Making Pasta

I decided to start this blog up again after a couple of neighbors asked how do you make that on your boat.  So here it goes and hopefully someone will actually read this. 

This last weekend I decided to make pasta.  I don't keep a pasta maker on board, I don't have a Kitchen-aid mixer hiding in the dinghy.  I however have the internet and found a recipe that didn't require either of those. 

Pici style pasta is just what I wanted.  Mix up the dough, pinch off (or cut off) a section of the dough, roll out with your fingers. Easy peasy. 

The dough:
1 shot glass of hot water (or 2 T)
1 pinch saffron
1¾ cups whole wheat flour

3 eggs

Place the saffron in the hot water and let sit at least 15 min.  It will be a brilliant hew of yellow.  Place the flour in a large bowl.  Make an well in the center of the flour and break the eggs into this.  Add the saffron water.  Mix till the the dough is completely incorporated.  Knead for 10-15 mins and then let it rest for 15 mins covered. 

This pasta could easily be made without the eggs.  Just add a tablespoon of olive oil and more water.  

Now the fun begins.  Since it was just the two of us. I cut the dough in half and wrapped one half in plastic and placed in the icebox for later.  The rest of the dough I rolled into a log and then I cut it into quarter.  Each of the quarters I rolled out to the size of my cutting board and cut those into half inch pieces.  With the small pieces I rolled them out as long as I could.  Some broke so I ended up with shorted pieces. Some I actually managed to roll out completely and those ended up about two feet long. They all cooked the same.  The main goal is to keep the noodles the same width so they cook at the same rate.

After I finished the noodles I made up a white wine sauce with peas, mushrooms and sauted onions.

Sauce:
2 cups white wine
1 bag frozen peas
10 mushrooms, sliced
1 small sweet onion, diced
2 T olive oil
Salt to taste
Parmesan and Parsley to serve

Saute the onions and mushrooms in the olive oil with a pinch of salt til the onions are golden and the mushrooms are dry.  Add the white wine and reduce by half, about 5 mins.  Add the peas and stir in the cooked pasta. Cook for one more min. Serve with parmesan and parsly.