Carla Grossetti

Category: Recipes

  • Perfect pasta dough

    Perfect pasta dough

    IMG_3456
    Class act: get back to basics with pasta dough.

    Ingredients:
    100g of flour per person, plus extra for dusting
    1 large egg, per person

    1. Mound the flour in the centre of your kitchen bench or marble slab.
    2. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs. Using a fork, beat the eggs together and then slowly start to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well.
    3. As you mix, the well will expand. Keep pushing the flour up to retain the well shape.
    4. When half of the flour is incorporated, the dough will begin to come together. At this stage, use your dough scraper to fold the dough in on itself a few times and then start to knead by hand.
    5. Knead the dough for 1-2 minutes until it forms a rough ball and set it aside.
    6. Scrape up and discard any dried bits of dough from the kitchen surface. Also clean your hands of any dried dough. Lightly flour your kitchen surface and continue kneading for a further 6-8 minutes or until the dough is elastic and forms a clean ball. The dough will still be a little bit sticky.
    7. Lighly flour your kitchen surface and continue kneading for a further 6-8 minutes or until the dough is elastic and forms a clean ball. The dough will still be a little sticky.
    8. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or leave under a cake dome to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling.
    This recipe is courtesy of Salt Meats Cheese. Download the SMC smartphone app to get pasta recipes on your phone or tablet.

  • Pumpkin ravioli

    Pumpkin ravioli

    Master pasta: it’s hip to be a square

    Serves 4

    600g Jap pumpkin
    100g Parmesan cheese, grated
    100g Mostarda di frutta, preferably pear, finely chopped
    100g amaretti biscuits, blitzed in a food processor to resemble fine breadcrumbs
    1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
    1 quantity of basic pasta dough
    Freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste

    1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Wash the pumpkin and then cut the pumpkin into manageable hunks, leaving the skin intact. Clean the pumpkin flesh of filaments and seeds. Coat the pumpkin chunks with a little olive oil and put into the oven to roast.
    2. When the pumpkin is soft, remove from the oven and allow to cool. Scoop the pumpkin flesh from the skin with a spoon and place into a large bowl. Add the grated parmesan, the finely chopped mostarda, the finely crushed amaretti biscuits and nutmeg.
    3. Mix well with a wooden spoon and adjust the seasoning – a good pinch of salt and pepper enhances the sweetness of roasted pumpkin.
    4. Cover the bowl and let the flavours develop for at least an hour in the fridge. Place teaspoon-sized balls of filling onto a sheet of fresh pasta. Fold and cut into ravioli.
    5. Fill a large pot with water and bring to the boil. Gently add the ravioli and cook for 2-3 minutes until al dente. Drain, drizzle with a little olive oil, season and serve.

    Recipe from Manu and Sarah’s Kitchen, who run Sunday pasta and ravioli cooking classes at Salt Meats Cheese, 41 Bourke Rd, Alexandria, 02 9690 2406, www.saltmeatscheese.com.au.

     

  • Sheer Pira

    Sheer Pira

    Afghani sweet scented with cardamom.

    Serves 10

    440 g (2 cups) sugar
    500 ml (2 cups) water
    440 g (4 cups) full cream milk powder
    1 tablespoon ground cardamom
    1 tablespoon rosewater
    100 g (1 cup) walnuts, chopped
    1 tablespoon pistachios, ground

    1. Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan and place over low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

    2. Increase the heat to medium and boil without stirring for 12–15 minutes or until thickened but not coloured. It is ready when you drizzle a little down the side of a bowl and it almost holds without running.

    3. Meanwhile, combine the milk powder, cardamom, rosewater and walnuts in a large bowl. Pour over the hot syrup and quickly mix together until well combined. Pour into a shallow dish and sprinkle the top with the ground pistachios.

    4. Set aside for 1 hour to cool and set before cutting into diamonds or squares.

    Recipe is from Nouria Salehi and is featured in Maeve O’Meara’s revised book, Complete Food Safari, published by Hardie Grant Books ($59.95).