Victor came into the office this morning saying he wanted to make some sun-dried tomato pasta. I immediately perked up and said Today?!? He smiled, said yes, and that it would be my job to create a sauce for it.
Tag team in the kitchen – my favorite sport!
Right after lunch, he got to work. He has pasta making down to a science. I love how he bought me a pasta roller years ago for Christmas – and I’ve never used it. In the ensuing years, I’ve bought all of the various pasta paraphernalia for him. I’m no fool. He makes great pasta and I’m going to make sure he has all of the things he needs to continue doing so!
He made a pretty good-sized batch so we could have pasta tonight and ravioli some other time. He’s thinking a shrimp filling, but nothing is final around here until it’s actually made. This basic pasta dough can be cut into any number of shapes or sizes. Have fun with it!
Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
- 1/4 (generous) cup finely minced sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- Fine sea salt
- 2 cups flour
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
On a clean work surface, mound 2 cups flour and form a well in the center.
Add 2 eggs, 2 egg yolks, and sun-dried tomatoes into the well. Using a fork (or your fingers) gently break up yolk and slowly incorporate flour . Continue until the liquid is absorbed, then knead for 10 minutes.
Wrap dough tightly in plastic and let rest for 30 minutes
After the dough has rested:
Take the dough and divide into 3 equal pieces (cover the other two and set aside)
Set the rollers of pasta machine at the widest setting then feed pasta through rollers 3 or 4 times folding and turning pasta until it is smooth and the width of the machine.
Roll dough through the machine, decreasing the setting one notch at a time (do not fold or turn the dough this time) until pasta sheet is a scant 1/16 inch thick.
Cut sheet in half, feed through cutter on machine or cut with knife to desired width. Lightly dust with flour.
Cook in lightly boiling water for about three minutes. Drain and serve with your favorite sauce.
I didn’t want a heavy red sauce on the pasta, so i came up with a ground pork and mushroom sauce that worked really well.
Mushroom and Pork Sauce
- 8 oz ground pork
- 14 oz assorted mushrooms, chopped
- 1 small fennel bulb, finely chopped
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- pinch thyme
- pinch salt
- pinch pepper
- 1 tbsp cornstarch to thicken
Saute onion and fennel until wilted. Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms begin to brown. Add pork and cook until no longer pink.
Add pinch thyme and a bit of S&P.
Add 1 cup white wine and cook down by half. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Check for seasonings and add more thyme, salt, and/or pepper, if needed.
Mix cornstarch with cold water and slowly add to sauce to thicken to desired consistency. You may not need all of it.
Add your favorite cooked pasta, mix, and serve.
The sauce was made with stuff in the house. Chopped artichoke hearts would work, too.
A successful dinner.