Pasta

My first memories of pasta, are at my Nona’s house in Shenandoah Heights, PA. where as a tot I would reach up to feel the flour on a wooden board. A big house with the requisite “other” kitchen in the basement, where all the HEAVY DUTY cooking happened. It seems that a lot of Italian American families had the “other” kitchen. There was the one the public saw and the “other” one so everything that looked magnificent also looked effortless.  I think about my grandmother and that kitchen every time I make pasta here at Miranda.

While the family was about the grounds Constance, “Connie” Altiero was at the big wooden bench mixing, rolling  & cutting the pasta. I do have to say that that in later years, after I became a chef  she said “Kerry pasta schmasta  it’s MACARONI!” Flour, eggs & salt. That’s it. We use semolina flour, a higher protein than all purpose flour, but you also can use durum flour, a finer grind of  semolina, eggs from Bowdens Egg farm in Cushing, and a quality sea or kosher salt.

These are authentic “rolled “ fresh pastas. We have all seen the little hand cranked machine with rollers like that of a wringer washing machine (am I dating myself? ) one uses in the home. Most “fresh” pasta one sees commercially is extruded. That is to say the flour, salt and typically water, not eggs, are mixed in a machine and forced through a die (looks like a meat grinder). This is how most dried pastas are made as well.  We at Miranda have the roller, albeit larger and with a motor. Now before you say “a motor, how easy!” I must remind you that it is Italian, and as with my Alfa Romeo autos well let’s just say reliability is part of the character!

Pasta Noodles:
1 lb of durham flour
2.75 ounces of eggs
Large pinch of salt Connie would grab the cheek and say” That’s a Pinch!)

Traditionally one piles the flour on a board and makes a well in it, sort of like a volcano crater.

Pour the beaten eggs into the “volcano crater.”

Stir with your fingers until the mixture is as homogenous as possible and then knead well. It IS a stiff dough. You can also use a kitchen aid mixer or a food processor w/ dough blade.

This can be refrigerated over nite or up to several days.

Place the ball of dough on a board and slice ½ inch thick.

Starting at the largest gage, roll the pasta through.

Repeat this on ever lower settings until you reach the desired thickness.

At this point you can use the “sheets” of pasta for lasagna, cannelloni, manicotti or other stuffed products.

Another use is to think of the sheets as egg noodles by randomly cutting them in larger chunks, what we at Miranda refer to as “Hand Cuts.” Great for beef stroganoff, a spatzele replacement, anything with hearty stew, or as my mentor, Anthony Miguel Cassasanto  referred to as “handkerchiefs,” or what we refer to as a “Tent.” See our menu for “Pitch A Tent.”

If you are cutting angel hair or spaghetti, you want the “sheets”  of pasta to be as thick as the width of the cutters. For fettuccini or tagliatelli roll a bit thinner..

Cook 5 min, still firm,”al dente” and just a little butter, a little extra virgin olive oil and coarse salt. Simple and delicious.

This is the most elemental of the food we do at Miranda and the closest to my heart. We will do a ton of sauced, baked, sautéed and other pasta dishes in the future. CHEF’s TIP: Connie suggested to always pour a small glass of Chianti whilst making the pasta, “it makes the cook and the macaroni  happy”

Blog text and photo by Kerry Altiero at Cafe Miranda.  See Cafe Miranda and other unique to Maine businesses on www.MeanderingMaine.com.