easy recipe | Patrick's Table

February 2, 2016 Patrick Staffler

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Okay, fair warning that is a post related to the big sporting event this weekend. However, this is an appetizer that ultimately will please any palate, I promise. If sports isn’t your thing, no problem. Do yourself a favor, give this recipe a chance because we are talking about wings!! Oh yeah! This is one of the most recognizable foods you can find anywhere. Happy hour, hour of the big game or just snack hour, these little beauties will fit the bill. To prove my point, here is the finished photo of what you could be enjoying.

The best thing about these wings is the flavor profile is rather unique and can really deliver that wow factor. They are tangy, sweet, citrusy, and a balanced punch of salt. In addition, making these wings is so, so simple. Marinate and cook. Done. That is it, for real. Ready? Let’s get it!

This is a recipe that I have adapted. So, if you want to see the recipe in all of it’s glory, here is the original.

Super Party Wings

Ingredients:

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2-4 tablespoons soy sauce

1-2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

20 wings, cut in half at joints, without wingtips

fresh ground pepper

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves.

Add the wings into a resealable plastic bag and pour in the mixture, make sure the bag is sealed, and toss the wings until they are all coated. Let the wings marinate for as little as two hours or let them go overnight.

Fire up your favorite grill and cook. This will take about 15 to 20 minutes or until the wings are cooked through. Be sure to turn these wings frequently because the sugars will carmelize and you can burn these wings easily.

If you prefer to cook these in your oven, place the wings on a foil covered baking sheet and set your oven to 400 degrees. This will take between 45 minutes to 60 minutes depending on your oven. Again, same rule applies, check on these frequently so your wings don’t get too dark. If you are worried they are getting dark just throw another sheet of foil over the wings. This will keep them from burning, but still allow them to cook through. Trust me, it works really well as I have been there.

After that, well, serve with your favorite condiment and enjoy! May I suggest some homemade barbecue sauce. If you are more classic and would like a homemade ranch dressing, then you can find that too.

I have made a few changes relating to the ingredients on this list. First, I use a little less soy sauce because of the amount of salt in it. Even if you use the low sodium soy sauce the salt can add up quickly. I normally start with 2 tablespoons and then I adjust accordingly. Also, I start with less sugar to keep the wings from getting burnt and I really love the punch of the lemon juice and find I don’t miss the sugar. You can always add, but it doesn’t work so well to take stuff out of the mix. If you want a little spice add a little chili powder or chili flake to give these some heat. You can always taste the marinade before you add the chicken and I highly recommend it! The other option is to make a tester wing if you want to see how they are seasoned as well.

If you find that you have finished your wings before you are ready to serve and want to keep them warm, put them in the oven at 200 degrees until you are ready to serve. Go ahead and cover them with foil to keep the steam and moisture in the wings as well.

You might find that this becomes one of your go to dishes for entertaining anytime of the year. You won’t need to even mention sporting to score with these! Can’t wait for you to give these a try!

As usual, feel free to email me or comment on the post and let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from you. Enjoy!

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Ole to Tortilla Soup

October 6, 2015 Patrick Staffler

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I suppose there are lots of problems you can have in the kitchen, but is having too much braised pork one of them? I suppose it could be, but in this case, I’m going to say no. The truth is even after listing all the ways to use the pork in my last post, I felt like something was missing and I needed to find a new way to use my leftovers. Make no mistake, I love tacos and barbecue pork sliders as much as the next person, but this is a chance for me to learn and share new recipes as well.

So, there I am with a tupperware container full of beautifully braised pork and not a clue what to do with it all. I opened the fridge for inspiration and all I saw was chicken broth, cilantro, some tortillas, chili, a little bit of rice, and a few other things. Okay, there is more in my fridge but I needed a setup to share this recipe. So, I closed the fridge and kept saying to myself the only thing in here is soup. It is fall, so maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing after all. What to make I wondered to myself. It was right there on the tip of tongue for a few minutes when I realized exactly what I should make. More soup, of course! Not just any soup though, but tortilla soup!

I had often wondered about tortilla soup as it has such an incredible depth of flavor and was highlighted with that punch of citrus. I quickly realized that I had a great counterpoint to the rich braised pork with that kind of a soup base. When I think about soups like this, I think of broths that simmer for days and days to achieve that perfect balance of flavor. While this can be true, I like the idea of being able to put the dish on the table the same day. Did you know that you can put this recipe on your table in about an hour?? The other thing is that I like pantry friendly recipes. In other words, you likely have the ingredients in your house to make this already. So, I set out to find a recipe that worked.

Here is the base recipe we are using, however, I have made changes. I know, what a shock! Before we talk about mastering this recipe, I wanted to show you what you could be consuming. Ready?

This is absolutely as good as it looks and more!! I am wondering what I should have for lunch? Hmmm……………but I digress. Okay, recipe time!

HOMEMADE TORTILLA SOUP

Recipe has been halved

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for frying

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon red chile flake or chili powder

6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth store bought or homemade

1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes

juice of 2 limes

2-4 small corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-in.-thick strips

1 lb (3-4 oz per serving) pork or chicken chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

cilantro to taste, chopped

sliced avocado, sour cream, grated Monterey jack cheese, additional chopped cilantro, and/or sliced green onions for topping

Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, a pinch of salt, fresh ground pepper, and cook about 5 to 7 minutes until softened.

Stir in two-thirds of the garlic, a pinch of salt, cumin, chile flake/chili powder, and cook 2 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, and half the lime juice and turn up heat to a gentle simmer and cook about 25 minutes.

Purée soup in batches in a blender or food processor.

Return soup to pot and resume simmering.

Here is a bonus photo of what the broth should look like when it is all done.

In a small bowl, toss chicken or pork with remaining lime juice, garlic (optional), and a pinch of salt, if desired. Marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes, then add to soup and simmer 5 minutes, until chicken or pork is just cooked through.

While your soup finishes simmering and before are ready to serve, add 2 tbsps of olive oil into a small frying pan set over medium-high heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add one-third of the tortilla strips and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer strips to a paper towel-lined baking pan. Repeat with remaining tortilla strips in two batches. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt while hot.

Top with tortilla strips, additional toppings, and fresh cilantro.

There it is! Boom! This is so good!

Let’s talk about some changes:

Servings for centuries- When I test recipes I am only testing for a couple of people. Even cutting this recipe in half I had a lot of leftovers. That isn’t a problem, but keep that in mind unless you plan on freezing some or giving away some amazing tortilla soup. By the way, it is almost the holiday season and this could make a great gift! I’m just saying.

Salt- If you read the reviews and look at the recipe, there is a lot of salt here!! In fact, there is way to much salt in the original recipe from my vantage point as I type this. Here is my take on this issue. You are always better to under season than over season since you can fix that, but going the other way is much more difficult. We add salt to help enhance other flavors and it helps to wake up the palate so we can taste other things better. As you cook, season each layer with a little salt. Also, you are adding more salt right at the end before you serve this to really give some complexity to the the lime juice. So, it is totally okay to ease up on the salt if you are concerned.

Cumin and Chile Flake/Chili Powder- As I discussed in my chili post, these flavors can pack a punch and can easily overpower a dish. You can always add more, but again, less is more. This is especially true if you have someone who is sensitive to those flavors for whatever reason.

Cilantro- Maybe this goes with saying, but sorry, I can’t stop myself from talking about it. There are two cilantro camps, either you love it or you hate it. There isn’t much love in between. You could certainly leave it out and go with something like parsley, celery tops or even some basil. But, you don’t need the cilantro to sell this soup because this soup will sell itself.

Topping takeover- This recipe lists all kinds of topping options and they will compliment the soup perfectly. I opted to keep it super simple with just cilantro and the tortilla strips. For me, that was all the soup needed. You worked hard to make this soup, so make sure you have a chance to enjoy the fruits of your labor without getting lost in the toppings.

Gravity of Garlic- This recipe does call for fresh, raw garlic to be used to marinate your choice of protein before it is added to the soup. As much as it provides some additional flavor, I’m not sold that you need the garlic. It could be overpowering and super sharp when you take a bite of the soup. Just be careful if you decide to use the fresh garlic in that application. Also, cuddling and breathing on or near your significant other could be compromised by heavy garlic consumption. Unless your significant other has consumed garlic as well, then party on! Hey, I’m just trying to look out for my readers.

Ready to make this for meatless Monday?? Yup, you are practically there and you didn’t even realize it I bet. Just replace the chicken or pork for things like roasted corn that you have taken off the cob, roasted bell peppers, zucchini or some sweet potatoes that have been grilled or sauteed. This is will make for an an amazing lunch or dinner anytime!

I hope you enjoy this simply delicious, but complex soup. This is perfect for the fall months and it just looks pretty!

As always, be sure to leave a comment or email me and let me know your thoughts about this recipe. I look forward to hearing from you!

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The Best Braised Pork Roast

September 29, 2015 Patrick Staffler

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Okay, first let me apologize for the tardiness on this post. I have had a few things come up that have required my full and immediate attention. So, I’m a little bit behind getting this post up, but after a long delay, here it is.

The leaves are turning, the air is a little cooler, and for some, the excitement and anticipation of fall sports has arrived. We now shift gears from barbecues and summer weather cooking to the slow cooking, fall baking, and those irresistible aromas that we all associate with this time of year. Personally, I love this time of year for all those warm, comforting fall classic dishes and this dish is no exception.

A few years ago I was on the hunt for a roast recipe that could deliver some real flavor, but could be executed in a few hours as opposed to a whole day or more. Not that I’m against that or haven’t done made roasts like that, but sometimes I really want to be able to make the a roast on the fly. So, the search for a recipe began.

I should back up and say that I had tried a few beef pot roasts, but I always ran into the same problem. Although the meat was well seasoned, it was always a little tough even though I could cut it with a fork. I tried adjusting the cook time, the size of the roast, and the amount of liquid I used, but the results always ended up the same. So, I wanted to see if I could have an easier time with another protein option. I ended up turning my attention to pork to see if I could achieve the desired results.

The premise is super simple; season, sear, reinforce flavors, and cook low and slow. After some searching, I found a recipe that was very much what I had in mind and here is how to make it.

Ingredients

1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 ( 3 1/2-5lb ) bone-in pork shoulder roast, patted dry
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
4-7 gloves of garlic, peeled
2-3 stems of fresh rosemary
2-3 stems of fresh thyme
1/4 c of balsamic vinegar
1/2-3/4 c of red wine( something you would drink )
Beef stock to cover 2-3 inches of your cooking vessel
1-3 tbsp worcestershire
1 medium red onion chopped into thick half rounds

Instructions

Season pork liberally with salt and pepper or other seasonings
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Place Dutch oven or heavy cooking vessel over medium heat and add olive oil
Sear pork on all sides until pork is golden brown and crust forms

https://i0.wp.com/2.bp.blogspot.com/-LTqNMYEquQw/Vgq_xa8YqsI/AAAAAAAABbg/cTDpgJivr60/s1600/IMG_20150829_155117585_HDR.jpg?resize=396%2C223

Remove pork, drain off most of the fat, deglaze with all liquids, scrape bottom of pan to get all those good bits off the bottom of the pan, add remaining ingredients, and return pork to cooking vessel.

Cover with foil and lid and cook for about 3 hours or until pork breaks apart easily with a fork and
looks like this.

You have probably noticed that a number of the ingredients are in italics. Since I’ve made this a number of times, I have had a chance to tweak the recipe and create an amazing flavor profile. Feel free to make any changes that you want or use your own seasonings. If you aren’t sure how else to season your pork, check out my all purpose rub or coffee rub for additional inspiration.

The best part about this recipe is that it incorporates a lot of the skills and tricks I have shared in some previous posts. Remember, we are trying to build on some skills and add some new techniques to the arsenal. As I have said, sometimes simply prepared food can be the best food.

What I love about this roast is that you can transform it into anything that you want. You could use it for tacos, sliders, pulled pork, french fry toppers, carnitas, hash, frittata, a chili topper, a base for a tortilla soup, and a number of other dishes I haven’t even mentioned. The meat is rich, tender, a little floral from the rosemary, some undertones of garlic, and leaves you wanting more. It does tend to go fast, so I would recommend that you make enough to have leftovers. Speaking of leftovers, a little pork, a veggie or two, and a potato makes for a quick meal any night of the week.

There is one very important note I want to talk about before you run off to the store to make this dish. I called this a braise in my title, which is simply searing and cooking slowly in a little bit of flavored liquid. This is the opposite of a standard pot roast cooking method where you cover most of the meat with liquid instead of just a little bit of liquid. They both have their places in the kitchen, but I favor the braise. In addition, like the short ribs, I cover the vessel with foil to hold in all the steam and this helps both to break down the meat and keeps all the moisture in the meat.

This dish does take a little extra time, but as usual, the payoff is huge! Truthfully, I have made this dish more than once in a weeks time. It was well worth it!

I hope you are inspired and will take your roasts to the next level. Let me know what you think by sending me an email or commenting on the post to give me your feedback!

Enjoy!

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I’ll Make Chili For You

September 16, 2015 Patrick Staffler

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When it comes to cooking, there is nothing better than a dish that simmers away on the stove top for hours. Not only is the smell intoxicating, it provides a nice continuous gentle heat in the house, and lifting the lid on a gently simmering pot of delicious ingredients is the best! That only gets better when you can basically throw a bunch stuff in a pot, walk away for a while, and let it simmer away until it turns to something flavorful, satisfying, and just plain tasty.

I started thinking about this since I am helping with a family member who is very ill and trying to make sure that I can provide the one thing I know, food. But, I wanted to be able to create a few recipes rather quickly with little fuss. I could think of nothing better than homemade chili.

Let’s talk chili, I think there is a stigma about chili that hangs around. It is either too spicy, salty, too meat-centric or it just takes too long to long to make. Sounds like a familiar story, right? I am here to tell you that you can have chili ready to eat in about ninety minutes and you can have it your way. Yes, your way. I will tell you that I’ve never made my own chili until the other day, and it couldn’t have been easier!

For those of you who don’t like my billion photos, you are in luck, because I made this recipe under a deadline and I only took two photos. As luck would have it, only one photo really turned out the way I wanted. Rest assured, I won’t let my photo taking lapse because I would hate to deprive you of that.

Click here for the original chili recipe, which is a recipe I adapted from allrecipes.com. Below is my version.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green or red bell pepper
1/4 tablespoons chili powder
2 clove garlic, minced
1/8-1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3 teaspoons of paprika
1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 (16 ounce) can beans, drained such as red, black or navy beans
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium high heat, saute ground beef until browned, about 5-7 minutes. Season both ground beef and pepper and onion mixture with a little salt and pepper. Remove ground beef with slotted spoon, drain most of the fat, leaving a little to saute peppers and onions until softened about 5-7 more minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients, reserving the beans until near the end of the cooking time. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. With about 15 minutes remaining, stir in beans till they are warmed through and serve.

Below are a few changes I made to this recipe:

I doubled up on the canned beans to give the chili some extra substance and body. This is great way to make it if you want to go the vegetarian route.

*Scaling back on the dried spice is okay. I only used about a 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder and about an 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of cumin. Both of these go a long way and tend to really perfume and flavor the dish. When you “bloom” or cook dried spices in some oil over heat, those spices release a lot of their oil and can intensify in flavor. Make sure to give the spices time to develop so you can accurately adjust your seasoning level if needed. Remember, it is easier to add than have to try to take some of that spice out. Also, I omitted all the jalapeno as well.

*Just a quick follow up related to the spice/heat level of the chili. I was making it for someone who can’t really tolerate much spice, but I wanted to give the chili a little undertone of heat. If you want to add more chili powder, jalapeno or something more intense like a fresno chili, then go for it! Remember, it is about knowing your audience and what they can tolerate. We want our family and friends to enjoy what we are cooking, but not make them feel like you are serving a bowl of Mount Vesuvius. Again, unless that is your goal, then let it rip!

Paprika makes the world go round. Seriously, it has such a great flavor profile and provides a subtle depth. I added a couple of teaspoons to the chili when I made it. Oh, it also adds an incredible color and that makes it really look like you fussed over it for hours even though you didn’t. I will call this a cooking hack to save you some time.

After some stirring, perhaps a beverage or two, and some patience you are rewarded with this.

Serve this in a bowl with some cheese, sour cream, and a little cilantro on top. If you want to step this up, spoon some of this over some chips and top with cheese for some chili cheese nachos. Oh, still not enough hacks? Okay, how about some scrambled eggs topped with a little homemade chili to get your day started? Do it! You won’t be disappointed.

Want to make a vegetarian version? As I said, no problem! Take out the ground beef, add a little vegetable stock, add some fresh yellow corn, and toss in some sauteed mushrooms near the end until they are warmed through and have absorbed some of that amazing chili base.

If you end up with tons of leftovers, don’t worry! Throw some
pre-portioned containers into the freezer for a quick lunch or dinner anytime you.

Once again, the twists on this are unlimited If you really want to wake this up, add some beer or coffee to really help reinforce some of those great flavors. The limits are your own, so be creative! I promise, nothing will be beat a bowl of this on a cold blustery days around the table with your loved ones.

Enjoy!

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Using your Noodle-Veggie Style

August 31, 2015 Patrick Staffler

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As I mentioned before, the food world is changing. We are looking for ways to maximize what we are eating, how we eat it, and why we are eating the things we do. Lots of us are really having to look at the kind of relationship we have with food. I know this because we are going through a bit of a food revolution in our house. Why you ask? Well, it has to do with how our bodies handle and process certain foods. Simply put, like the allergies that cause you to sneeze during the summer, you can be affected by the foods you eat as well.

If you have read any of my blog, you know that one of the most popular dishes in my house is pasta. However, traditional pasta contains gluten and not everyone can tolerate gluten. So, the question becomes how can we make pasta delicious, fast, and easy without giving up on any flavor? I have a perfect solution.

The first option is more obvious, which is gluten free pasta. You can find it in most grocery stores these day and it is very tasty. Don’t get me wrong, this is a fantastic solution and one that I would go to more often than not. In fact, I am still recipe testing homemade gluten free pasta which I hope to share with you. However, I am working through a few snags at the moment. That should do it, right? No, not exactly. I think we should shake noodles up a little bit.

What if I told you that some of the vegetables in your house right now could be turned into healthy, super easy noodles? No, I am not kidding. Do you have carrots, zucchini or sweet potatoes in your fridge or pantry right now? Check, I can wait………….got them? Guess what? You have an amazing substitute for regular pasta that you can use for any application. It is truly that simple.

So, what are we making? We are making zucchini fettuccine with my ground turkey bolognese. Don’t remember how to make bolognese? No problem, just click here for a refresher.

That leaves us with how to make the noodles. Okay, you have a couple of options. If you have a vegetable peeler or a wire cheese slicer then you are good to go. These will come out looking more like ribbons, but the effect will be the same.

The noodles on the left are various sizes that I made from a vegetable peeler. I was able to create a spaghetti, fettuccine, and a wide noodle with the peeler. On the right are the noodles I made with my “Zoodle” maker. Yes, it is an actual thing. It is too much fun to say to not have it be true. If you want these fancy zoodles then head to your favorite online kitchen store and look for a “zoodler.” Again, the gadget name is too good to make up. Having done my own research, I know you can find a basic one on Amazon for about 10 dollars, but there are plenty of options if you want to up your zoodle game. You can’t go wrong either way, in my opinion.

Okay, time to fire it up! Follow the directions to make my bolognese. While the bolognese is cooking down, you will have plenty of time to prep your noodles.To get the zucchini ready, trim off the ends and follow the directions of your zoodle maker. If you are using your vegetable peeler, remove the the zucchini skin and form a large pile of the strips. If you notice your noodles are too long just cut them down to a desirable size or cut it in half before you make your noodles. Once you have reached your desired thickness of the sauce, pile some noodles into a bowl, and top thusly with bolognese. Make sure to cover the noodles fairly well. The heat of the bolognese will soften the noodles and provide that cooked sensation.

Even I have to remind myself that these are zoodles because this bolognese sells it! If you want to take this dish to the next level, sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on the finished dish. Honestly, I didn’t miss the cheese and I ate the whole bowl full!

If you want to take this dish totally vegetarian or vegan, you can omit both the ground turkey and the cheese. Of course, if you have any other restrictions feel free to make any changes that are necessary. You could also throw in some mushrooms or a number of other vegetables to bulk this dish up a little bit.

A couple of things to keep in mind here. You may find that you need to season the bolognese a little more than normal. The regular pasta releases starch and holds some salt from the boiling water, so there is a little less salt in the dish. That is totally okay if you feel like that is needed. However, you can certainly add other seasonings or herbs such as basil, oregano, pepper, thyme, and wine as well. If you add more wine, make sure you allow time for the alcohol to cook out of the sauce. Again, make sure you use you wine you would drink, because as wine cooks down those flavors are concentrated. Feel free to add vegetable or chicken stock to help reinforce those flavors as well. Oh, yes, I just used the word cooking, so let me talk about that before I forget. Zucchini has a high water content, so we don’t want to cook it in the classic sense. So leave the noodles raw if you can so you can retain some texture and don’t end up with mushy noodles.

This is only the beginning of the possibilities with veggies noodles. So, be creative!

Congratulations we have taken this dish to a whole new level! We did it! Let me know what you think by commenting on the recipe or sending me an email. I know this dish will surprise you as it did for me.

Enjoy!

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Perfectly Practical Pasta Fundamentals

June 4, 2015 Patrick Staffler

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There are few things in the world that are more satisfying than sitting down in front of a nice, flavorful bowl of pasta. Seriously, I love a good bowl of pasta! It is a perfect symphony of flavor, texture, aroma, and pretty well speaks for itself. Of course, at the core of any good pasta dish is, well, the pasta. So, that is the focus of this post. We aren’t talking just any pasta, but homemade pasta.

I am always up for learning new techniques and tricks when it comes to all things cooking. So a few months ago I decided to sign up for a cooking class learning how to make fresh homemade pasta. Needless to say, I had always been curious how this could be done, but I was uncertain if I could master the skills needed to make my own pasta.

The ingredients from fresh pasta are simply flour, egg, water, salt, and oil. That is it. The real trick was bringing the dough together. This is a little more challenging, but like our mayo recipe, you just need to trust the process and you will be okay. Your trust, Grasshopper, will be rewarded with delicious, easy, and super-versatile pasta.

Ready to get after it? Let’s go!

Homemade Pasta:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs
3-5 tablespoons of water — as needed only* (please note the asterisk included below)
1 tablespoon olive oil or oil of your choosing

On a clean surface on your kitchen counter, combine salt and flour into the shape of a mountain. You can do this in a bowl, but you might find it easier to work with more open space. Do what works best for you here as there is no right or wrong way to make dough.

Form a well (or a slight pocket) in the top your mountain of flour, and add the beaten egg and oil to the well. Sprinkle kosher salt and ground pepper on top of the oil and egg, as well as around the rim of the well in your flour. Slowly, with a fork, start to bring the flour together with your egg and oil in order to combine.

Combine the egg and flour mixture using the fork until the dough begins to clump and you can’t use a fork to combine the mixture any further. You will want to use your hands to begin incorporating this initial stage of the dough together, and it can take a little time to get the ingredients incorporated so be patient. Also, don’t worry if all the flour doesn’t get worked into the dough at first.

**If you notice the dough looks dry and isn’t absorbing the remaining flour you should add a 1 tablespoon of water at a time to help moisten the dough and incorporate the additional flour. Don’t add all the water at once otherwise your dough will be far too wet. It is easier to add a little at a time until the dough is incorporated with all the flour rather than ending up with a lot of wet dough!

Once the dough begins to form a ball and all the flour is well combined, knead the dough and look out for little bubbles of flour or other substances that haven’t mixed together thoroughly yet. If the dough is sticking to your bowl or surface, just add a little bit of flour to keep it from sticking. Keep kneading until you get one smooth dough; it will feel like the consistency of play-doh when it is combined properly. If the dough feels dry from absorbing any extra flour just add a little more water by wetting your fingertips and work that into the dough to moisten it. I don’t expect you will need very much water, but it is good to have if you feel you want a touch more moisture for your dough.

Here is the dough as it starts to come together.This dough was pretty wet, so I did have to work in more flour to get it to the proper texture.

When the dough is finished ball it up into a roughly shaped disc of dough on the counter and either wrap it in plastic or simply cover the dough with a towel and leave it on the counter to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. At this point you can roll the dough out and prepare it for cutting into pasta, but only if it will be used right away. If not, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Note: After 24 hours you may notice the dough in the fridge will begin to oxidize. Although it won’t impact the the flavor of your dough and your ability to roll it out, it could give the dough a grayish hue.

To roll out the dough successfully, I suggest starting with half of your dough as the whole ball can be hard to work with and you may not have the room for the entire ball once rolled out. I suggest using a dough blade or a bench scraper to section your dough. If you don’t have one, I recommend getting one or two as it is simply a flat, thin, plastic blade that allows you to scrape the counter when combining the dough ingredients, move or cut the dough easily. You can find these very easily, even at the dollar store and it is such a useful tool for any type of dough or pastry. I find it particularly useful when I am forming the dough and some of the egg and flour haven’t yet been incorporated together.

If you don’t use the other half of your pasta dough right away sprinkle it with flour to keep it from drying out on the counter, or wrap it in plastic and throw it in the fridge to use later.

Next up, we will cover rolling the dough out to proper thickness for pasta and raviolis. It is going to be amazing!

Here is a shot of the rolled out dough. Although I am going to get into cutting pasta and crafting raviolis next time, and the different types of pasta you can make by hand, this gives you an idea to start with.
One last note, even if you follow the recipe, the dough can be impacted by the humidity and temperature in your home, altitude, and the amount of any moisture in the flour you’re using. So, keep this in mind, as you have may to adjust the recipe with more flour or water even though you have followed it exactly.

Be sure to check my next installment in Pasta-Palooza! Enjoy!

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