October 25 is World Pasta Day. Pasta is one of the world’s most loved dishes, and this is a day given to celebrate the joy that is pasta – from spaghetti, macaroni, and penne, to gnocchi, fusilli, tagliatelle, and ravioli.
Food is about flavour, culture, texture, and shapes. It should take you to places you have never been and give you a taste that you have never felt before, and pasta happens to be one of those foods that you can experience this joy.
In honour of this occasion, two chefs at Capsicum Culinary Studio share below the recipes for their favourite pasta dishes that you can also try today for lunch or dinner.
Squid Ink tortellini with prawn mousse
This is not as much work as it seems and will really impress your dinner guests.
INGREDIENTS FOR PASTA
250g flour
2 eggs
3 egg yolks
2 tsp squid ink
1 pinch of salt
INGREDIENTS FOR PRAWN MOUSSE
20ml gelatine
125ml cold water
125ml boiling water
450g cooked prawn tails
30ml lemon juice
30ml chopped onion
60ml chopped celery
10ml chopped dill
180ml mayonnaise
125ml cream, whipped
To garnish
100g green peas
20g micro herbs
100g clams
Additional cooked prawn tails
METHOD FOR PASTA
Pile the flour and salt onto a large, clean work surface. Mix the eggs, egg yolks, and squid ink. Gradually incorporate the egg mixture into the flour to create a dough, using your hands to bring it together. Knead for 5–10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic then form into a ball. Wrap tightly in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for at least an hour.
Once the dough has rested, remove it from the fridge, and let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Unwrap the dough and use a rolling pin to flatten it to the same thickness as the widest setting on your pasta machine, then feed it into the slot.
Fold the dough in half and pass it through the machine a few more times until it becomes smooth. Once you have a smooth dough, gradually decrease the setting on the pasta machine, passing the dough through twice on each setting (without folding) until you achieve the desired thickness. Cut the dough into your preferred shape.
FOR MOUSSE
Sprinkle gelatine over the cold water and set aside for 5 minutes. Pour over the boiling water and stir until dissolved. Put the prawns in a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Add the lemon juice, onion, celery, dill, and mayonnaise and process until smooth.
With the machine running, pour in the dissolved gelatine then add in the cream and pulse to combine. Spoon the mixture into 3 small or 1 large loaf pan that has been oiled and lined with cling wrap and place in the fridge to set. Once firm, unmould and serve garnished with prawns.
METHOD ON FILLING PASTA
Set the rolled-out pasta on a flat surface and use a pizza cutter to cut 2×2 inch (about 5cm X 5cm) squares. Once the pasta squares are cut, begin dabbing a teaspoon-sized amount of the mousse into the middle of the square.
Brush a small amount of water along the outside of the square and fold over across the diagonal to form a triangle. Next, pick up the triangle and form it around your pinkie, then press the two edges together tightly. Grab the triangular tip and fold it over the dough to form the final shape.
Set all the formed tortellini into a pile and dust them with flour to prevent them from sticking together. Cook the tortellini. Bring a large amount of water to a rolling boil and add one tablespoon of salt per quart of water, the water should be as salty as the sea. Add the tortellini to the boiling water and cook for two to three minutes until the tortellini begins to float. Remove the pot from the heat and strain the pasta.
Recipe by chef Charne Wylie.
Tagliatelle and salmon with sauce au beurre de vin blanc à la crème
This is a fabulous dish to make for that special occasion.
INGREDIENTS
For sauce
280g fresh pasta (recipe below)
100g salmon cut into 5mm slices
1 fennel bulb
Olive oil as needed
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
2 garlic cloves whole
¼ yellow pepper, thinly sliced
¼ red pepper, thinly sliced
8 caperberries
125ml dry white wine
125g butter
180ml cream
30ml cream cheese
Fresh dill for garnish
Fresh chives for garnish
2 lemon wedges for juice and to serve.
For dill oil
50g dill
10g parsley leaves
250ml olive oil
For pasta dough
250g flour
1 egg
10ml water
5ml dill oil
METHOD
Dill oil
Blanch the dill and parsley in salted boiling water for 15 – 20 seconds and refresh in an ice water bath. Drain and dry well, to a blender add half the oil and blanched herbs and blend until smooth then add the remaining oil with the blender still running. Let settle for 15 – 20 minutes. Strain and reserve for use.
Pasta dough
Create a well in the flour and add the eggs, 5ml dill oil, and 5ml water mix into the flour by using a swirling motion with your finger until the flour is incorporated, add extra water if needed. Knead on a work surface until a firm dough is formed. Rest the dough in plastic wrap for 10 – 15 minutes or until needed. When ready, roll it out in a pasta machine – setting 7 – then pass it through the tagliatelle cutter.
For the Sauce: Preheat the oven to 200°C on the bake setting, and get salted water boiling to cook the pasta. Cut fennel into quarters, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan until smoking hot, sear the fennel until brown and keep rotating until you have colour on all sides. Transfer to a sheet pan, add the whole garlic cloves, cover with foil, and place in the oven to roast for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Keep aside. (Squeeze out the garlic for use later).
Heat up a sauté pan and add olive oil. Sauté the peppers, roasted garlic, and capers. Add salt and pepper and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Remove the pepper mixture from the pan, clear access fat (from the pan), and return to the heat. Add the wine and thyme then reduce by half.
Slowly add the butter a little at a time while whisking and emulsifying until all the butter has been incorporated. Stir in the cream and cream cheese until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Return the pepper mixture to the cream sauce and cook on low heat for the flavours to develop. This won’t take long.
Meanwhile, boil the pasta until al dente (4 minutes). Remove pasta from the water and add to the cream mixture and toss to coat. Lightly drizzle the salmon with oil and season with salt and pepper. In a hot skillet, sear the fish for a minute on each side, squeeze over some lemon juice and serve on top of the pasta dish. Garnish with fresh dill or fennel, chives, and drizzle with a few drops of dill oil.
Recipe by chef Donovan Miller.
Have you checked out the latest IOL Food & Drinks digital magazine? Read it here.
