PASTA MADE BY HAND

Although I have a pasta machine, it hasn't been used in quite a while. It is just too much trouble to lug it out of the closet, then clean it and lug it back. It weighs a ton and it is a killer to clean. But I love pasta and I love fresh pasta best of all. So, I was very happy to see Michael Chiarello's tutorial for fresh pappardelle (my favorite noodle!!!) in the Feb/Mar 2009 issue of Food Network Magazine. If you haven't perused this magazine, I recommend that you do so. While I am trying to limit the number of magazines I subscribe to, I couldn't pass up the introductory offer. I was impressed by this first issue, though I made a dessert that I tossed after one bite (hint: don't make the tequila lime squares).

Chiarello's recipe has to be the easiest pasta I've ever made, by hand or by machine. It was mixed, kneaded, and ready to rest in under 20 minutes. I let it rest for just 30 minutes since we had errands to run, then rolled it out, cut it, and left it in the fridge until dinner.

Yield: about 20 oz (you can make half and freeze the other half)

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour (plus more for dusting)

1 cup semlina flour (plus more for dusting)

6 large eggs, at room temperature

4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

salt

MAKE THE DOUGH

Sift both flours together on a large work surface (I recently bought a Food Network silicone mat which I use for everything). Make a well in the center and place th eggs, olive oil, and a pinch of salt into the well using a fork to break up the eggs. Gradually mix the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until just combined.

KNEAD BY HAND
Gather the dough into 2 equal-sized balls and flour your surface. Knead one piece at a time. To knead, you push the dough away from you with the heel of your hand, fold the dough over itself and turn it counterclockwise. Continue pushing, folding, and turning until the dough is smooth and elastic, 4-5 minutes. Repeat with the second ball of dough.

REST THE DOUGH

Pat each piece into a ball and flatten slightly. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes to overnight. You can freeze a ball of dough OR roll it out, cut it, and freeze the pasta.

ROLL OUT THE DOUGH

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and dust with flour. Starting in the middle, push away from you with a rolling pin, easing up on the pressure as you approach the edge. Continue rolling the dough into a sheet, turning occasionally, until you can see your fingers through the bottom. Allow to dry about 10 minutes.

CUT THE PAPPARDELLE

Dust the top of the sheet of dough with flour and loosely roll it into a cylinder. Using a sharp knife, cut into 3/4 inch wide slices. Unwrap the noodles and dust with semolina. To do this, I placed a few noodles at a time into a plastic ziploc bag with semolina flour in it and shook lightly. Place on a sheet pan and cover with a tea towel until ready to cook.

BOIL THE PAPPARDELLE

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Gently drop in the noodles and cook for 3-5 minutes, until al dente.

I served the pappardelle with a simple ragu. It was incredibly delicious. I plan to use this recipe to make manicotti and lasagna in the future. It was a snap! Thank you, Michael.