February 2011

This is really two posts in one: homemade pasta and puttanesca sauce.  Let’s just get right to it.

My bridesmaids gave me the pasta attachment pack with the Kitchenaid stand mixer at my bridal shower and I have been dying to try making my own pasta.  A couple of weeks ago, I was craving pasta puttanesca, so it seemed like a great opportunity.

I used this recipe for the pasta.

You’ll need:

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons water

Method:

Combine the flour and salt in  a bowl.  Turn out onto a flat surface and create a well in the center.  Pour the egg into the center of the well.

So, make sure that the well is deep enough for the egg.  I didn’t and look what happened! {ignoring the awful lighting–I was trying to get a picture before the egg went everywhere!}

Gradually pull the flour into the center of the well and mix with the egg until you have a stiff dough.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of water to make the dough stick together.  Finally, knead the dough on a floured surface for 3-4 minutes.

Unfortunately, I could not take pictures of the pasta while I was rolling it out.  I followed the directions with the pasta attachments, since I had never used them before.  This dough made enough for 2 dinner servings plus a little leftover for the next day.

Bring a pot of water to boil.  While waiting, start on the puttanesca sauce.

I used my favorite recipe from Smitten Kitchen, with some modifications.  Mainly, I loosely follow the measurements.  I’m rather heavy-handed with this recipe, the more robust flavors, the better!  I also add a can of tomato sauce because I like my pasta to be coated in sauce–the original recipe only calls for diced tomatoes. I’ve tried it both ways and prefer my method.

The no-fail route to completing this recipe is to have all of the ingredients ready before starting to cook.  It moves really fast, so if the parsley still needs to be chopped, the garlic will probably burn and so on.  Mise en place is the key!

You’ll need:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup flat parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/8 crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 package of baby arugula
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Method:

Heat the oil in a saute pan.  Add the garlic and saute for a minute until fragrant but not browned.

Add the parsley, olives, capers, anchovy paste and crushed red pepper to the pan and saute for 2 minutes.

Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.  Simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in the arugula and simmer until it has wilted, about 1 minute.

Keep the sauce warm on the stove.  When the water is boiling, generously salt it so that it resembles ocean water.

Add the pasta and cook for 3-4 minutes.  Fresh pasta cooks faster than dried, be careful not to  over cook  it!

Drain the pasta and add it to the saute pan.  Stir well to coat the pasta with the sauce.

Serve immediately, with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

The salty, spiciness of this sauce is phenomenal.  Simmering the sauce gives the flavors time to really develop and meld together.  This dish does not have any meat, but to make it vegetarian I’d have to omit the anchovy paste and I think something would be missing without it.  This is really comfort food at it’s finest and it makes for great leftovers.

Enjoy!

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