Cooking Class #2: Fresh Pasta

Tonight, I went to my second cooking class of the semester, a class dedicated to the art and styling of fresh pasta. This class was, in a word, YUM! We made two types of fresh pasta, two different sauces, and a dessert. Recipies to follow:

Fresh Egg Pasta (Pasta all'Uova)
2 eggs
50 g. wheat flour
150 g. white flour
salt to taste

Put the flour in a mount on a large wooden pastry board, making a large well in teh center of the mound. Break the eggs into the hold, add a generous pinch of salt.
Break the eggs, salt well then slowly begin incorporating the flour from the inside perimeter of the well into the mixture with a fork. Knead well until smooth and elastic.
Gather the dough into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let rest for at least 30 minutes before using.

With the pasta machine:

Cut the ball of dough into two equal parts. Working with one half at a time, flour the dough, and fold in three and roll with a rolling pin. Repeat two times. Run the dough through the machine at settings 1, 3, and 4, folding and repeating until the pasta is the desired consistency. For ravioli, finish on setting 6.

Fresh Water Pasta
50 g. white flour
100 g. wheat flour
75 g. water
salt

Prepare a well on the work surface, add a pinch of salt and slowly add the water, mixing with your free hand. Put all but a few drops of the water to avoid over wetting the dough. Knead the dough vigorously until smooth and elastic and dry to the touch. Cover with cling film or a cloth and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes. 

Follow procedure indicated previously for using with pasta machine.

Meat Sauce Bolognese (Ragu alla Bolognese)
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, minced
1-2 carrots, minced
250 g. ground beeg
1/2 cup red wine
500 g. fresh or canned tomatoes, peeled
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add the onion, carrots and celery; cook until the onion is slightly browned and the carrot and celery have begun to soften (about 2-3 minutes); add the ground beef and cook until browned.

Add the wine, cook until reduced; add the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and cook for two hours with teh pot half covered witha  lid. If the ragu appears to be drying up, add a little bit of warm water.

Yields 4 servings.

Spinach Ravioli (Ravioli di Ricotta e Spinaci)
450 g. fresh pasta
250 g. Ricotta cheese
500 g. spinach
1 egg
60 g. parmesea
salt
pepper
nutmeg



Clean the spinach, boil it, let it cool, squeeze out the water, and then chop finely.

Strain the ricotta cheese and place in a mixing bowl with the spinach, Parmesan, egg, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Roll the dough into a thin layer and cut with the ravioli cutter.

Place small teaspoons of filling along the line of dough, leaving about one finger's width of room between them. Seal the dough along the edges, taking care to press out excess air, and to firmly close the edges.

Panna Cotta con Strawberry Sauce

6 g. of gelatin
40 mL of milk
200 mL of whipping cream
40 g. of sugar
1/2 vanilla bean

300 g. fresh strawberries
180 g. sugar

Whisk together the cream, vanilla, and sugar. Put the gelatin in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes.
Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat until hot, but do NOT boil.
Dry the gelatin and put into the warm milk; stir until gelatin is dissolved.
In a saucepan, warm the cream mixture over low heat, stirring continuously until just boiling; remove from heat and add the milk/gelatin to the cream and stir to mix.
Run individual-serving foil cups or ramekins under cold water. Shake out water, but do not dry cups.
Fill each cup with the panna cotta until full, being sure the tops are level; refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Top with chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, or fruit sauce as desired.