Someone asked me the other day what my favorite pasta is? I didn’t have an answer?? Many pasta shapes floated through my mind. But, to choose, just one, impossible (or better yet, impastable).
I’m someone who enjoys variety and that’s the great thing about pasta, there are endless shapes, sizes, fillings, sauces, etc. One for nearly every day of the year.
Today, pappardelle, wide, flat noodles from northern and central Italy, particularly, Emilia-Romagna, the Marche, Umbria, Tuscany and Abruzzo. Pappardelle (from Tuscan dialect) comes from the word pappare, which means to eat.
Pappardelle are commonly served in a hearty meat ragú, often with game such as pigeon, quail, boar, hare and duck. I went a slightly different route today, pappardelle served with a mixed mushroom ragú — portobello, cremini, shiitake, oysters, nameko and dried porcini (if only I had access to fresh porcini, divine) — which is amongst my favorite pasta dishes. Though, is it my favorite? Perhaps??
Mushrooms from Mycopolitan, grown here in Philly.
Pappardelle are large, flat broad noodles from the region of Tuscany. They tend to be a slightly thicker noodle. I usually roll to #5 on my KitchenAid attachment; although, you can vary depending on your preference
To cut the pappardelle: Dust the top of the sheet of dough with semolina flour and loosely roll it into a cylinder. Using a sharp knife, cut approximately 6-inches long and 3/4-inch wide. 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).
Mixed Mushroom Ragú
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter or olive oil
- 1 pound mixed mushrooms, such as cremini, portobello, shiitake, oysters
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 tsp chopped fresh herbs (such as thyme, savory, rosemary)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 cup dry Sherry or Madeira
- 2 tsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups porccini mushroom broth (or chicken)
- salt and pepper
- chopped parsley, for garnish
- 1 pound fresh pappardelle
- grated Parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add a tablespoon of butter or olive oil and sauté the mushrooms (in two batches), season with salt and pepper, making sure not to crowd the pan. Sauté until lightly browned. Remove and set aside. Repeat with the second batch of mushrooms, adding more olive oil and/or butter as needed. Remove and set aside.
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, season with salt, and sauté until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add the reserved mushrooms to the skillet. Add the herbs and garlic. Add the tomato paste and stir 1 minute. Add the Sherry (or Madeira) and deglaze the pan, scraping any bits that stick to the bottom. Cook a couple of minutes until the Sherry is reduced.
- Sprinkle in the flour and add the stock. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat, stirring from time to time, until the sauce is thick and reduced, about 10 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped parsley.
- To Finish the Dish: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the pasta and cook until al dente, aboout 2-3 minutes. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the mushroom ragú. Toss to coat the pasta, adding a little pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. Divide amongst bowls. Serve topped with freshly grated Parmesan.
Pappardelle
Ingredients
- 400 grams 00 flour
- 4 large eggs
- pinch of salt (optional)
Instructions
- Mix the flour (and salt, if using). Place the flour on a dry, clean work surface and form it into a mound. Create a large shallow well in the middle, making sure the walls are high enough to prevent the eggs from escaping. Add the eggs to the well. With a fork, beat the eggs; be careful not to disturb the walls of the flour. Once the eggs are well beaten, begin to incorporate the flour walls into the egg mixture. Continue incorporating the flour with the eggs with your fork until you have a shaggy, solid mass.
- At this point, using your hands, start folding and forming the dough, incorporating the rest of the flour until you have a stiff, solid mass (removing any dry clumps of flour). Knead the dough. Drive the palms of your hand into the dough, pushing the dough forward. Continue, rotating the dough and folding the dough over its self, which helps to incorporate air pockets into the dough. Repeat until the dough is firm and bouncy and has a smooth, silken texture, about 10 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic and let rest 30 minutes.
- Lightly flour your work surface. Cut off 1/4 of the dough, leaving the rest covered. Flatten the piece of dough with a rolling pin. Next, run the dough through your pasta machine starting with the largest setting (typically ‘0’ or ‘1’). Run it one to two times through each successive pasta roller setting (until #5 on my KitchenAid attachment); although, you can vary the thickness depending on personal preference.
- To cut the pappardelle: Dust the top of the sheet of dough with semolina flour and loosely roll it into a cylinder. Using a sharp knife, cut approximately 6-inches long and 3/4-inch wide pieces. 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).