I get to be the good guy (or le tagliatelle di Nonna Giuditta)

for a change!

Olga is sick with a terrible backache, so I whipped up lunch for her and Ivano.  It’s good to be on the giving end for a change.  Olga has four children and three in-laws, so it isn’t very often I am.  And by the way, the title refers to a famous Italian song about somebody’s grandmother’s homemade pasta.

To me all photos of tagliatelle dishes containing tomatoes look about the same.  Maybe that’s only a problem for me, but you have to take my word for it that this was made today and eaten ten minutes ago.

Yummers

I made pasta from 300 grams of plain white flour and three whole eggs.  I made it in the food processor this time, then kneaded it for about five minute to get it really stretchy, because that gives it the “bite” I like.  Once rolled out I tossed it really well with extra flour so it wouldn’t stick together.

It was sauced with the following quick and easy little thing made from what is around the house.

Bacon, pepper and tomato

this is enough to sauce pasta for 2, or 200 g worth of flour made into pasta

100 g diced smoked pancetta (or diced thick bacon) sauteed until crisp in olive oil

2 hot chili peppers

8 cherry tomatoes (these were bigger than usual, so you may need more) halved

30 g (1 ounce) grated grana (parmigiano, padano, pecorino, etc.)

Put a great big pot of water on full flame to come to a boil.

Heat a largeish frying pan with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then add the pancetta cubes and the chillies– which are strictly optional, but do elevate the flavors.  This was not piquant when done.  Fry this until the pancetta is crisp.

When the water is really boiling, add a small handful of coarse salt, then the tagliatelle, dropping them in slowly from your hands so that the boiling water keeps them separated.  Immediately add the tomatoes to the bacon.  Shake the sauce pan a few times, and stir the pasta too.  When the pasta floats to the top of the water, which is less than a minute, carry it to the sink and drain it in a colander.  Shake it, then carry it to the cooker and dump it into the bacon pan.  Using a big wooden fork, toss it around until mixed– less than a minute.  Turn into a warmed serving bowl and scatter the grated cheese over it.  Serve it smoking hot.

I haven’t made egg pasta for months, nor any pasta for weeks.  This was really good for eating on a bright and crunchy winter day.  Why don’t you try it, too?

It took about 40 minutes because I had to roll out 3 times as much as usual, so I’ve decided to make a lot this weekend and freeze it for when I want to invite friends but don’t want to spend the time rolling pasta.   It’s delicious, always makes people happy, and very fiscal crisis friendly at euro 1.34 per ten full portions.  That means 1000 g, or 2.2 pounds of flour plus ten eggs.  That is a LOT of pasta.

It’s been so long since I have made pasta that I am going to share this one with Presto Pasta Nights which will be at NoobCooks next Friday.  NoobCooks publishes from Singapore, a place I’d like to eat sometime.