Nov 13, 2012

Allspice Pasta


Sometimes I think I should hand in my "foodie" card. I almost always use tomato sauce from a jar, I buy canned beans and lentils rather than making my own and I've never made fresh pasta. Well, while the MTA was still under-performing as a result of Hurricane Sandy and the vegetarian was still home from work because his office was powerless, I decided to change one of those things. So, even with no pasta maker, the vegetarian and I tried our hands at making gluten-free pasta from scratch.

Before beginning, I did some research on pasta-making, both gluten-free and regular. The regular recipes taught me to use my food processor to make the dough and that, if I didn't mind making my pasta malfatti, I could just cut it with a knife. The gluten-free recipes all seemed terribly daunting, talking about using extra egg yolks and various combinations of flours. Yikes! I wasn't interested in a trip to the grocery store, so I just went with gluten-free all-purpose flour and the two eggs we had in the fridge. I also added some allspice (my current obsession) because, really, what's the point of homemade pasta if you don't add your own flavorings?



So ... how did it turn out? Interesting. It wasn't my favorite thing I've ever cooked, though it wasn't terrible either. For some reason, it tasted "meaty" to me (the vegetarian disagreed) -- possibly as a result of the garbanzo flour in my mix? The vegetarian did find it heavy, a common complaint with gluten-free pastas and pizzas. With some (jarred) tomato sauce, it was dinner. And next time? I guess I'll have to start experimenting with different flours (not to mention spices). Suggestions welcome!


Allspice Pasta
In a food processor, combine flour and allspice. Slowly add in eggs (one at a time), olive oil and water. Pulse until just combined. Remove dough to a lightly-floured cutting board and roll out as thinly as possible. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into strips. Cook into boiling water for a few minutes, until it rises to the top. Bon appetit!


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