The challenge with this recipe is not the titled sauce. While the word "pink" is slightly disconcerting, the sauce is pretty easy to prepare and the directions are excellent, as usual.
The challenge is with the pasta. Marcella provides three options - tortellini, fettuccine or pappardelle, but homemade pasta, not from a box. I bought a pasta machine a couple of weeks ago - 40 bucks, Imperia make with the requisite set of parallel steel cylinders & a double set of cutters.
My first attempt at making fresh pasta was a disaster - come back in a couple of weeks to read about my tortellini misadventure - but I'm getting better. Despite my initial trepidations, everything went smoothly this time. Below are the ingredients of this recipe, with fresh fettuccine in the background.
The final result.
While the sauce was OK, the real star of this recipe was the pasta. Excellent!
I wasn't sure how to coordinate the timing of the cooking of the sauce & pasta. I didn't really know how long the pasta would take, but figured it wouldn't take very long, so I tossed the pasta in the boiling water when the sauce was almost ready. Everything turned out OK.
The only other issue was the direction to purée most of the shrimp - don't think I got the mixture fine enough. I used a small machine - next time I'll use my big league food processor.
Comments (8)
Doug, I admire you! Although I've taken a few pasta classes in Bologna, I've never given any thought to purchasing a pasta machine.....that said , your fresh fettuccine is "kinda sorta" nudging me into at least thinking about it! Instead of a THAT WAS EASY button, I'd need a "GIVE ME PATIENCE" button.
I'll be sure to read about your tortellini mishap :-)
Great great job!
Posted by Mindy Smith | June 23, 2010 6:58 AM
Posted on June 23, 2010 06:58
Way to go Doug!!
Posted by bellini valli | June 23, 2010 7:19 AM
Posted on June 23, 2010 07:19
Doug, it looks great! Good job on the pasta! I am making tortellini soon, so I'd love to hear the story!
Posted by Palma | June 23, 2010 10:36 AM
Posted on June 23, 2010 10:36
Doug, all the dishes you make look very tasty. It's either you or the recipe, or a combination of both. You are certainly putting a lot of thought into this project. I am awed that you would drive 60 miles for clams and buy an Imperia machine for a pasta recipe. That is a good investment, however. Imperia makes the best machine and with your perseverance you are going to get a lot of wonderful pasta dinners out of it.
Bravo, bravissimo!
Posted by Marcella Hazan | June 23, 2010 2:22 PM
Posted on June 23, 2010 14:22
Doug, This does look yummy. The color reminds me of a dish I had in a little town in Galicia, Spain. They made it with a very smooth thin version of a Romesco sauce. The shrimp & the fiedua noodles were cooked right in the sauce.
I get to make homemade pasta for my next three weeks. Good thing I have a 20 lb bag of '00', huh?
Posted by Deborah | June 23, 2010 3:37 PM
Posted on June 23, 2010 15:37
Looks beautiful Doug! The more I make pasta, the easier it gets.
Posted by Susie L | June 23, 2010 8:28 PM
Posted on June 23, 2010 20:28
Doug - this looks great! You amaze me with your persistence.
Canadian all-purpose flour is harder than the flour Italians use for pasta. If you can't get 00 flour at the Italian market (I brought some home from Little Italy in San Diego) try cake and pastry flour. I generally have to add extra liguid . . . either an extra egg yolk or some olive oil in order to make it work.
At the cooking class in Bologna we made pasta and the colour was so beautiful - I've never seen orange egg yolks like I have seen in Italy - and I buy farm fresh eggs!
Posted by Jerry | June 23, 2010 8:38 PM
Posted on June 23, 2010 20:38
Doug -
Your pasta looks great! I'm very glad you joined the team.
Posted by Irene | June 28, 2010 8:49 PM
Posted on June 28, 2010 20:49