Week 9 Term 3

 
Basic fresh pasta

Australian Good Taste Recipe by Kerrie Mullins
40 mins To prep
4 Servings
Equipment
 You need a pasta making machine to make your own pasta.
Ingredients
375g (2 1/2 cups) plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, at room temperature
Plain flour, extra, to dust
Method
Step 1
 Sift the flour and salt together onto a clean work surface. Use your hands to shape the flour into a circular mound.    Make a well in the centre. Place the eggs in the well and use a fork to lightly whisk. Use your fingertips to gradually      blend a little flour into the egg mixture. Working with your fingertips, continue to gradually draw the flour into the     centre (being careful the egg mixture does not run out of the well) until the mixture forms a dough. To check if the  dough is the right consistency, press a clean, dry finger into the centre of the dough. If it comes out clean without        being sticky, it is the right consistency. If not, knead in a little more flour and test again.
 
 Step 2
  Lightly flour the surface if necessary. Firmly knead the dough by using the heel of your hand to firmly push down into it and then away from you. Lift the dough with your fingertips and fold it back on itself towards you. Turn the dough a   half turn and repeat. Continue and repeat. Continue kneading the dough for 6-7 minutes or until smooth and elastic.  Kneading is an important part of the pasta-making process as it develops the gluten in the flour, giving the pasta a firm,  tender texture.Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and wrap each portion in plastic wrap or cover with a clean, damp tea towel. This will prevent the dough from drying out. Set aside for 10 minutes to rest. This helps make the pasta more  pliable and easier to roll out.
 
 Step 3
Attach a pasta machine to the side of a workbench and adjust the machine's rollers to the widest setting. Spread about 4 clean, dry tea towels over the work surface close to the pasta machine. Unwrap a portion of dough and use the palm of your hands to flatten it into a rectangle. Dust the rollers with flour and roll the dough portion through. Dust again with flour and repeat on the same setting. Fold in the shorter sides of the dough to meet in the centre to form a smaller rectangle and feed through the machine again. Repeat this process 5-6 times or until smooth.
 
 Step 4
Reduce the width between the rollers by 1 and roll the dough through as before. Repeat the process, reducing the setting each time until the dough is 1-1.5mm thick. The settings on all pasta machines vary. The last setting on some machines may roll the dough too thin, resulting in it sticking to the rollers and tearing. So be careful to only reduce the setting and roll the dough until it reaches the desired thickness.
 
 Step 5
Spread the pasta sheet over the clean tea towels. When laying out the pasta sheets, they must not touch or overlap each other as the moist pasta will stick together. Repeat steps 3-4 with the remaining portions of dough. Set the pasta sheets aside for 10-15 minutes (depending on the temperature in your kitchen) or until dry enough not to stick together but pliable enough not to crack. Trim the edges of the pasta. Cut into 14 x 25cm pieces to make lasagne sheets or see step 6 to make fettuccine.
 
 Step 6
To cut the pasta into fettuccine by hand, loosely roll up a pasta sheet starting from the shortest end. Trim the ends and discard. Use a sharp knife to cut the pasta crossways at 5mm intervals. Unravel the pasta. To cut pasta into fettuccine using the pasta machine, you will need a fettuccine cutting attachment. Fit the machine with the attachment and feed the pasta sheets, one at a time, through the fettuccine attachment. Cook immediately or store individual portions as loose nests.
 
Basic tomato sauce

Super Food Ideas - Recipe by Dixie Elliott
Toss this fragrant tomato sauce through a bowl of hot pasta or add it to soups and stews for extra flavour.
 0:20 To prep
 0:55 To cook
Makes 2 1/2 cups
Ingredients
1kg Roma tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large brown onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 strip lemon rind
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 bouquet garni (see note)
1 teaspoon white sugar
 Method
Step 1
Using a sharp knife, cut a small cross at the base of each tomato. Place into a large heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water. Stand for 1 to 2 minutes or until you can see skins beginning to peel off (don't leave for too long as tomatoes will begin to cook). Drain immediately. Peel and discard skin. Remove cores. Finely chop tomatoes.
 
 Step 2
Heat oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook for 4 minutes or until soft (don't allow to brown as this will give your sauce a bitter taste). Add tomatoes, lemon rind, lemon juice, bouquet garni and sugar.
 
 Step 3
Bring sauce to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for 50 minutes, stirring, or until almost all liquid has evaporated and sauce is thick. Remove lemon rind. Spoon hot sauce into hot sterilised jars. Turn upside down. Stand for 2 minutes. Turn upright. Cool.
 
Double cheese and garlic pull-apart

  Super Food Ideas - Recipe by Liz Macri
2:10 To prep
 0:30 To cook
 6 Servings
 Ingredients
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2/3 cup grated cheddar
1/2 cup grated parmesan
Dough
7g sachet dry yeast
2 teaspoons caster sugar
1/2 cup warm water
2 3/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup milk
30g butter, melted  
Olive oil cooking spray
Method
 
Step 1
Make Dough: Place yeast, sugar and warm water in a jug. Whisk with a fork until yeast has dissolved. Stand in warm place for 10 minutes or until frothy.
 
 Step 2
Sift flour into a large bowl. Make a well. Stir in salt, yeast mixture, milk and butter. Mix to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough for 10 to 15 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Grease a 6cm-deep, 10cm x 20cm (base) loaf pan well with olive oil spray.
 
 Step 3
Using your fist, punch dough down. Knead until smooth. On a floured surface, roll out to a 15cm x 25cm rectangle. Combine garlic cheddar and parmesan in a bowl. Sprinkle over dough.
 
 Step 4
Starting from 1 long side, roll dough up like a Swiss roll. Cut into 12 slices. Shape into balls. Place 6 balls in a zigzag pattern in base of pan. Place remaining balls on top in an opposite zigzag pattern. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes.
 
 Step 5
Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Place bread, top-side up, onto a wire rack to cool. Serve.