How To Cook Pasta Recipes

HOW TO COOK PASTA

Steps:

• Bring salted water to a boil. Add your pasta and stir for 15 to 20 seconds to prevent pasta from sticking to itself.
• Around the 10 minute mark take a noodle and bite it in 1/2. There should be a little bit of white, uncooked noodle in the centre. Drain pasta and mix in with sauce to finish cooking.

FRESH PASTA

Steps:

• Beat together the eggs, yolk and olive oil with a fork in a large spouted measuring cup.
• Combine the flour and a large pinch of kosher salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse briefly to combine. With the food processor motor running, gradually pour the egg mixture through the feed tube and let it run until the dough forms a ball around the blade. (If the dough is too sticky to form a ball, add a tablespoon or so of flour and process again. If it is too crumbly to form a ball, add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and process again.) Once the dough forms a ball, process until smooth and springy, 20 to 30 seconds.
• Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead several times, until the dough comes together in a smooth ball.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. (The dough can be made 1 day ahead, wrapped and refrigerated. Let it come to room temperature before rolling.)
• Anchor a pasta machine to your countertop or secure the pasta attachment to a stand mixer. Set the machine to the widest setting. Unwrap the dough and cut it into 4 equal pieces. Wrap 3 of the pieces while you work with the fourth.
• Flatten the dough into a rectangle and lightly dust with flour. Roll it through the pasta machine at the widest setting. Fold the dough in thirds like a letter and feed it through the pasta machine. Repeat the folding and feeding of the dough through the machine 2 more times. (Rolling and folding in this manner will help strengthen and smooth the dough.)
• Set the pasta machine to the next setting (one setting thinner than the widest). Flour the dough as necessary and feed it through the machine. Repeat, feeding it through one more time.
• Adjust the machine to the next thinnest setting and feed the dough through 2 times as above. Continue changing the setting and feeding the dough through 2 times for each setting until you have fed the dough through the second-to-last setting. The dough should be thin enough so that you can see your hand through it.
• If you are cutting your pasta into noodles: Stop rolling the dough through after you have gone through the second-to-last setting.
• If you are making filled pasta, like ravioli: Change the machine to the final setting and feed the dough through.
• Cut the dough in half crosswise and cover it with plastic wrap. Repeat the folding, rolling and cutting process with the 3 remaining pieces of dough. Cover each piece of dough as you finish. You should have 8 pieces of dough total.
• If you are cutting your pasta into noodles: Affix the cutting attachment to the pasta machine. Choose the desired setting and feed the dough through. Lightly toss the noodles with a little flour on a baking sheet to prevent sticking and cover with a dry kitchen towel while you process the rest of the dough. Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, 3 to 4 minutes.
• If you are making filled pasta: Proceed according to your recipe's instructions.

BASIC PASTA

Steps:

• In a medium sized bowl, combine flour and salt. Make a well in the flour, add the slightly beaten egg, and mix. Mixture should form a stiff dough. If needed, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons water.
• On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for about 3 to 4 minutes. With a pasta machine or by hand roll dough out to desired thinness. Use machine or knife to cut into strips of desired width.

SALAMI PASTA ALLA GRICIA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
• While the pasta cooks, in a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil and salami over medium-low. Cook, stirring often, until crisp and golden-brown, 7 to 10 minutes. (Don't be tempted to raise the heat, as you need the fat to fully render from the salami to form the sauce.) Remove from heat and stir in the black pepper until fragrant. Set aside until the pasta's ready.
• Add 1½ cups pasta water to the salami and simmer over medium-low heat, shaking and stirring until the water emulsifies with the fat to create a homogeneous liquid, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Add the cooked pasta and pecorino, and cook, shaking the pot and stirring vigorously until the cheese is melted and the sauce glosses the noodles, 2 to 4 minutes. If the sauce is thin, keep simmering. If you can't see the sauce in the bottom of the pot or on the noodles, add more pasta water and keep stirring over medium-low.
• Serve right away, with more pecorino on top.

ONE-PAN PASTA

Steps:

• Combine pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, red-pepper flakes, basil, oil, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and water in a large straight-sided skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil mixture, stirring and turning pasta frequently with tongs, until pasta is al dente and water has nearly evaporated, about 9 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper, divide among 4 bowls, and garnish with basil. Serve with oil and Parmesan.