Tonight we host a guest that can't have dairy and is a carb monster. Carb monsters usually are sated with pasta and butter. Tonight, only olive oil thank you. With so few ingredients, the pasta better be good. So, I tossed some together.
I don't know why, but I don't use a high fraction (or any sometimes) of
semolina. I will from now on. Today, I made a pound with 1/2 unbleached white and 1/2 semolina (fine). What an easy dough to work with! The recipe is simple: 150 g unbleached white flour, 150 g semolina (fine), 170 g eggs (ca. 3), 5 g salt, 5 g olive oil. Mix with wooden spoon until a big blob forms. Don't worry about kneading much, rolling it out will finish the kneading. Divide in 4 pieces, let rest wrapped in fridge for a few minutes (up to a few days I think), roll out each piece to a ca. 15" circle, cut into ribbons with a pizza cutter.
The initial blob of dough cut into 4 pieces, each piece is rounded and let rest in fridge.
Dust a piece with flour and start to roll out. The dough is pretty tough. Flour a bit if it sticks to the rolling pin or counter.
Don't go insane trying to get it too thin. Here's a sheet rolled out. You can see a shadow of my hand. Hard to describe how thin it is, but don't worry, even thick noodles are good.
Slap the sheet (roughly a circle) on a cutting board and cut into ribbons any size you like. A simple pizza cutter is faster than you think. I like short noodles.
A pound o' pasta. I'll let it sit out in the dry winter air, shake it once in a while to insure it doesn't stick to itself and save what we don't use in the freezer (uncooked). I'll cook the pasta in salted water until al dente and serve dressed with olive oil and some toasted bread crumbs (instead of cheese, no dairy tonight). Maybe I'll serve something green on the side to assuage my parenting guilt because the kids certainly won't eat it. They are probably hoping for Kraft.
PS
Wow, the kids liked it. And, I took the risk and served it tossed with peas - peas mixed in! Very satisfying simple treat. I cooked the entire batch and got a few minutes after dinner to eat some with my hands standing over the sink while cleaning up after the marauding children. Quite the luxurious dinner. Yes, honey, this postscript was added in case you read this post while dining "for business" at Deepwoods. Maybe you could bring me your leftovers?
Where do you buy semolina?
ReplyDeleteHey Rachel,
ReplyDeleteMediterranean Food Imports, right next to HoundDogs pizza, all sizes too: coarse, medium, fine. It's one of my favorite markets in Columbus.
Best for your recovery.