The recipes below are from the "Kids Cook Pasta!" class taught by Lee Chaharyn at the Sur La Table store in Stony Point Fashion Park. They should be easy enough for children to make, assisted by adults.
Fresh Pasta Dough — Pasta all'Uovo
Ingredients
- 4 cups of all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 4 ounces of warm water
- Put the flour on a clean surface and make a nest in the middle. Break the eggs into the nest and add the salt, oil and some of the water.
- Beat this mixture with a fork, and gradually incorporate the flour into the liquid, adding more water if necessary, until a thick pastry ball has formed.
- Continue mixing with the hands until no more flour can be absorbed and the dough does not stick to the surface. If the dough is the right consistency, you should be able to rub your hands together and have the dough fall off easily in little balls. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour. If the dough will not stick together, add more water.
- Making sure the work surface is floured, knead the dough by pushing it with the heels of your hands. Let pasta dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Using a pasta machine, roll out the dough. First run your section of dough through the rollers at the widest setting. Fold the flattened dough over once and run it through again. Continue this process a few more times until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- To thin out the dough, set the machine to the next lowest number and run the pasta sheet through the rollers. Continue this process, lowering the roller setting each time until you achieve the desired thickness. You may have to cut your pasta sheet to make it workable, as it will get longer each time it passes through the machine.
- Cut into desired shapes. To cut the pasta, run the thin pasta sheet through the cutting rollers, which are set on the cut you prefer. Lasagna can be cut by hand, and the full width of the machine is about right for cannelloni.
Cook fresh pasta 2-3 minutes in a deep pot of boiling salted water. Makes 2 pounds of fresh pasta. Tiny Meatballs Ingredients
- 1 pound of ground turkey
- 1/2 pound of Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 3/4 cup of fresh bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup of onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup of carrot, finely grated
- 1/4 cup of minced fresh parsley leaves (preferably flat-leafed)
- 1 large egg, beaten lightly
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- In a bowl, stir together well the turkey, sausage, garlic, bread crumbs, onion, carrots, parsley, egg, salt and pepper and form into meatballs about 1 inch in diameter.
- In a large heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and cook half of meatballs, shaking skillet, until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer meatballs to paper towels to drain, and brown remaining meatballs in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in same manner.
- Place meatballs into the tomato sauce (recipe below) to heat through, and then serve over pasta.
Quick and Easy Tomato Sauce Makes 6 cups. Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups of finely chopped onion
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon of dried basil, crumbled
- 1 tablespoon of dried oregano, crumbled
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 3 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 2 (28- to 32-ounce) cans of crushed Italian tomatoes
- In a heavy 5-quart saucepan, cook onion, garlic, basil, oregano, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until onions are softened. Stir in tomato paste and tomatoes with reserved juice.
- Simmer sauce, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, 35 minutes, and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes, or until thickened. Discard bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper.
Sauce may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered and chilled. Cheese Ravioli Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups of part-skim ricotta cheese
- 2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) of Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup of fresh basil, chopped
- 1/4 cup of parsley, chopped
- 1 egg
- 1 egg white
- 1 large garlic clove, pressed
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 48 (about) gyoza (pot-sticker) wrappers*
- Additional Parmesan cheese, grated
- water
- Mix first eight ingredients in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place 1 rounded teaspoon filling in center of gyoza* wrapper. Brush edge of gyoza wrapper lightly with water. Fold wrapper in half, enclosing filling completely. Pinch edges to seal. Transfer ravioli to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers. (Can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead; refrigerate.)
- Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Carefully add ravioli to pot. Cook until ravioli are just tender, stirring gently, about 3 minutes. Using large slotted spoon, transfer ravioli to bowls.
- Pour sauce over ravioli. Sprinkle each with some additional cheese.
*Gyoza wrappers can be found in the produce department of most markets.
