Lazy saturday lunch. Homemade Ribbon Pasta with proscuitto, torn mint, peas & parmesan

My first recipe post!! More than a little excited.  This idea, while not a new one, has been in the works for a while so feels good to finally get it underway. Righto, moving on.

Our lazy Saturday lunch – this isn’t the quickest recipe to make but I feel its worth the effort.

I tore this out of a Country Style magazine while waiting in the doctors office. Yes im one of those people.  I have begun making pasta myself when time allows and gradually feel im getting the hang of it.  This uses a pasta machine which not all households have but its just as easily done with a rolling pin.  Served at room temp, the flavours of this pasta salad  are fresh & sharp but have a beautiful soft texture if you get the pasta right.  

This is a Steve Cumper recipe (originally a Maggie Beer) from the Country Living Oct 2011 issue - though i have made some alterations.

Ingredients

2 & 1/3 cups ‘00’ pasta flour  (you can find this in woollies.)

Pinch salt

4 eggs

300g prosciutto, thinly sliced

2 cups cooked peas (good substitute also would be quick pan fried snow peas or any crunchy greens)

¾ cup torn mint leaves

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup white wine vinegar

1 cup grated or crumbled parmesan

Clear your kitchen bench top to have a good sized clean & dry area for kneading the pasta dough.  Make a pile of the pasta flour on your benchtop, add salt.  Using a fork, make a rough well in the centre sufficient enough for the eggs.

Crack eggs into the centre – try to make sure the sides are tall enough to stop overflow.

Using a fork again begin whisking the eggs into the flour, gradually drawing in more flour as you go. As the wet mixture thickens, ditch the fork and use your hands.  Draw & roll the flour & eggs together and begin kneading.  Work the mixture until it is thoroughly combined & a smooth on the surface.  Check that it is combined well enough by pulling it apart & checking for pockets of flour. If you find any, keep kneading.

Now roll the mix into a ball, wrap with clingwrap & put aside for at least half an hour. I left mine for a good few hours so you can make this in advance.

Before creating pasta – get a large pot of salted & oiled boiling water on.

Childs play

If you have a pasta machine -  Unwrap the ball & push the ball into a disc & cut it into quarters.  Beginning with 1 of the quarters, roll it through the machine on setting 1,  once through, fold it onto itself again (I wish I had taken a photo of this but I forgot. Dang. Lesson 1 learnt.) The dough will be a oval shape on the first run through fold both sides in as if your closing cupboard doors. (heck I hope that makes sense.) and run through again and again until you have a nice rectangular shape. You’ll learn to pull a little when needed as it runs through to get the right shape.

Sprinkle with flour between each setting & run through all settings until you reach 7.  You’ll probably need to cut the pasta in half by around setting 4 as it gets pretty long.  Lay out the pieces & using  sharp knife, make long cuts creating ribbons about 2-3cm wide. Don’t be perfect with it -  think rustic.  Lightly flour pieces before resting them on your countertop. Don’t overlap them if you can help it.

Using a rolling pin – ok, I haven’t personally done this but I have been told its pretty easy. Unwrap the ball & push the ball into a disc & cut it into quarters.  Beginning with one quarter, roll out pasta with rolling pin, trying to maintain a roughly rectangular shape, until you have a thinness of around your average linguine pasta (about 1mm thick). Cut into 2-3cm wide ribbons – try not to make them longer than, say 20cm. Its got to be easy enough to eat.

As you make each batch of pasta (about 8 ribbons or so) throw it into the boiling water for around 4 mins.  Use a strainer to fish them out & blanch in cold water. Thoroughly shake dry & toss olive oil through the pasta with your hands to prevent sticking. Set cooked pasta aside in your serving bowl. With each fresh batch you add to the bowl – give it a mix with your hands to prevent sticking.

Now all the hard works done! 

Tear up the prosciutto into long strips, add the cooked peas, torn mint, & sprinkle the cup of parmesan overtop.  Whisk together the vinegar, olive oil & salt & pepper & trickle overtop of individual serves when serving.

Enjoy!