Asta La Pasta

Asta La Pasta, Baby

Fresh Hand-Made Pasta Dough

Homemade Fettuccine with Alfredo

Garlicky Herb Shrimp Ravioli

Dirty Martini Shrimp Cocktail Sauce

Flour-less Chocolate

strawberry sorbet

Fresh Pasta Dough

yeild: 2 servings

1 ¼ cups (6.25oz) all purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon sea salt

  Making fresh pasta dough is fun and very easy. Traditionally, the dough is mixed directly on a board or counter but it is acceptable to begin the dough in a bowl to limit the cleanup. Laminate counter tops are fine for kneading dough but natural or engineered stone is best as it is non-porous and maintains constant temperature, especially important when working with yeast doughs.

  In a bowl or on a countertop, combine the salt and flour. Using your fingers, create a well in the center of the mound, being sure that the well’s walls are equally thick and high. In a separate container, combine eggs and olive oil. Scramble eggs with a fork to incorporate oil.

  Add 1/3 of egg/oil mixture to center of well. Using a swirling motion, pull flour from inner walls of well into eggs and mix until it forms a thick paste. If working on a countertop, be careful not to break through the walls of the well as egg will run out over the work surface. When center is no longer runny, add half of remaining egg mixture and stir to paste. Add remaining liquid and repeat. Continue to mix until fork is no longer effective and then turn dough out onto work surface.

  Knead dough by flattening, folding it in half and pressing hard with the palm of your hand. Rotate 90’ and repeat over and over until dough is a consistent color (no patches of flour or egg mixture) and begins to feel springy. Pasta dough should be visibly bumpy but soft and smooth to the touch. To test, press a finger into dough. The depression made by your finger should spring back almost entirely. Flatten dough into a disk 1 ½ inches thick, wrap with saran and place in cooler to rest for 20-30 minutes or until finger divot does not bounce back. This means that the gluten that was excited in the kneading process has relaxed and the dough is ready to be rolled and cut.

Four cheese Alfredo

  yeild: 2

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon butter

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ cup parmesan

½ cup mozzarella

¼ cup swiss

¼ cup brie

Salt and pepper to taste

In a sauce pan add butter and garlic and cook until you smell garlic. Then add heavy cream and all cheeses. Mix until fully melted and combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Garlicly shrimp herb ravioli

  yeild: 2

1/2 cup shrimp ( 4 oz chopped fine)

1 garlic clove, minced

2 Tablespoons mixed herbs (parsley, chives, basil)

¼ cup ricotta

¼ cup parmesan

Salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl combine both cheese,herbs,  garlic and shrimp. Mix and season with salt and pepper. Take sheet of pasta and visually divide in ½, on the bottom of the half place about tablespoon of filling spaced out about 1 inch. Dip your finger in bowl with water and wet the bottom edge of the pasta sheet and the space in-between each dollop of filling. Then fold the top ½ of the sheet over to meet the bottom.  Try to push any air out as you seal the raviolis.  Cut between each with a pasta cutter and place them on parchment.

Cook in boiling water until floating then an additional 3-5 minutes to ensure shrimp is cooked. strain and place in pan with dirty martini sauce

DIRTY MARTINI SHRIMP COCKTAIL

FOR THE SHRIMP

1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails on)

3 cups water

1/4 cup dry vermouth

1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 bay leaves

FOR THE DIRTY MARTINI COCKTAIL SAUCE

¼ cup ketchup

¼ cup tomato puree

1 Tablespoon grated ginger (adjust to taste)

2 Tablespoons olive brine (from a jar of green olives)

1 Tablespoon gin

1 Tablespoon dry vermouth

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon hot sauce (optional, to taste)

lemon wedges and green olives, for serving

DIRECTIONS

COOK THE SHRIMP

In a medium pot, combine the water, vermouth, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, and lemon slices. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Once simmering, add the shrimp and cook until they turn pink and opaque, about 2-3 minutes. You want the water at a low simmer, not a boil, to keep the shrimp from getting rubbery.

Immediately transfer the shrimp to an ice bath to stop the cooking process.

Let them chill for a few minutes, then drain and pat them dry.

MAKE THE DIRTY MARTINI COCKTAIL SAUCE

In a small bowl combine the ketchup, tomato puree, grated ginger, olive brine, gin, vermouth, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce and stir until well combined.

ASSEMBLE THE SHRIMP COCKTAIL

Arrange the shrimp on a platter or in individual cocktail glasses.

Spoon the dirty martini cocktail sauce into a dipping bowl or add it directly to the glasses.

Garnish with green olives on toothpicks and serve with lemon wedges on the side

Flourless Chocolate Cake

This is the BEST Flourless Chocolate Cake recipe. It is easy to make, gluten-free, and oh so decadent! It is the perfect dessert for any occasion.

SERVINGS 8-10

Ingredients

For the cake:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs lightly beaten

1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder

For the chocolate ganache:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Cut a piece of parchment to fit the bottom of the pan. Place it in the bottom of the pan and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. To make the cake, put the chocolate and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the butter is melted, and the chips are soft, about one minute. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. If you need to reheat, do for 10 seconds at a time and stir.
3. Add the sugar, salt, and vanilla extract and stir to combine.
4. Add the eggs and stir until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and stir until just combined. Don’t over mix.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cake for 25 minutes or until the cake has a thin crust on the top and the center registers 200°F on an instant-read thermometer.
6. Let the cake cool on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes. Loosen the edges of the pan with a butter knife and carefully turn it upside down onto a cake plate or serving plate. The bottom of the cake will now be the top of the cake. Let the cake cool completely.
7. While the cake is cooling, make the chocolate ganache. Combine the chocolate and cream in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the cream is very hot so it will melt the chocolate. I always start with 30 seconds and check it. It might take longer; it just depends on your microwave. Remove from the microwave and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.
8. Spread the chocolate ganache glaze evenly over the cooled cake. Let the glaze set up for a few hours before cutting and serving the cake. I always put it in the refrigerator to speed up the process.
9. Cut the cake into slices and serve with powdered sugar and raspberries, if desired. This cake is also great with whipped cream or ice cream.

Strawberry Sorbet

• 1 whole lemon, seeded and roughly chopped
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 pounds strawberries, hulled
•  Juice of 1 to 2 lemons

PREPARATION

1. Place the chopped lemon and sugar in a food processor, and pulse until combined. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Purée the strawberries in a food processor, and add to the lemon mixture, along with the juice of 1 lemon. Taste and add more juice as desired. The lemon flavor should be intense but should not overpower the strawberries. Pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and churn until frozen.