Stars Pappardelle Recipes

CHEF ANNE'S PAPPARDELLE

Steps:

• Place the flour on a clean, dry work surface. Make a hole (this is also called a well) in the center of the flour pile that is about 8 inches wide (bigger is definitely better here). Crack all of the eggs and the yolk into the hole and add the olive oil, salt and 1 to 2 tablespoons water.
• Using a fork, beat the eggs together with the olive oil, water (or more if needed) and salt. Using the fork, begin to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture, be careful not to break the sides of the well or the egg mixture will run all over your board and you will have a big mess! Also, don't worry about the lumps. When enough flour has incorporated into the egg mixture that it will not run all over the place when the sides of the well are broken, begin to use your hands to really get everything well combined. If the mixture is tight and dry, wet your hands and begin kneading with wet hands. When the mixture has really come together to a homogeneous mixture, THEN you can start kneading.
• When kneading it is VERY important to put your body weight into it, get on top of the dough to really stretch it and not to tear the dough. Using the heels of your palms, roll the dough to create a very smooooooth, supple dough. When done, the dough should look VERY smooth and feel almost velvety. Kneading will usually take from 8 to 10 minutes for an experienced kneader and 10 to 15 for an inexperienced kneader. Put your body weight into it, you need to knead! This is where the perfect, toothsome texture of your pasta is formed. Get in there and have fun!
• When the pasta has been kneaded to the perfect consistency, wrap it in plastic and let rest for at least 1 hour. If using immediately, do not refrigerate.
• To roll the pasta: Cut off 1/3 of the pasta dough, reserve the rest and keep it covered.
• Squash the pasta with the heels of your hands to facilitate it going through the pasta roller. Dust with flour. Put the pasta through the roller set on number one. Roll the dough through 2 times, dusting it with flour if it feels sticky or tacky.
• Fold the pasta into thirds and put it through the machine on number one again.
• Change the setting on the pasta roller to number two and run the pasta through. Continue to roll the pasta through the machine, changing the setting each time to a larger number (this will make the opening on the pasta machine smaller). When you get to the desired thin-ness (I recommend number six), cut the pasta into 10-inch lengths. Flour the dough generously and stack them in a pile. Cover the stack with plastic or a clean tea towel and proceed rolling the rest of the pasta.
• When the pasta is all rolled, take 3 sheets of pasta and fold both ends of the pasta over each other until they meet in the middle.
• Using a sharp knife, cut the pasta rolls into 1-inch widths. Unroll the pasta "ribbons" and dust with semolina and reserve on sheet trays.
• When ready to use, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain.

HOMEMADE PAPPARDELLE

Steps:

• Make the dough. Sift both flours together on a large work surface and make a well in the center. Place the eggs, olive oil and a pinch of salt in a bowl, then pour into the well; with a fork, break up the eggs, then gradually mix the wet ingredients into the flour mixture just until combined.
• Knead by hand. Gather the dough into 2 equal-size balls; flour the surface. To knead each piece, push the dough away from you with the heel of your hand, fold the dough over itself and turn it counterclockwise. Continue pushing, folding and turning until the dough is smooth and elastic, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Rest the dough. Pat each piece into a ball. Flatten slightly, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. (You can freeze 1 ball for later, or roll out both and freeze the cut pasta.)
• Roll out the dough. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and dust with flour. Starting in the middle, push away from you with a rolling pin, easing up on the pressure as you approach the edge. Continue rolling the dough into a sheet, turning occasionally, until you can see your fingers through the bottom. Let dry about 10 minutes.
• Cut the pappardelle. Dust the top of the sheet of dough with flour and loosely roll it into a cylinder. Using a sharp knife, cut into 3/4-inch-wide slices. Unwrap the noodles; dust with semolina and gently toss to separate. Place on a sheet pan and cover with a tea towel until ready to cook (or freeze in freezer bags for up to 2 months).

STARS PAPPARDELLE

Steps:

• Choose which color of dough you want to be the background color for your stars and roll that dough to the third-thinnest setting on a pasta machine. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and place the pasta sheet on it. Using a star-shaped plunger cutter in any size you prefer, make star cutouts all over the sheet of pasta. I recommend spacing the star cutouts as close together as possible, because the sheet will get re-rolled and the stars will expand (doesn't stars expanding blow your mind?). Cover this sheet with a kitchen towel. If you wish, save the tiny cutout stars to make pastina.
• Roll the second dough on a pasta machine until it is the same size as the sheet with the star cutouts. Uncover the cutout pasta sheet and moisten it slightly with a kitchen brush dipped in water or a damp paper towel. Taking care to cover the cutout sheet precisely, lay the newly rolled sheet over the cutout sheet. Use a rolling pin to sandwich the two sheets together, rolling both lengthwise and crosswise.
• Once you are sure the two sheets are sufficiently pressed together, use a bench scraper to carefully turn the pasta sheet over, revealing the star pattern. You may be able to make nips, tucks, and small adjustments at this point if you notice any bunching up of the pattern. Dust with flour as necessary to prevent sticking.
• Roll the sheet through the pasta machine again, starting on the widest setting. Reduce the rollers to the second-widest setting and roll the opposite end of the sheet through first this time. Alternating the sides of the sheet you put through the pasta machine will ensure that the stars don't skew too much in one direction. Keep reducing the rollers until you've rolled the pasta sheet through the middle thickness on the pasta machine. Your stars will look wide! Don't worry; we're about to fix that.
• Lay the pasta sheet flat on your work surface and cut the whole sheet crosswise in 5-inch widths (or wider, up to the width of your pasta machine rollers). The star pattern has so far been skewed only side to side, making really wide stars, so now we'll run the 5-inch sheets crosswise through the pasta machine, to stretch the stars back toward symmetry.
• Feed the 5-inch widths of pasta through the pasta machine crosswise this time, perpendicular to the direction you had been feeding them through initially. Watch the star pattern and stop sheeting at your desired thinness, depending on how stretched or skewed you want the stars. I suggest stopping at the second-or third-thinnest setting.
• Working with one sheet at a time, cut lengthwise strips 3/4 to 1 inch wide. Hang the noodles to rest on a pasta drying rack, dowel, or the back of a chair and repeat the process with the remaining pasta sheets.
• Let the pappardelle rest for 30 minutes hanging, then gently place them on a parchment-lined and semolina-dusted sheet pan. You can boil them at this point or wait up to 2 hours at room temperature before boiling. If you would like to cook them another day, after they are leathery to the touch and no longer sticky, store the pasta on a sheet pan covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Increase the cooking time by 1 minute if working with refrigerated pasta.
• Boil in salted water for 2 minutes, drain, dress, and serve immediately.

PAPPARDELLE WITH SORREL BUTTER & PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Roughly chop the sorrel, tip into a food processor with the butter and lemon juice, and whizz to a paste. Season, scrape onto a sheet of cling film and roll into a log. Will keep in the fridge for one week, or in the freezer for a month.
• Cook the pasta following pack instructions until al dente. Meanwhile, put the sorrel butter in a large frying pan to melt and, using tongs, add the pasta straight from the water and toss in the butter. Add most of the pine nuts and mix well before twirling the pasta into bowls. Scatter with parmesan and the remaining pine nuts, and serve immediately.

FRESH PAPPARDELLE

Steps:

• Whisk together both flours and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Make a well in center; add eggs and 2 tablespoons oil. Using a fork, work flour mixture into wet ingredients, slowly incorporating all flour in bowl to form a sticky dough. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead dough until all bits are incorporated. Continue kneading until very smooth and no longer sticky, adding additional 00 flour as necessary, about 5 minutes. Place an overturned bowl over dough and let stand 1 hour (or wrap in plastic and refrigerate up to overnight; let stand at room temperature 1 hour before using).
• Dust work surface with semolina. Cut dough into 16 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, and keeping the rest covered with plastic wrap, flatten into an oblong shape. Very lightly dust with 00 flour; pass through a pasta machine at its widest setting. Fold in half, rotate 90 degrees, and pass through two more times on same setting to smooth dough and increase elasticity. Adjust machine to next setting and pass pasta dough through twice more, gently supporting it with the palm of your hand as it emerges. Continue to pass through ever-finer settings, once each, ending at second or third to last; dough should be very thin, and you should be able to see the outline of your hand through it, but it should not be translucent. Lay dough flat on an 00 flour-dusted surface, or drape over a pasta rack or backs of chairs, until just tacky, 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Fold pasta into quarters; cut into 3/4-inch-wide strips. Unfold and drape over rack until almost dry, about 20 minutes. (If not cooking immediately, you can gather several strands and form into a nest shape. Place pasta on a semolina-dusted baking sheet and let dry 24 hours. Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.)

HOMEMADE PAPPARDELLE WITH BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt butter with oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add next 4 ingredients. Sauté until vegetables are soft but not brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Add beef, sausage, venison, and bacon. Increase heat to high. Cook until meat is brown, breaking into small pieces with back of spoon, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in milk, wine, and tomato paste. Reduce heat to low. Simmer until sauce is thick, flavors blend, and juices are reduced, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool 1 hour. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and chill. Rewarm over low heat.
• Cook pasta in very large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring often, 4 to 5 minutes if cooking immediately or 5 to 6 minutes if previously chilled. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to same pot. Add warm Bolognese and 1 cup cheese. Toss over medium heat until heated through, adding reserved cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if dry. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer pasta to large shallow bowl. Serve, passing additional cheese.
• What to drink:
• Pour a medium-bodied red, like the Michele Chiarlo 2007 Barbera d'Asti "Le Orme" ($15, Italy).

PAPPARDELLE WITH CREAMY CHICKEN SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook until it releases its juices and is almost cooked through, about 7 minutes. Add onion and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cream and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a rapid simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta and add to sauce, tossing to combine and adding enough pasta water to create a creamy sauce that coats pasta. Serve immediately.