Ancient Grains for Modern Meals - Maria Speck [95]
To cut into fettuccine, work with 1 piece at a time on a lightly floured work surface. Place the dough square in front of you and dust it with flour. In the following steps, be sure you thoroughly dust all surfaces with flour, otherwise your pasta strands will stick together. Fold both sides toward the center and then fold over again to close like a book; fold in half once more, never forgetting to dust all touching surfaces. You will now have a long piece with eight layers of dough. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough crosswise into ½-inch-wide pieces. You can also cut ¼-inch-thick linguine, but this takes time, as you need to unroll double the amount of strips.
BY MACHINE: Dust the roller of the machine and each piece of dough with flour as you start to work with it, and then as needed. Flatten the piece into a small rectangle, about 6 by 2½ inches, and pass it through the widest setting of your pasta machine. Fold the dough into thirds (the short sides toward the center) and pass once more through the machine sideways (with the open edge). Fold again and repeat, and then run the piece through one more time on the widest setting—or, as my friend Alessandra says, “until the pasta feels elastic.” She was totally relaxed about this, and so should you be. Now keep passing ever–longer sheets of pasta through the machine while decreasing the setting one notch until you reach the second-to-last setting. As a novice you might even stop one before that and enjoy a slightly thicker pasta for the first time.
Help, my pasta sheets are too long! Our sheets varied widely: some had a length of 27 inches by 3½ inches, some 37 inches, and some even 55 inches—you will need help for cranking here! In any case, as Alessandra says, “Just cut them in half crosswise, and continue working with each half.”
To cut into fettuccine, be sure to have the work surface and both sides of the long pasta sheets thoroughly dusted with flour to prevent sticking. Work with 1 sheet at a time (not longer than 15 to 20 inches). Gently roll up the pasta from 1 short end to the other, in 2-inch folds. Using a sharp knife, cut the resulting package crosswise into ½-inch-wide pieces. You can also cut ¼-inch-thick linguine, but this takes time, as you need to cut and unroll double the number of strips.
I forgot to flour the sheet. Look at this sticky mass! It can’t be untangled. Alessandra says, “No problem, just put it back through the machine.”
5 Immediately unfurl or carefully unroll the fettuccine and spread the strands on the prepared baking sheets, or hang them on a pasta rack. Repeat with the remaining 3 parts of dough. Allow the pasta to dry at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
How do I know my pasta is ready to be cooked? Alessandra says, “Just feel the dough with a finger. It should not be sticky anymore.”
6 Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add salt to taste and the fresh fettuccine, gently stirring them with a wooden spoon so they don’t stick together. Once the water returns to a boil, cook the pasta until al dente, 2 to 4 minutes. Test the pasta for doneness as soon as the pieces float to the top—the cooking time for handmade pasta varies. Drain and serve at once, on preheated plates if you like.
What to do with all the tangled and less-than-perfectly-shaped pasta pieces? Alessandra says, “Don’t throw them away. Just cook them. In a good sauce, no one will notice anyway.”
TO GET A HEAD START: You can make the dough, up through step 3, as much as 1 day ahead. Chill, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. Allow to come to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe, about 15 minutes. Or freeze the dough for up to 1 month. Defrost in the refrigerator (you might need a bit more flour when you work with previously frozen