Portobello Rapini Cream Pappardelle

Fresh Pasta Sunday!!

I can't say it enough, fresh pasta is super super easy to make! 

In this recipe I am using fresh pappardelle. Pappardelle is great when you have thicker vegetables and creamy sauce - because of its width, the pasta is able to carry all of that flavour right up to your lips!

Fresh Pasta, some creamy portobello mushrooms and tangy rapini..... A great way to end the weekend.

What you'll need:

• 3 sliced cloves of garlic

• 1/8 chopped red onion

• 1 bushel of rapini, chopped and only use the leaves 

• 2 1/2 cups of thickly sliced portobello mushroom

• 1/4 cup of sliced sun-dried tomatoes

• 11/2 Tbsp of fennel seeds

• 1/8 White wine

• 1/4 cup of mushroom broth

• 1 1/2 Tbsp of butter

• 2 Tbsp of dried sage

• 1/2 cup of chopped fresh fennel

• 1/2 cup of 35% cooking cream

• 1/4 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano

• Olive oil

• Salt & Pepper

+ Fresh Pappardelle (see below)

What you'll do: (Makes 4 servings)

**Make the fresh pasta below ahead of the sauce. You can make it a day in advance.

Heat a large skillet on medium-low heat, drizzle some olive oil and add the garlic, onions and rapini. Cook until the rapini is cooked down and the garlic is just about brown.

Salt the mushrooms, and add the chopped mushrooms, butter and white wine, when they are cooked down, about to half the size, add the fennel seeds and sun-dried tomatoes.

After about 90 seconds, add the chopped fresh fennel, cook another 2 mins.

*On the side, in a large pot, boil some water to cook the pasta. Add some salt to the water and a drizzle of olive oil.

Add the mushroom broth and dried sage, cook another 5 mins, until the broth cooks down to about half.

Add the 35% cooking cream, salt and pepper to taste, cook another 3-5 mins, when the sauce begins to thicken.

*Your pasta water should be boiling, reduce the heat to medium, and add your fresh pasta, you will cook the pasta about 2-3 mins at most.

Add the pasta to the skillet and mix everything together. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Plate (add more Parmigiano) and Enjoy!

Fresh Pappardelle

What you’ll need:

• 2 cups of flour {reserve an extra 1/2 cup on the side}

• 3 eggs

• 2 tsp of salt

• 1 tsp of olive oil

What you'll do:

On a floured flat surface take your 2 cups of flour and make a small mountain. Make a well in the middle of the flour mountain. Crack an egg and add it into the well that you have formed; repeat with the other 2 eggs. Add 1 tsp of olive oil into the well. Sprinkle 2 tsp of salt into the well. With a fork fluff up the eggs, once the eggs are mixed, start mixing the dough with your fingers and slowly start kneading the dough - add 2 tsp of flour at a time until you get a sticky but firm dough - depending on the weather and humidity you may only use a few extra tbsp or the full 1/2 cup of flour. Wrap the doughball in plastic wrap and let sit 20-30 mins; you can also leave it over night.

Once the dough seems silky to the touch, knead once more and cut the dough into strips. With the "sheet" attachment (the lasagna attachment)  of the pasta machine, start rolling your dough from Level 2, then 4, then 5-6, until you get the desired thickness; pappardelle should be a little thicker than regular long pasta. Once your pasta sheet is ready, roll the sheet into a log. With a sharp knife, cut pieces; the pieces should be the desired width of your pappardelle (3/4 - 1inch). Unravel the pieces and dry on a pasta rack or on a floured surface.

Cook based on the recipe.

** You can also freeze this pasta for 6 -8 weeks.