Pasta 101

Recipes & Tips for Making Perfect Pasta

Presenters: Barbara Larsen- Salem Junior High
Margie Dobson- Spanish Fork Junior High
Pasta Recipes
Fresh Pasta Dough
(Makes about ¾ lb. (3 – 4 servings)

1 ½ cups all purpose Flour

2 eggs
½ tsp. Salt
1 Tbl. Olive oil
1 Tbl. Water

Place flour on a large floured surface. Make a well in the center. Break eggs
into the well. Add the salt, oil, and water. Beat the mixture in the well with a
fork. Using a fork, gently start to work the flour into the liquid. Continue until
the dough becomes sticky and difficult to work with the fork. Use your hands
to form the rough dough into a ball. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured
surface. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
Wrap the ball of dough in a piece of plastic wrap and let rest for 10 – 15
minutes. Proceed with rolling and cutting the pasta according to your recipe.

Basic Pasta Dough

( ½ lb 2 servings)

¾ cup all-purpose flour ¾ Tbl. Water

1 egg ¼ tsp. Salt
½ Tbl. Olive oil
Follow directions as given in the basic recipe for ¾ lb.

Basic Egg Pasta Dough

(1 lb. 5 – 6 servings)

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 3 eggs

¾ tsp. Salt 1 Tbl. Olive Oil
1 Tbl. Water

Follow directions as given in the basic recipe for ¾ lb.

Fresh Pasta Dough (-recipe From Harmon's Cooking School)
1 cup unbleached flour ½ cup durum wheat semolina
½ tsp. Salt 1 Tbl. Olive oil
3 eggs

Optional ingredients – sub for 1 egg if used

3 cups fresh spinach- blanched and pureed
1 fresh beet, roasted and pureed
1 Tbl. Tomato Puree
Place flour and salt in a mound on the table. Place olive oil and eggs in the middle of the
mound. Place the colorings in the middle. Gradually work the flour into the wet
ingredients until a stiff but moist dough is formed. Knead until smooth. Cover with plastic
wrap and let it rest . Roll out by hand or with machine.

Lemon Pasta Dough

2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

¾ tsp. Salt
3 eggs (using 2 whole eggs + 1 egg yolk)
2 Tbl. Lemon Juice
3 Tbl. Finely grated lemon zest
1 Tbl. Olive Oil

Follow same directions as Basic Egg Pasta Dough, but instead of using 3
whole eggs, use 2 whole eggs and 1 more yolk. Add Lemon Juice and zest
with the oil.

Tomato Paste Pasta

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

2 eggs
¾ tsp. Salt
1 Tbl. Olive Oil
1 Tbl. Water
1/3 cup tomato paste
(This dough tends to be sticky, you may need to add a little more flour)
Follow same directions as Basic Egg Pasta Dough, but instead of 3 eggs,
use only 2. Blend in tomato paste with the eggs until well combined.
Continue with the basic directions.
Whole Wheat Pasta

(makes 1 12/ lbs.)

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 4 eggs

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour 1 Tbl. Olive Oil
3 Tbl. Water ½ tsp. Salt

Follow same directions as Basic Egg Pasta Dough. You may have to add
additional water, 1 Tbl. At a time

Green Pasta Dough (Spinach Pasta)

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

2 eggs
¾ tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Olive Oil
1 bunch baby spinach leaves, washed

Chop off stems of spinach and place in 3 quarts of boil water. Plunge the
spinach into the boiling water and blanch for 2 minute. Remove from boiling
water with a slotted spoon and immediately place in a bowl of cold water
and ice. When spinach has cooled, remove from water and place on paper
towels. Pat with additional paper towel, removing as much water as
possible. Place in food processor and puree until it becomes a very fine
paste.

In mixer, add flour, salt, eggs, spinach and olive oil. Mix well until dough
forms. If too sticky as a little more flour and continue mixing. Knead on a
lightly floured board and wrap in plastic wrap to rest for 10- 15 minutes. Cut
as desired.

Spinach Ricotta Filling

1 lb. Spinach 1 egg

1 Tbl. Salt 2 Tbl. Heavy cream
1 lb. Ricotta cheese 4 Tbl. Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
¼ tsp. Nutmeg pinch black pepper
In a pot of boiling water, cook the spinach with half of the salt until tender.
Remove the spinach from the boiling water and let cool for 2-3 minutes.
Squeeze out the water from the spinach and chop it up roughly.
In a mixing bowl, combine chopped spinach, ricotta cheese, egg, heavy
cream, and 4 Tbl. Parmigiano Reggiano. Season with the nutmeg,
remaining salt, and black pepper.

Sage Brown Butter –( Recipe from Harmon's Cooking School)

¼ lb. Butter 1 Tbl. Chopped sage

1 small shallot, minced 1 garlic clove, minced

To make the sauce, melt the butter in a sauce pot. Cook slowly until the
butter becomes a golden color. Remove the pan from the heat and quickly
add all the remaining ingredients. Stir to incorporate and serve with the
raviolis.

Roasted Butternut Squash Filling

2 lb. Butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded

¼ medium onion, chopped
1 Tbl. Sage, chopped
1 Tbl. Unsalted butter
¼ cup heavy cream
1 garlic clove, minced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a sheet tray, butter the squash and place
on tray in the oven. Cook till fork tender. Scoop out the squash and place it
in a pot with the onion, sage, garlic, heavy cream, and roasted squash.
Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes until thickens.

Shrimp Scampi (Recipe from Tastykitchens.com)

• 5 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• ½ whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
• 4 cloves Garlic Cloves, Minced
• 1 pound Large Shrimp, Peeled And Deveined
• ½ cups White Wine
• 4 dashes Hot Sauce
• 2 whole Lemons, juiced
• Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• 8 ounces, weight Angel Hair Pasta
• Chopped Fresh Basil To Taste
• Chopped Fresh Parsley, To Taste
• ½ cups Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preparation Instructions:
Heat olive oil and melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions
& garlic and cook for two or three minutes, or until onions are translucent.
Add shrimp, then stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Squeeze in lemon
juice. Add wine, butter, salt and pepper, and hot sauce. You may add more
hot sauce as desired. Stir and reduce heat to low.
Throw angel hair pasta into the boiling water. Cook until just done/AL dente.
Drain, reserving a cup or two of the pasta water.
Remove skillet from heat. Add pasta and toss, adding a splash of pasta
water if it needs to be thinned. Taste for seasonings, adding salt and pepper
if needed. Pour out on large serving platter and then top with freshly grated
Parmesan cheese and minced parsley. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Classic Basil Pesto (recipe by “The Cooks Illustrated Cookbook”

•3 cloves garlic, peels on

•¼ cup pine nuts
•2 cups fresh basil leaves
•2 Tbl. fresh parsley leaves, optional
•7 Tbl. Extra-virgin olive oil
•salt
•freshly ground black pepper
•¼ cup finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino Roman cheese

•Toast Garlic in a medium skillet over medium heat, shaking pan

occasionally, until softened and spotty brown, about 8 minutes. When cool
enough to handle, remove and discard skins. While garlic cools, toast nuts
in skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until golden and fragrant, 4 to 5
minutes.
•Place basil and parsley, if using, in a gallon-size zipper-lock bag. Pound
bag with flat side of a meat pounder or a rolling pin until all leaves are
bruised.
•Process garlic, nuts, herbs, oil, and about ½ tsp. salt in a food processor
until smooth, scraping down bowl as needed. Transfer mixture to a small
bowl, stir in cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. (Pesto can be
refrigerated up to 3 days in a bowl with plastic wrap or a thin layer of oil
covering the pesto's surface.)
Note: The parsley will boost the green color of the pesto. When combining pesto and
pasta, stir in 3 to 4 Tbl. Of the hot pasta cooking water for proper consistency and even
distribution.

Fresh Gluten-Free Pasta

2/3 cup corn flour

½ cup quinoa flour
½ cup potato starch
2 tsp. Xanthan gum
1 tsp. Guar gum
1 tsp. Fine sea salt
2 large eggs
4 egg yolks from large eggs

Sift corn flour, quinoa flour, and potato starch into a large bowl. Add the
xanthan gum, guar gum, and salt. Stir the entire mixture into the bowl of
stand mixer.
Put the eggs and egg yolks into the bowl of dry ingredients. Run the
stand mixer on medium speed with a paddle attachment until the dough
feels fully formed, about 3 minutes. The final dough should feel firm yet still
pliable.
Cut dough into 4 sections. And roll out each piece to about ½ inch
thickness. Lightly flour both sides of the dough with some potato starch. Run
through the pasta machine.
When cooking gluten free pasta, add noodles to boiling water and
when it rises to the top, sample a piece. One moment it is al dente and the
next it's one big ball of mush, so watch the pot carefully. Usually about 4-5
minutes
You may substitute Tapioca flour or corn starch for potato starch.
***Gluten free pasta – brown rice, white rice, corn, buckwheat, Quinton
available at Macey