Spinach pasta

 

When I was divorcing there were all of 5 things I think me and my beloved ex fought over and the fight was quite civilized.  We Rock, Paper, Scissored for them.  I don't see why this method isn't applied in courts. It is the only surefire unbiased method.  Anyhow, the pasta machine -- I lost.  But it made me gain the hand tools and for that I'm thankful.

Pasta is one of those things that cures me.  If I'm feeling particularly blue I must pretend that it is a beautiful sunny day with a bright lovely meal or if it is blowing cold winds then a nice toasty bowl of something calming and warming, and pasta can be both.  It is a little miracle worker.  Cold, hot, savory, spicy ... pasta is a great vehicle for what I need.  It takes love to make good pasta.  You can't do it halfway.  I make handcut pasta, no machine. I am the machine.  So this process is even soothing for me.  You don't even need a bowl - I make a bowl out of the flour on my counter.  Read everything through and then go for it.  It is simple once you're doing it.  There is no mistake making because you can always right it at any step.  If you find your fingers sticky with dough and you need to reach for something to add to the mix just have some standby flour for rubbing your hands with.  Using flour to rub the wet dough from your hands puts the dough back into the pile and off your hands without fuss. Water to clean dough hands will just make paper mache' glue in your sink. 

I have included a lot of photos NOT to intimidate but to demystify the process.  It is very simple once you've done it and then you have it in your cooking lexicon forever.

For about 4 main course or 8 side servings:

2 slightly heaping Cups unbleached flour (white flour will show off veggie pastas best - visually and tastewise)
2 tsp salt
1 Cup (a big fat handful) of Spinach leaves diced up as fine as possible
2 extra large eggs (2 duck or 1/10 an ostrich{jk}) or 3 large eggs
2 TBSP olive oil

Pour the flour onto a large clean surface leaving it in a heap, push the measuring cup or your hand into it to make a little well to hold the other ingredients. Into the well put your eggs, salt, oil, veggie mash/puree and blend the eggs and others in the center and push some of the flour into the center collecting as much flour as it will carry. Clean off your fork into your pile and toss him somewhere out of the way. Get your hands in there and work the dough from this ugly stage into a ball. DO NOT WORRY if it looks like a massive failure. Pasta does that, it is a dirty trick it tries to play on you in a last ditch effort to not be eaten. It will comply with the palm of your hand. If you run out of flour and it wants more then add a little... if it is not blending and it is too dry then add a teaspoon of water until it gives up the goods and becomes blended.  I reserve one of my eggs until after the dough has used the first two up this helps get the remaining stubborn bits in line with the rest.

Third egg goes in to make the dough play nice.

Now that you have won and the ball is formed put it into either a covered bowl to rest or a plastic bag or even a towel or plastic sheet over it while on the board/counter (plastic makes it cooperate best). Have it rest for 10-20 minutes until it goes from dry and slightly leathery to lightly sticky and pliable. If not, give it a little more time. Clean up the chunky flour, sieve it and toss the chunks. Re-flour your big clean surface and press your ball out by hand into the floured surface allowing it to collect flour on both of its sides... form the ball into a rectangle to help you roll it out. Make certain flour is under it and roll, roll, roll, until it becomes smooth and thin.  It is best to check often to see if it is sticking to your surface and keep it well floured. The flour keeps the pasta dough from sticking to itself, the rolling pin and your surface all of which can drive you insane so be thorough.  This is the most time consuming part - the rolling.

 Once rolled out to be quite thin 1/16th of an inch? I don't know, I'm not an architect. Thin, but not totally translucent or anything. Flour the top which you were rolling on, flip and flour that side wipe off any extreme excess . Starting at one of the short sides roll it like a tube onto itself lightly.  (It is best if there is a nice even coat of flour on the surface so as you roll the pasta dough wont stick to itself and once you start cutting it will help the layers not stick either as they are mashed together.)

 Once you have your tube cut little slices all the way through to make pasta strands. They'll look like little snails and now they can be put somewhere to dry or can be cooked straight away. I used to dry them for awhile or overnight so they are toothy and firmer but I find that cooking it less yields a quicker and tastier product.  Fresh pasta does cook faster than boxed pasta so monitor it closely.  It cooks in almost half the time or even less.  Fresh pasta shouldn't be left unmonitored because it's cooking time is so short. 2-4 minutes

I'm a big big fan of handcut pasta as it catches sauce nicely and looks legit.  My favorite toppings for veggie pastas are more veggies.  The one pictured plated is mixed baby greens a drizzle of olive oil, coarse sea salt, goat feta, cracked pepper, and grated carrot.  It marries a salad with pasta and keeps away the mayo demons of pasta salads.  Our feta comes from Alsea Acre Goat Cheese via some good friends who are major supporters of their local farmers and local organic foods.  If you'd like to get it from Alsea directly and talk a bit or learn about them and their practices you can find them by clicking the linked name.

Mmmm, okay one more.