Pappardelle with Parsley Basil Garlic & Green Olives
Serves 4
It’s always fun to get into the kitchen and play with food. I should know. I’ve been doing it my entire life. Chopping, dicing, slicing, grilling, roasting, poaching, all of it make my senses come alive. The sights, sounds, feel and aromas of the kitchen when I’m cooking for my boys or our friends or a culinary class always excites me. What can I say, I’m in heaven when I’m in the kitchen because I believe freshly made, nutrient dense, and delicious food is a true blessing in life.
I’m always excited to teach others about cooking. It is the life skill that is at the center of leading a rich, full, and healthy life. Give this dish a try. It you’re like me and want to make the most of being in the kitchen, you’ll try and make your own pasta. The adventure won’t add that much more time to the recipe.
Making your own pasta dough is simple and easy. I love the feel of the cold dough as I massage it through my fingers. The dough changes from soft to firm as you work it, until it’s ready to rest. Next, you roll into the size and shape that you need for your dish. Pasta is so versatile. It’s the best comfort food out there, and the combinations you can come up with are endless. As you gain more confidence try making your next batch with squid ink, tomato paste, spinach, or beets.
Mark’s Pasta Making Tips:
• If you are rushed for time, you can throw everything into a food processor and blend it until the dough is smooth. Wrap with plastic and leave to rest for 20 minutes before rolling out.
• If you’re making it by hand then it’s important to make the pasta dough on a cold surface such as marble.
• Too much flour and your pasta will be dry. Not enough flour and your pasta will be wet. Remember you can always add flour, but you can’t take it away.
• Lightly flour your pasta machine every time before you feed the dough through to prevent it from sticking.
• Make sure your hands, backs and palms, and the surface you’re working on are lightly coated with flour.
• Never wash your pasta machine. Don’t have a pasta machine? Invest in one.
• If you can, use 00 or 0 Flour, which is an Italian milled flour that is used for pasta making. It is similar to unbleached all-purpose flour, which is a mix of hard and soft wheat. While finer, it creates a dough that is silkier and maintains a chewiness when the pasta is cooked.
Ingredients:
12 oz homemade pappardelle (If not, a good quality, freshly made, store-bought version will do.)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, freshly chopped
1 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives (or your favorite olive)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes crushed
3 tablespoons. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons basil leaves, freshly chopped
1 fresh lemon, zest and juice of
Maldon salt (optional)
How to make:
For the pasta, follow the cooking instructions on the packet. Reserve half a cup of the pasta cooking water.
Take a large saucepan and place over a medium to high heat. When hot, add the oil and then the smashed garlic cloves. Cook, stirring often and pressing down on the cloves so they make contact with the bottom of the pan. In about three minutes, they should be golden and soft. Do not burn.
Add the parsley, stirring occasionally, for another 3 minutes. Toss in the olives and red pepper flakes. Cook for another minute to let the flavors infuse.
Carefully transfer the cooked pasta to the saucepan with the garlic. Add the butter and half cup of reserved pasta liquid. Toss until each strand of pasta is coated with the sauce. Remove the pasta from the heat and toss in the freshly chopped basil, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Taste, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, if needed.
Homemade Pasta
Ingredients:
2 00 or 0 cups flour
Salt
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
4 whole eggs plus 2 yolks
How to make:
Sieve the flour onto a cold surface and use a fork to form a well in the center. Season the center of the well with salt. Add the olive oil. Break the eggs into bowl and whisk together. Pour a third of the whisked eggs into the well. Use a fork to gradually incorporate the flour into the eggs. Once the flour has soaked up most of the egg, add another third and continue to mix into the flour. Create another well in the middle of the flour and egg mixture for the remaining egg mixture. Combine the dough until it looks like large bread crumbs.
Once all the egg is incorporated, flour your hands and begin forming a ball. Continue to flour your hands and knead the ball of dough until firm and elastic, about 10 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap before placing in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before rolling out and cutting into the shape you require.