Spiced Homemade Tagliatelle/Comfort in Chaos

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Cooking and baking can be a satisfying creative outlet.  It can also be soothing. As long as we’re not thinking too much about what might happen. We worry, “Will this turn out?  Will I under or overcook it? Was that too much salt?” If you do not fixate on what could go wrong, and instead concentrate on doing the best you can in the moment…that focus that is required is meditative.

I’m writing this at a time where the entire world is full of worry and anxiety about our future.  It’s April of 2020, and rather than being outside and enjoying the first signs of spring, we’re all inside under quarantine due to a worldwide pandemic.  For many, not only is there worry about catching Covid-19, there’s also great concern about how to manage bills and feed their families. Many lost their jobs as businesses were forced to close to try to mitigate the spread of this terrible disease.  Some might lose their businesses entirely before we’re through this.

Even writing these words feels surreal. Aside from the fear of the disease and the economic consequences, we all are also trying to stay physically well but also mentally healthy. We’ve been asked to not leave our homes unless absolutely necessary. Many of us want to help but aren’t sure how. We’re being told staying home and away from others is a way that every one of us can help us get through this. So, what to do with these many weeks at home?

Just like cooking, all we can really do at this moment is to try to focus on the tasks we can accomplish now.  People are cooking in their homes now more than they ever have in my lifetime. That could be counted as one ray of sunshine in these dark times. People are in the kitchen, together with roommates or their families, cooking and baking. Some are even trying to make things they previously thought they HAD to purchase at the store. Neighbors are sharing homemade loaves of bread (by leaving them on the porch, but nonetheless…) More importantly, they are seeking the comfort that comes from cooking together at home or cooking for someone. And, people have come running back to those cozy comfort foods that they my have shunned such as bread and pasta.

One of the unintended consequences of the announcement of the quarantine was a run on stores. I wasn’t one of the people who got there in time to stock up before the shelves were wiped out. It was unnerving to see the pasta aisle-usually overly full with too many choices–completely empty.  Well, lucky for me, I know how to make pasta from scratch and soon you will too. You’ll see that it’s easier than you might think. And it tastes much better anyway.

This recipe can be made with either all-purpose, bread flour, or 00 flour.  You could even experiment with alternative flours if you’d like. I can’t guarantee the results with those, but you might have time right now to give it a try. You can also use whatever combination of spices for the spiced butter that you happen to have in your house. Of course, you could also just use the recipe for the tagliatelle and put whatever sauce on it you’d like. I’m using a recipe adapted from Ottolenghi’s amazing book, Plenty. Just because we’re under quarantine in the middle of a pandemic does not mean we cannot eat well.

Spiced Homemade Tagliatelle

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

  

Tagliatelle

• 3 cups all-purpose or 00 flour
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup water

Spiced Butter

• 1 cup butter
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 8 shallots finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• black pepper
• 4 tbsp chopped mint or parsley, or both
• 2/3 cup pine nuts, toasted and roughly chopped optional

Instructions

 

For Fresh Pasta

• Place the flour in a large bowl or on a countertop and make a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well and slightly beat them. With a fork, add the flour a little at a time into the eggs to combine. Begin to pull the mixture into a dough, adding the water a little at a time to incorporate all of the flour. Once all traces of dry flour are gone, begin to knead the dough until soft. It should not stick to your fingers. Work for a few minutes, adding more flour if you need, until it becomes silky soft.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes, or up to a day. For this recipe, make the spiced butter (below) while you are waiting for the pasta to chill.
• After chilling, divide the dough into two pieces. Keep one well covered. Using a rolling pin, flatten the other piece into a thin rectangle.  If you have a pasta machine, set it to its widest setting and pass the dough through. Continue rolling the pasta, narrowing the setting by a notch every time, until you get to the lowest setting.  The dough will become very long, so after rolling the dough through 2-3 settings, cut it in half to keep it to a manageable size. If you do not have a pasta machine, you will continue to roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it is very thin. You should be able to see light through it if you hold it up.   
•  Repeat with the remaining dough.  If your pasta machine has a fettuccine setting, you could use that. If it does not, you'll create your pasta ribbons with a knife. Lightly dust the surface of the dough with flour and gently spread it around with your hands. Starting with a long end of your pasta sheet farthest from you, roll the dough toward you in a fairly tight roll. Starting at one end, cut the pasta into 1/2 inch pieces. When you reach the end, unroll each piece, and place each on a lightly floured surface. Make sure the pieces are as separated as possible. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

For Spiced Butter

• To make the spiced butter, place the butter and oil in a frying pan and cook the shallots gently for about 10 minutes, or until they soften and the butter turns slightly brown.  Now add all the spices, the salt, and some pepper.  Remove from the heat and keep warm.Cook the tagliatelle for 2 to 3 minutes, or until al dente.  Drain and return to the saucepan.  Pour the spiced butter over the pasta and stir well, then divide among four plates.  Sprinkle with the pine nuts (if using) and chopped herbs and serve.

Keyword pasta, tagliatelle