Lindas Sun Dried Tomato Pasta Fresca Recipes

10-MINUTE SUN-DRIED TOMATO PASTA

Steps:

• Begin cooking the pasta. Fill a medium saucepan with plenty of water and season the water well with kosher salt. Bring the water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook according to package instructions, till al dente. Make sure to reserve some of the pasta cooking water before you drain the pasta.
• While the pasta is cooking, work on the sauce. Heat 2 tablespoons of good extra virgin olive oil in a large deep pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallots, garlic, and a good pinch of salt and cook, tossing regularly for about a minute. Add the chopped sundried tomatoes and cook for another minute or so, tossing until the dried tomato bits have softened a little. Add the milk and a little bit of the pasta cooking water (about ¼ cup) and cook for another minute or two until warmed through. Stir in the oregano and red pepper flakes.
• Turn the heat off. Add in the pasta and Parmesan cheese, mix well to make sure the pasta is well-coated (if needed, add a bit more of the pasta cooking water). Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
• Finish with the torn basil and serve immediately!

LINDA'S SUN-DRIED TOMATO PASTA FRESCA

Steps:

• Put flour and sun dried tomatoes into your food processor and whiz for about 30 seconds. Check the size of the tomatoes since they should be pulverized. Whiz another 30 seconds if you need to.
• Add the eggs and pulse a few times, scrape down the bowl, and whiz until the pasta starts coming together.
• If the pasta dough is too crumbly to hold together when you squeeze it in your hand you should add another egg yolk and whiz some more.
• Just as in the pasta fresca recipe you should dump everything into a zip lock bag and press together to form a log.
• Store in the fridge for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.
• Cut the log into 8 discs.
• With your pasta machine or mixer attachment knead the discs 4 or 5 times until they are smooth and satiny. Flour is your friend so make sure you use lots of it when rolling and cutting pasta!
• When all are kneaded, roll them to the desired thickness one setting at a time. On my Kitchen Aid I roll to #6 and on my Atlas I roll to #7.
• Attach your fettuccine cutter and cut strips flouring like mad so they don't stick. Spaghetti and other cuts do not work as well as fettuccine cutters.
• Let dry while you boil a large pot of salted water with a tablespoon of olive oil in it and make the simple sauce described above.
• Remember, fresh pasta cooks lots faster than dried pasta from a box. Check fettuccine after 2 minutes and keep checking until the desired tenderness is reached.
• To freeze pasta fresca, separate into four portions and loop them into little nests. Freeze in small containers so they are not crushed and don't stick together.
• In my pasta fresca recipe I neglected to say that I stir my frozen pasta with either a chopstick or the handle of a wooden spoon. This works better than spoons and the many pasta ladles on the market.
• I hope you enjoy this recipe.

PASTA FRESCA

Steps:

• Put a large pot of water on the boil for the pasta.
• Put aside 1 cup of the tomatoes and a couple of basil leaves.
• Puree the rest of the tomatoes, basil, garlic and olive oil in a blender until smooth.
• Season.
• When the pasta water is boiling, stir in the pasta and cook until al dente[approx 10 minutes].
• In the meantime cut the reserved basil into thin strips.
• Drain the cooked pasta and toss it immediately with the mozzarella.
• Add the sauce and mix well.
• Top with the reserved tomatoes and basil.
• Serve immediately.