Striped Pasta

Striped Pasta Strips ready to roll out into sheets for Ravioli

Ravioli Sheets of Striped Pasta

There is a web site that inspired me to attempt this. It has wonderful pictures and was done by someone with obviously more experience than I. It's in German, yet my browser allowed me the option to translate from German into English. That helped me get more of an idea of how this is done, but if you do not have this option the pictures alone are worth a "look see":


http://www.kuriositaetenladen.com/2009/01/pastakolleg-teil-2-gestreifte-nudeln.html

The Basic Pasta Dough Recipe:

Please see previous post on "Fresh Pasta"

The Colored Pasta Dough Recipes:

Please see previous post on "Stained Pasta"

 
Pumpkin (Yellow)  
Red Beet (Purple)
Roasted Garlic (Beige)
Jalapeno (Light Green)
Tomato (Light Red)
Wasabi (Pale Green)
Basic (Yellowish tan)
Squid Ink (Black)  
Turmeric (Orange)
Spinach (Green)
Chili and Smoked Paprika (Red)
Saffron and Lemon (Yellow)

Multi-Colored Pasta - Building the "Block", Creating the Ravioli Sheets:

• Make the stained pasta, keeping each as they are completed reserved in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap until all are made. 
• Then when ready to begin to actually make the stripped pasta sheets, first remove all the different stained doughs from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. 
• Gather everything you might need prior to starting (Mise en place)

Mise en place (note dough in this picture has already been divided in half)

• Begin by dividing each dough in half, reserving the 2nd half in the refrigerator for later use Keep the halves you will be working with wrapped in plastic wrap until you need it
• One by one, run each color through the pasta roller on the thickest setting creating sheets that are as thick as your pasta machine will allow. (Mine is makes sheets approximately 1/8" thick)

• Keep all sheets covered with damp cotton towels while until all sheets are created

• Build layered multi-colored "block" 
• Make sure your layers of different colored pastas are relaxed. 
• Make sure they are not dried out, keep them covered with a lightly dampened cotton cloth while you work 
• Make sure they are not covered in flour or they will not bind properly when stacked 
• When all the desired colors are properly rolled into sheets, stack them one on top of the other. Lightly brush the top of each sheet with water to allow the next sheet to adhere. Less water is better in this application

• When all desired colors are stacked, square edges of the stack with a sharp knife to create a perfect rectangle as square as possible

• Cut "block" in half
• Wrap each in plastic wrap and allow to rest/chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour

• Cut each half lengthwise into four each 1/2" strips

NOTE: I cut mine into three each 3/4" strips, I now believe that it would result in crisper less blurred lines if the pasta strips you cut at this point are thinner. If you have to then lay two side by side to result in a pasta sheet that is wide enough that would be no problem, simply glue them together with a little water

Next time I will cut into 4 thinner strips rather than the 3 you see here

• Once all are cut, cover the strips with damp cotton towels while you roll each one

• Now flour the work bench 
• Take one of the strips and lay it on top of the floured work bench rotated from it's original position 90°. The colored layers should now be vertical 
• Working with a rolling pin, gently roll out the striped pasta into a rectangular sheet only as thin as the pasta roller requires to except at it's thickest setting without smashing the sheet of stripped dough as it enters. Work with the pin in a longitudinal direction only otherwise the lines of color will blur. 
• When the sheet is sufficiently thin, use the pasta roller to process the sheet into the final sheet of Ravioli dough. I use setting #1 on my pasta roller 
• Finally, remember to work quickly, if delayed at any point keep the dough at whatever stage it is covered in a lightly dampened cotton cloth. Do not at any point expose the dough to the air for an extended period of time unprotected or it will dry out

Too much flash on the camera but still you can see the sheets

Close up of striped sheets

Stained Pasta

The term "Stained Pasta" is used here because the ingredients used to color the pasta adds very little in the way of flavor. Creating Stained Pasta can be a little laborious, but is fun and results in an array of vibrant colors and subtle flavors.

NOTE: In all of these variations you are simply building on the Basic Pasta Dough Recipe, http://kdwonders.blogspot.com/2013/12/fresh-pasta.html. If when you add the flavorings your dough ends up too wet, add more flour 1TBL at a time. If it ends up too dry add water drop by drop.

Top Row/Left to Right: Pumpkin, Red Beet, Roasted Garlic, Jalapeno, Tomato, Wasabi
Bottom Row/Left to Right: Basic, Squid Ink, Turmeric, Spinach, Chili and Smoked Paprika, Saffron

So lets begin:


Pumpkin Pasta:

• Add to flour;
• 25g Pumpkin Powder
• Use 25g less flour 
• Continue with recipe as normal

Red Beet Pasta:

• Add to flour;
• 20g Red Beet Powder
• Use 20g less flour
• Continue with recipe as normal 

Roasted Garlic Pasta:

This takes a little more work:

Roasted Garlic:

• 5 Whole Garlic Heads
• Lightly coat with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Lightly season with Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• Loosely wrap garlic and in aluminum foil, leaving a small opening in the top
• Place Garlic in it's aluminum foil pouch in a pre-heated 500° oven
• Roast until heads are just beginning to brown and caramelize
• Allow to cool
• Squeeze out roasted garlic from each clove, chop, crush or purée until you achieve a paste.

Roasted Garlic Pasta:

• Add 70g Roasted Garlic Purée to eggs
• 40g additional Durum Flour
• Continue with recipe as normal

Roasted Garlic Purée

Jalapeno Pasta:

• Add to flour;
• 20g Jalapeno Powder
• Use 20g less flour
• Continue with recipe as normal

Tomato Pasta:

• Add to flour;
• 20g Tomato Powder
• Use 20g less flour
• Continue with recipe as normal

Wasabi Pasta:

• Add 65g of Wasabi Paste to eggs
• Mix Well
• Use 18g additional Durum Flour
• Continue with recipe as normal

Wasabi Paste

Basic Pasta Recipe:

• Please see previous post "Fresh Pasta"

Squid Ink Pasta:

• Add 10 grams of Squid Ink to eggs in Basic Pasta Dough Recipe
• Add 3 drops Zatarains Concentrated Shrimp and Crab Boil to eggs
• Add 5g additional Durum Flour
• Continue with recipe as normal

Turmeric Pasta:

• Add to flour;
• 20g Turmeric Powder
• Use 20g less flour
• Continue with recipe as normal

Spinach Pasta:

• Add to flour;
• 20g Spinach Powder
• 20g less flour 
• Continue with recipe as normal

Chili and Smoked Paprika Pasta:

• Add to flour;
• 10g Chili Powder
• 10g Smoked Paprika
• Use 20g less flour 
• Continue with recipe as normal

Saffron with Lemon Pasta:

Note: Saffron is very expensive. It comes in different grades from "average" to "premium". Since saffron pasta although brilliant in color it will end up very subtle in flavor, therefore you do not need to spend the extra money on a premium saffron.

Saffron Water:

• Bring 194g water to a boil
• 2.3g Saffron stamens gently crushed between the fingers into a jar
• Add boiling water to Saffron
• Allow to cool before using

Saffron Pasta:

• 27g Saffron water with stamen threads
• 20g Fresh Lemon Juice
• 10g Water
• Omit one egg
• Continue with recipe as normal

Spanish Saffron

Steeped Saffron Water

I did not have fresh Lemons, but I did have this

Fresh Pasta

I have always wanted to do fresh pasta, now I finally took the time. It turns out that it's incredibly easy, but also incredibly messy. Flour goes everywhere.

It is basically a two stage process. First you make the dough, then you cut it. Done...it's as simple and as complicated as that. Unless of course you want flavored pasta, or God forbid, multi-colored pasta. Then it's gets a little more complicated.

Lets start simple.

Equipment:

You need some sort of pasta roller/cutter. I bought a KitchenAid mixer that gives me the option of pasta attachments. So I didn't need to buy a separate pasta maker, I just needed to purchase the appropriate pasta attachments for my mixer. One huge advantage of this is that unless you want to spend big bucks on a electric pasta maker, affordable ones are hand cranked. With the attachments on my mixer it's essentially electric. One of the reasons I opted for this mixer.

With the following attachment package, I can make Lasagna, Ravioli, fettuccine spaghetti and Angel Hair pasta:

3-piece pasta roller & Cutter set, item #KPRA

Left to right, spaghetti, fettuccine cutter and roller

Roller attached to mixer

Fettuccine cutter attached to mixer

Basic Pasta Dough:

4 Portions
TWF - 200g
Hydration - 56%

Semolina Flour - 100g
Durum Flour - 100g
Egg - 2 Large - (about 56g water per egg)
Salt - 1.5g
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1.5g


*All ingredients to be at room temperature

• Combine in a mixer with paddle 
• Both flours
• Salt
• Mix
• Add eggs and oil

• Mix on low (speed #2, my KitchenAid mixer) until crumbly

The mixture should be able to "clump"

• Change paddle out for dough hook
• Mix on low (speed #2) until smooth

• Remove to well floured bench
• Dust liberally on all sides, brush off excess
• Wrap in plastic wrap, rest for 30 minutes. (Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days...or more)
• If refrigerated, bring to room temperature prior to moving forward
• Divide in half
• Wrap 2nd half in plastic wrap and reserve
• With your palm, shape dough into a rough 3"W x 6" L x 11/2" H rectangle

• Slope one end of rectangle (11/2" down to 1/4"

• Place into pasta roller angled end first (Roller set on #1)

• Roll
• Fold in half, dust both sides liberally with flour

• Place back onto roller folded side first

• Roll
• Fold in half, dust both sides liberally with flour
• Place back into roller folded side first
• Roll

• Lay on bench, dust liberally on both sides
• Set pasta roller on #2

• Roll (now you must go the same direction into the roller every time)
• Roll again
• Set on bench, dust both sides liberally with flour
• Set roller on #3
• Roll
• Roll again (always going the same direction)
• Set on bench, allow to relax for 2 minutes
• Dust both sides liberally with flour
• Roll again
• Cut length in half, dust both sides very liberally with flour

• Change out pasta roller for appropriate pasta cutter (I used the spaghetti cutter)
• Cut posta, turn onto floured bench into "nests"

• Freeze, place into zip lock bags and store in freezer until ready to use