DAY 9: Pasta Day

Today we made 2 very incredible Pasta recipes from scratch. I've listed the recipes below. I'm not going to display the nutritional content for obvious reasons. (ha ha)

FETTUCCINE ALFREDO yield: 1 plate

8 oz. semolina pasta dough, cut into fettuccine strips (see recipe)
3 oz. butter
3 fluid ounces heavy cream
1 garlic clove, minced
1 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated, plus additional for garnish
Kosher salt and pepper, as needed

1. In a large saute pan, melt butter over low heat.
2. Add cream, cheese, garlic, kosher salt, and pepper toss to combine.
3. Reduce gently to two-thirds volume.
4. Cook fettuccine in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain.
5. Add cooked pasta, and toss to coat.
6. Plate and garnish with additional cheese. Serve immediately


PASTA CARBONARA yield: 1 plate

2 oz. pancetta, lardons
10 fl. oz. cream (reserve 2 oz. cream for liaison)
2 egg yolks
8 oz. semolina pasta, cut into fettuccine noodles
1 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated
Kosher salt and black pepper, as needed

1. In a saute pan, render the pancetta until slightly crisp. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.
2. Add 8 oz. of the cream to the fat in the pan and simmer until reduced by half.
3. Mix the egg yolks with the remaining 2 oz. of cream to form a liaison.
4. Temper the liaison with the warm cream from the pan. Turn off the heat and add the tempered liquid to the pan.
5. Adjust seasoning with kosher salt and cracked black pepper, as needed.
6. Place the pasta in a pot of salted boiling water. When done, drain and add to the cream mixture.
7. Add the pancetta and cheese. Toss well.
8. Plate and garnish with cracked black pepper.

NOTES for the day:
WOW! I can't believe how much of a difference I could taste in fresh pasta verses dry pasta. To be honest, I really enjoyed using the pasta machine and found the whole process very fun. Granted...it's not the quick and easy method, but it was well worth the work.
p.s. I constrained myself today and only took 1 bite of each dish...if I would have eaten both plates of pasta, I would have consumed my caloric intake for the next 3 days!

UPCOMING RECIPES: Bolognese Lasagna and Ravioli with a Mushroom Ricotta FIlling