Pasta From Scratch and 2 bonus meals!

Hey guys!

It is me again. I have been trying to make more time for food blogging and cooking again and I have a lot going on.

As some of you , most of you may know I recently got married just a little over 2 months ago. So for 2 years I was deep in wedding planning.

I am now still bettering myself and growing my businesses. I am currently in school for Wedding and Event planning as well
as still running, The Unconventional Bride, Char Web Designs and soon will also be taking certified life coach classes. The life coach classes were supposed to come first but I decided to change the order of my classes and certifications.

I also still work full time currently for Williams Sonoma Brands although I must admit I am hoping to change the in the near future.

Food is something that I will never leave. This is the business that is truly a language of love for me and I hope soon to grow it beyong my wildest dreams.

This particular post is a mashup of a few things I have cooked in the last few weeks.

Homemade Ragu sauce and homemade from fresh dough pasta:

The type of pasta noodle is properly referred to as Pappardelle “large ribbon pasta)

To make fresh pasta you should use either 00 Italian Flour ( Chef’s flour) or Semolina. I usually do a mixture of both but
I was out of Semolina. ( Semolina also is a great help in making fresh pizza crust, It is a drier, somewhat yellow, coarse flour that helps create more gluten)

For pasta the ratio I use is the following:

If I use 4 large cups flour , I use 6-10 egg yolks. I only use the yolks and a very small portion of water. You want the dough to stay a bit dry and easy to manage. I use a mixer stand with a pasta hook sometimes. But I also use the flour on the table method
where you pour your flour and create a deep well in the middle and pour your egg yolks into it and then using your hands you bring the flour into the center mixing with your hands. ( You will want to keep flour on your hands to help it not to stick and a very small amount of Olive oil)

A mixer makes it easier as kneading pasta does take time as you need to get it a bit firm.

One it is firm you will them cut your dough ball into sections and use a slender wooden rolling pin to roll it into even sheets that when raised to the sunlight you can see through.

Then you cut your “ribbons” and hang them on the pasta drying rack.

I do also have 3 pasta machines that create and cut the pasta for me , but when just cooking for the family I love getting my hands and apron dirty and doing it the old fashioned way.

As for my sauce, I have shared my sauce recipes several times in many entries on here. The only difference when making a Ragu is that it is a longer cook with minced meat of sometime added. I have done it with Chicken , Sausage and Beef. It is deliciously rich and flavorful. It takes several hours to create a perfectly slow cooked Ragu. It is well worth the time.

Lastly garnish with some fresh grated Peccorino are Parmesan and it’s DINNER!

***************************************

Two bonus meals in the photos:

Italian Beef and onions severed with rice and mozarella, spinach and garlic toast.

And my take on the Good Old School Pizza Kit from Chef Boyardee that us 70’s kids grew up eating on toast. That was actually my first introduction to Pizza.

Also Sauces Best Pasta and Meatballs w Spinach and Provolone Garnish!

Ya’ll stay tuned and be on the lookout for more things and more travel soon from
Sauces Best!

Chef Char