dough onto the fork before rolling down the prongs, to form grooves on the one side and a little ear-like shape on the other side. Continue this process with the rest of the dough.

 

Bring a pot of generously salted water to the boil. Add your pasta and cook until they rise to the surface, this take about 2 minutes. As soon as they rise, remove the pasta from the water and set aside. Drizzle with a little olive oil to prevent them sticking. (Reserve ¼ cup pasta water to add to the tomato sauce.)

To make the sauce: add garlic and olive oil to a cold pan then place over a medium heat. Once the garlic begins to caramelise, add the chilli flakes and tomato paste and stir to combine. Add the pasta water along with the basil leaves and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Toss the pasta with the sauce, along with the grated cheese. Serve the pasta with more grated cheese, torn fresh basil leaves, extra black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

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