Monday, May 24, 2010

Black-Peppered Egg Noodles

Click on the above photo and enlarge it to see this beautiful pasta closely.

On our way back from the berry farm, my mother and I stopped at one of our favorite places - Barnes & Noble Booksellers. If you're not familiar with this place, it is essentially a big bookstore with a café serving Starbucks coffee.

Of course, I quickly sashayed (yeah, I don't sashay) to the cookbook section and picked up a bunch of stuff. The cookbook I spent the most time on was Mario Batali's Molto Italiano cookbook. I copied down many recipes to use for later, and my head continued to think about those recipes hours after I had left the bookstore.

The recipe I thought the most about was for these black-peppered egg noodles. It was mentioned nonchalantly as a variation of the regular egg noodles, but it appealed to me so much that I could not wait to pull out my pasta maker to make them.
Speaking of my pasta maker, I have a question for you: If you received a $100 Amazon card from your Chase Visa Rewards, what would you buy? Well, I used it for a Kitchen Aid Pasta Roller and Cutter Set that was on sell for 115.95 and paid only 15.95 out of pocket, and I don't regret the decision. Although I don't use the roller & cutter set much, I know I never would have been able to buy this coveted item (at least by me) on my own.
Anyway, these noodles were fantastic, flavorful, and oh so fragrant (oooh alliteration)! They looked so ugly at first that I thought I had wasted 5 eggs (I'm stingy with my eggs.). The dough was much rougher than regular pasta dough b/c of the black pepper. However, on a positive note, the black pepper prevented the dough from sticking together as much as the plain variety.
This ugly duckling became a beautiful swan!

If you have a similar pasta roller/cutter, I suggest working in small batches. I first divided the dough into four balls, but had to later divide those balls into two more smaller balls for a total of 8. This was way too much for one person, but I have dried out the noodles and plan to eat more as the week progresses.

Don't be deterred by how the noodles look and feel at the beginning; you will be rewarded in the end. They become lovely noodles after you boil them for merely 2-3 minutes. Stay tuned for what else I did with these noodles. You didn't think I just ate the noodles by themselves, did you?

Black-Peppered Egg Noodles

3 1/2 cups Tipo '00 or AP Flour
5 large eggs, room temperature
2 Tbsp black pepper (I used the powdery, cheap variety)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika (optional; I added this because of what I prepared with it)
1-2 Tbsp olive oil, based on desired consistency

Place the flour in a large bowl or atop a flat, wooden surface and make a well in the middle for the other ingredients. Next, add in the eggs, black pepper, salt, and paprika (if using).
With your hands or a fork, mix the ingredients together until you form a ball of dough (I would suggest using a stand mixer for this because the dough was somewhat coarse and hard to put together in a ball. Don't mix it too much, though). Add the olive oil as it mixes.
Keep on trucking. This ugly, questionable, brain-looking dough ball will form pretty noodles in the end; I promise!
 
Once you form the ball of dough, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature before using. Next, separate the dough ball into 8 smaller balls. Flatten the balls of dough and put them through the pasta maker according to the instructions for your machine (I went up to the penultimate or next-to-last notch on the roller). Flour each layer so that the dough layers won't stick.
[From left to right: 1) dough balls that I had to divide into two again. 2) flattened dough ball that was still too big to fit into the pasta roller. 3) The layer of dough after going through the first notch on the roller. 4) the final product up to notch 7 with flour on top.]
 
Cut the flattened layers of dough into fettuccine noodles, or use the fettuccine cutter attachment. Make sure you sprinkle flour on the noodles so that they won't stick to each other.
Freshly-cut, floured, uncooked noodles that turned out much prettier than I'd expected.

**If making the noodles immediately, prepared boiled water with a bit more olive oil and kosher salt. Add the noodles, and cook them for 2-3 minutes.

***If using the noodles later, lay them out on a flat surface and allow them to dry out for a few hours. Store the dried noodles in a closed container for 2-3 days in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer. More info here. You're welcome :).

26 comments:

  1. these look so good! the next thing on my list of kitchen items to buy is a pasta maker. once I get it, I will be making this!

    oh and I just wanted to check, did you get an email from the csn people?

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  2. I am so jealous you have that pasta attachment, it seem so practical to have one. That make me thinking, weather I should get one. I am sure the pasta taste delicious.

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  3. I don't use my pasta maker nearly enough either but these peppered noodles really ARE beautiful! I love how they look and I bet they tasted delicious with the extra flavors in the dough.

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  4. Oooh, I really want a pasta maker - especially now after seeing this recipe!

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  5. Oh, my....this looks so good...I would love to make my own pasta, too. My grandma used to make it all the time and it was best pasta I've ever eaten....I guess there is nothing quite like homemade :)

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  6. They look really good :)
    I'll drizzle them with lots of minced meat and mushroom gravy.

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  7. thay look so delicious. I was looking for the kitchen aid pasta roller, but I didnt know that it was so well priced.

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  8. this homemade pasta look wonderful and healthy too.

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  9. bravissima!! piace molto anche a ne fare la pasta!! ciao!

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  10. Un plato estupendo. Se ve delicioso tu pasata. Un saludo

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  11. Now I may have to go out and get his new book.

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  12. This looks great! I've been looking for some new fresh pasta recipes-thanks for sharing.

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  13. The noodles are gorgeous and I bet taste insanely good! I want! Send some my way! :)
    ~ingrid

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  14. Yummy, Memoria! I am totally amazed at how the "ugly" duckling pasta turned into beautiful swans. I love that apt description, and I especially love your use of alliteration--finally, after buying you all of those books and sending you to school, you share my love of alliteration :o)

    I look forward to trying this pasta dish when we once again meet for our trip to the Grand Canyon; we're still on, right?

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  15. Wow these look lovely!!! I think I need one of those amazon gift cards!! Thanks for sharing!

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  16. I have been dying to try pasta so I think I'll start with this recipe. Looks delish. I foolishly bought a hand-crank style so now can't justify buying the K.A. attachment. Boo Hoo!

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  17. your fresh pasta is beautiful and black pepper just makes it so delicious

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  18. That looks amazing! I got a pasta roller for Mother's Day and have used it just once so far. My husband would love these pepper noodles!

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  19. Oh my goodness--what beautiful photos! The noodles look great too!

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  20. I can't wait to make pasta ..
    though i don't have a pasta maker .. but, that can't stop me .. < specially after seeing your recipe ..
    btw , I love your blog .. and your pictures are just awesome ..
    thanks for sharing

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  21. Quiero comprar el fabricante de fideos también. A great way to spend your gift card.

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  22. I'm a sucker for black pepper- I add it to everything! And these noodles are indeed gorgeous. Can't wait to see what you served them with.

    Ooh, B&N- I always head strait to the cookbooks too!

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  23. Can't stop staring. Exquisite is the word, my dear Memoria. I am jealous ... you can have freshly made pasta on demand. How do you ever go back to pasta from a packet??? You made a beautiful plate of fettucine, you know ... love the speckled look from the pepper. Brilliant!

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  24. Memoria, this pasta looks amazing. I'm glad you didn't let the ugly duckling look deter you from completing this recipe. Great step by step photos too.

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  25. I got one of those attachments for Christmas but haven't had the courage to try it. I know now what I'm going to make first though, and soon! I heart black pepper and this pasta looks delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

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  26. I need to make this. It looks amazing. Now I am craving carbs. lol.

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