Way back in December Christine Hickman taught a class, at Las Cosas on "'Fancy' Pastas." Featured were pastas made by hand using traditional pasta-making tools. My favorite of them all was the chitarra. The clerk at Fante's explained it as being the precursor to the Pasta machine most of us know and have used at some point in our cooking careers. Some of you who watch Lidia Bastianich on PBS may have seen her using the chitarra in one of her sessions. Like many older tools, the chitarra produces a product that cannot be replicated with a more modern tool. The taste and texture of the pasta made on it is unlike anything I have ever had produced by a more modern method. In addition to that, this tool is just fun to use. If you're Italian it might connect you to your nonna and if you're not Italian you might wish for a nonna who had used such a tool in her kitchen.
EGG PASTA
- 4 jumbo eggs, or 5-6 large eggs
- 3 1/2 cups (14 ounces) all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
Makes 6 to 8 first course servings or 4 to 6 main-course servings, the equivalent to 1 pound of dried pasta.
Use this for ribbon pastas of all widths, as well as lasagne, and all filled pastas.
MIXING THE DOUGH
Mound the flour in the center of a smooth preferably wooden surface. Make a well in the middle of the mound. Add the eggs, along with any liquids and flavorings.
Using a small wooden spoon or spatula, beat together the wet ingredients, then gradually start incorporating small scrapings of flour from the side of the well into the liquid. As more and more flour is worked into the liquid ingredients, the sides of the well will begin to collapse. Use a pastry scraper to retrieve any liquids that escape and to incorporate the last bits of flour into the dough. It will look like a very rough and messy lump at this point.
With the aid of a dough scraper to scoop up the stray pieces, start kneading the dough. Once it has become a cohesive mass, use the dough scraper to remove any unwanted hard bits of dough from the work surface. They will not incorporate into the dough and will make it lumpy.
Knead the dough about 3 minutes. It should be elastic and a bit sticky. If it is too sticky to move easily, knead in a few more tablespoons of flour, a little at a time. Continue kneading for a total of 10 minutes, or until the dough is satiny, smooth and very elastic. DO NOT shortcut this step.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it relax at room temperature 30 minutes to 3 hours.
After the dough has rested, roll it out to about 1/8" thick.
When the dough is the desired thickness, place it on the chitarra and simultaneously press and roll it over the strings until it falls through to the bottom.
Chitarra with Lamb and Sweet Pepper Ragu
So that you won't feel changed short changed,here is the recipe for the Ragu
LAMB AND SWEET PEPPER RAGU
(enough for 6 servings of pasta)
- 1 pound boneless lamb, trimmed of extra fat and coarsely chopped into 1/8-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 4 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced into 1/4-inch pieces
- 4 sweet bell peppers, red, orange, yellow or mixed, roasted, peeled, seeded and cut into long thin strips
- 4 fresh basil leaves, slivered
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Heat the olive oil, garlic and bay leaves in a deep, heavy 4-quart pot over medium heat. Cook about 1 minutes, until the garlic begins to barely sizzle. Add the lamb, turn the heat to medium high and cook until deeply browned. This may take 10 minutes. There should be a brown glaze on the bottom of the pan.
Add the wine and cook, stirring to deglaze the bottom of the pan When the wine has evaporated , add the tomatoes and pepper strips. Cover and simmer about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have developed and the lamb is tender. You may need to add a bit of water to keep the sauce from sticking or burning. The sauce should be thick like a stew when done.
Add fresh basil and salt and pepper to taste.
Remove bay leaves before serving.
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