I've been experimenting with making pasta. I was happy to discover it doesn’t take any fancy ingredients (nor fancy tools as long as you don’t mind a rustic look), and it isn’t that tricky-but it seems a bit special. Last week I made sweet potato gnocchi, adapted from a recipe from Taste. Another recipe to use up sweet potato since we still have plenty! Recipe Ingredients For the gnocchi Plain Flour 2 tablespoons Cream cheese 1 small sweet potato, diced 1 egg For the sauce 1 tin crushed tomatoes 1 brown onion, diced 1 teaspoon garlic 2 bacon rashers, diced 1 tablespoon sour cream 1 cup grated tasty cheese Method 1. Boil the sweet potato until soft then mash and let cool. 2. In a bowl combine flour, mashed sweet potato and cream cheese until it forms a soft dough. 3. On a floured surface roll the dough into a long sausage about 3cm thick. 4. Cut 2cm sections from the dough sausage and flatten slightly with a fork. Dip the fork in flour to stop it sticking. Set aside on a plate in the fridge to chill slightly. 5. In a frying pan add the onion, bacon and garlic and cook on medium heat until coloured. Add the tin tomatoes and cook until mixture bubbles. Turn the heat to lowest setting. 6. Fill a saucepan with water and add a pinch of salt, bring to a gentle boil. Drop in a few gnocchi at a time being careful not to overcrowd the saucepan. When cooked the gnocchi will float to the surface. Using a slotted spoon scoop the cooked gnocchi from the water and place in the tomato sauce. Repeat with remaining gnocchi. 7. Add the sour cream and grated cheese to the fry pan and stir the cooked gnocchi through to ensure they are covered with the sauce. Serve immediately. This week I made some ravioli filled with what we had in the fridge-yellow squash, cream cheese and sunflower seeds. It was quite tasty except for the semi-dried tomatoes I put in the sauce, I don't think their flavour suited so much. I also tried making some zucchini pasta-not technically a pasta but zucchini sliced into thin strands. We didn't like it as a pasta substitute, the texture and taste just wasn't right-so I ended up cooking some spaghetti to go with it. Recipe Ingredients For the ravioli 1 cup plain flour 3 eggs 1 teaspoon olive oil For the filling 2 yellow button squash, finely diced 2 tablespoons cream cheese 1 tablespoon grated tasty cheese 1 handful sunflower seeds For the sauce 1 red onion, diced 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoons sliced semi-dried tomatoes (optional) 1 tablespoon ricotta cheese ½ cup water 1 cup tasty cheese Method 1. In a bowl combine the flour, eggs and oil. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until mixture forms a smooth dough. Set aside to rest for 30 minutes. 2. Mix ingredients for filling in a bowl and set aside. 3. When dough has rested roll into a thin rectangle on a floured surface. 4. Place small tablespoons of the filling about 4cm away from one edge of the dough, leaving about a 2cm space between each. Fold the edge of dough over the filling, pressing to seal around each spoonful. Cut folded section of dough away from remaining dough. Cut between each spoonful of filling to create individual ravioli. Press around the edges of filling with a fork to ensure dough is sealed. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. 5. Fill a saucepan with water and add a pinch of salt, bring to a gentle boil. Drop in a few ravioli at a time being careful not to overcrowd the saucepan. When cooked the ravioli will float to the surface. Using a slotted spoon scoop the cooked ravioli from the water and place in a baking dish. Repeat with remaining ravioli. 6. While cooking the ravioli prepare the sauce by frying the onion in a lightly oiled saucepan on medium heat until transparent. Turn down the heat and add the semi-dried tomatoes (if using), the tomato paste and the water. Stir in the ricotta cheese until combined. 7. Pour sauce into the baking dish and stir so it covers the ravioli. Sprinkle over the grated cheese and place in the oven at 180deg until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
![]() "And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything." William Shakespeare Archives
February 2017
Categories
All
Links |