Pasta Galore from Scratch

Pappardelle with Chicken ala Vodka Sauce

Shrimp with Herbs and Bread

Cheese Ravioli in Brown Butter Sauce

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Fresh Pasta Dough

yield: 2 servings

1 ¼ cups 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.

Chicken ala vodka with fresh pasta

Yield 2:

 1/2 pasta dough recipe, rolled out and cut into desired sized strips

1 teaspoon oil

1/2 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

1/3 cup vodka

1 cup crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter

2-4 basil leafs, chiffanoned

1 cup chicken, strips or cubes

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat add oil and chicken. Cook chicken until golden brown, remove from pan and set aside. Add onions to the pan and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add vodka and allow to reduce down until almost dry. Add crushed tomatoes and heavy cream. Bring up to a simmer then add butter and basil. Cook for 5 minutes then add chicken, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Boil pasta until it floats then remove and place directly into sauce.

cheese ravioli

  Yield: 2

¼ cup mozzarella

¼ cup parmesan

½ cup ricotta

1 teaspoon garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Pasta dough recipe

In a small bowl combine all ingredients, season with salt and pepper.

Place a small amount of filling in the center of the pasta, place another piece of pasta on top of filling and crimp edges together.

Cook in boiling salted water for 5-7 minutes

Pumpkin Ravioli in brown butter sauce

  yield: 2

1 pasta recipe, prepped and roll out

1 cup pumpkin puree

½ cup mozzarella

¼ cup grated parmesan

¼ cup marscapone

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

Sheet pasta

6 tablespoons of butter

4 leaves of sage or ½ tablespoon dried

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a pot of water to a boil

In a small bowl combine pumpin, cheeses and spices then mix until smooth.

Lay pasta sheets out and place ½-1 tablespoon mixture in center of pasta dough 1 inch apart from each other. Using your finger brush water along the edges of pasta rough and around each dollop of filling. Fold pasta over onto itself widthwise and Crimp edges together. cut with a crinkled pasta roller cutter and pinch the edges together on each side. Add to boiling water and cook until they float, then allow to cook for 1-2 minutes.

In the meantime using a large skillet over medium heat, add butter and cook until it turns a light golden brown and has a nutty aroma. Add sage turn off heat and swirl sage around.

Add cooked ravioli and season with salt and pepper.

Transfer to a warm serving dish, sprinkle some parmesan over top and serve.

Shrimp with garlic and herbs

  yield: 2 servings

12 medium Key West shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup mixed herbs, ( rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley)

½ teaspoon garlic, minced or pressed

2 tablespoons dry white wine

Sea salt and ground black pepper

French Baguette, warmed and sliced ½ inch thick

1 teaspoon fresh Italian parsley

  In a medium saucepan, add oil and heat on medium-high until shimmering. Add shrimp and sear 1 minute, flipping and stirring often. Clear well in center of pan and add garlic, sautéing until fragrant. Add white wine, fresh herbs. Reduce heat to low and add parsley. Taste and adjust flavor with salt and pepper.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Cake:

 7 oz medjool dates (approximately 7-10 dates)

 ¾ cup boiling water

 1 teaspoon baking soda

 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

 2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses

 ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed

 2 large eggs*, at room temperature

 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour

 1 teaspoon baking powder

 ¼ teaspoon salt

Toffee sauce:

½ cup unsalted butter

 ¾ cup heavy cream

 ¾ cup brown sugar, packed

 2 teaspoons unsulphured molasses (teaspoons, not tablespoons)

 pinch salt

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Finely chop the dates. You should have about 1 cup loosely packed. Place the dates in a bowl and cover with boiling water and sprinkle with baking soda. Stir, then allow the mixture to sit undisturbed for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, brown sugar, and molasses until creamy and combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture and beat until combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
5. After the dates have soaked for 20 minutes, mash or puree the datesalong with the liquid. If the dates you used were moist you should be able to mash them easily with a fork. If the dates were really dry it will likely be easier to use an immersion blender or small food processor to puree (they don’t have to be completely smooth). Transfer all of the date mixture into the cake batter and beat until combined.
6. Grease ramekins** or a 12-count muffin tin (see note for an 8×8 pan). Transfer the batter to the prepared pans and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Depending on the size of your ramekins this can be anywhere from 20-25 minutes. Be careful not to overbake. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Toffee sauce:

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the cream, brown sugar, molasses, and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking occasionally, and simmer for 5-8 minutes. Whisk in vanilla and set aside to cool slightly; it will thicken as it cools.

Assembly and serving:

1. While the cakes are still a little bit warm, remove them from the ramekins/muffin tin and place them on a baking sheet or a piece of foil or parchment paper. Note: the cakes will likely have a dome on top. If desired, you can use a serrated knife to level off the top. I prefer to level it off and serve the cakes upside down.
2. Brush all sides of the cakes with the toffee sauce, reserving the rest of the sauce for serving.
3. Serve the cakewarm, drizzled with extra toffee sauce. Garnish with heavy cream, whipped cream, ice cream, and/or a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.