italian, pasta, dinner, lunch Demi Abas italian, pasta, dinner, lunch Demi Abas

Penne Alla Vodka

What you’ll need:

  • 4 tbl (or a good glug) of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • 140 grams Mutti tomato paste 

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped while onion

  • 5 garlic cloves

  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

  • 1/2 cup pasta water 

  • 1 cup whole milk 

  • 1-2 ounce of Parmesan 

  • 2 tbl vodka

  • 2 tbl butter

  • Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

  • Kosher salt (to taste)

  • Fresh torn basil (1/2 cup)

  • 1 pound penne

Steps:

  1. Add oil to your cold pan and put on medium to high heat

  2. Finely chop your white onion

  3. Finely chop your garlic. Add a pinch of salt to the garlic and begin to smush the garlic and salt with the back of your knife until it forms a paste

  4. Once the oil is hot, add in the onion and allow it to sweat for about 2-3 minutes until translucent.

  5. Add the garlic paste and crushed red pepper, being mindful not to burn it. Sometimes this is best to do off the heat if your pan was already quite hot.

  6. Add the tomato paste and caramelize it by stirring for about 3-4 minutes until its a deep, rich color and the oil has turned a nice reddish hue.

  7. Add the milk in slowly, as to not scorch it. Keep stirring until well mixed and the color of the sauce is now a deep orange. Stir for about 3 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

  8. Take the sauce off the heat

  9. Boil the pasta according to package instructions, but reduce the time by about 2 minutes to ensure your pasta is al dente. It will continue to cook in the sauce. Once the water is boiling, add a few tablespoons of salt - your water should taste like the ocean!

  10. Once the pasta is ready save 1/2 cup of the liquid and set that aside. Drain your pasta well and place directly into the sauce.

  11. Bring the sauce and the pasta back onto the flame on medium low, just to heat and finish the sauce and pasta together

  12. Stir together, add in the butter and pasta water slowly until a glossy, rich sauce begins to form. The starch in the water will bind the sauce to the pasta nicely.

  13. Drizzle in the cheese, little by little, as to avoid any clumping. Your sauce should now look creamy and thick.

  14. Plate your pasta and tear fresh basil right on top for serving

  15. Finish with more cheese and a nice crack of freshly ground black pepper

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italian, pasta Demi Abas italian, pasta Demi Abas

Fresh Pasta Dough

If there was one thing I would urge any foodie to do, it would be making fresh pasta dough. That box of spaghetti from the market does not come close to what you can whip up at home. I understand it may not be your everyday solution to a carb craving evening, but it should be a staple to a serious pasta dinner once and a while.

Here's what you'll need:

1 lb AP flour (or half Ap and half 00)

4 eggs, 1 yolk

3 tablespoons olive oil

Few tablespoons water on hand

Pinch of salt

1. Sift your flour onto your working surface. Create a well in the center. (If you'd rather do this in a bowl, just use a big one and follow the same steps)

2. In the center of the deep well, add the eggs, olive oil and pinch of salt.

3. Whisk the wet ingredients and slowly add parts of the inner wall of flour to the center.

4. Keep adding until the dough begins to form.

5. If it looks a bit dry, add a few tablespoons of lukewarm water.

6. Once the dough has picked up most of the flour it's time to knead!

7. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until you see a nice smooth, shiny dough. When you press the dough with your pointer finger it should spring back into place.

8. Time to rest! Form the dough into a ball and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and keep in a cool place for at least 30 minutes.

9. Get ready to roll. Cut your dough into quarters for easy rolling. If you have a pasta machine, take a quarter of your dough and flatten a bit so that it fits inside your attachment. You want to fold this piece over 4 times before moving onto thinning the dough out. If doing this by hand, roll out your piece of dough until desired thickness.

10. If using a machine, continue thinning out your sheet of dough to your desired preference. The thicker, the more al dente so be sure to choose the right thickness depending on your shape. Most suggest going to the 7th setting.

11. Cut it by hand! For thicker pieces like papardelle, fold your thinned sheet onto itself a few times and slice vertically. You'll end up with beautiful thick ribbons of carb heaven. You can also do this to create linguine, fettuccine and other flat shapes including ravioli squares or lasagna sheets.

12. Cook it! For fresh pasta, it's best to let it sit for 10 minutes just to firm up a bit. Add it to some boiling salted water and cook for just about 30-60 seconds MAX. Your pasta should still have a slight bite.

13. Store it! Fresh pasta can keep in the fridge for up to 3 days covered. You can also freeze fresh pasta at this point and can keep for months with this method. If needing to dry, you can either hang it on a drying rack or an old fashioned hanger. You can also lay it out to rest on a baking sheet. Just be sure to dust the strands or sheets with some semolina or all purpose flour to ensure the strands don't stick.

14. Keep moisture out! Just a tip to remember, fresh pasta and moisture don't mix well when it comes to drying your pasta. It is very susceptible to growing mold if not dried properly, so if you are laying it out on a baking sheet, make sure the noodles have a little breathing room to ensure even drying.

Enjoy!

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