I debated on how to approach this favorite dish of
ours. It's ALL good, but I think what
makes it really, really good is using your own hand-crafted pasta, so I'm going
to start with that, because really...once you have this down, it'll change
your life (well, it changed mine!); from buttered noodles, to spaghetti, ravioli, chicken noodle
soup and anything else you used to use from a box.
Yeah, I know what you're thinking... a box is so much easier. Ultimately, yes, but it won't take you much
longer (10 minutes vs 20 minutes, from start to finish) but the real motivation
for me is eating it.
It simply is superior! Homemade pasta is tender and silky smooth, with a lovely bite, rich eggy flavor and soft yellow color.
Not to mention that when you do finally find Parardelle in the dry pasta section of your grocery store, it's anywhere from $3.50 - $5 for a bag that will cost you about .50 to make homemade.
I'm not saying I'll never cook from a box again, but it is
no longer my default pasta. If you're
not a rabid home cook like me, but like to make occasional dishes to impress,
then try this and let the rave reviews pour in.
I've made pasta before, using a variety of recipes and
really wanted to knock this down to something EASY. As in no-recipe easy. Well, there is technically a recipe, but it's
so simple you won't need to write it down.
Ready?
1/2 cup flour + 1 egg = 1 serving
That's it. No fancy
flour, just regular all purpose, you keep-at-home flour. A large egg will suffice, but don't panic if
you have an extra large, it'll do, you'll just have to add a little more flour.
Full disclosure, yes, I do have a sweet Kitchen aid mixer
with pasta attachments (thanks honey!), but you DO NOT need them. If you have a rolling pin you are good to go.
Surprisingly, I don't even use my dough hook to knead the
pasta, I figure it's a free workout. Written recipes are at the bottom, but here's a photo tutorial...just follow along. (you can click on images to enlarge).
You can use any surface or bowl, but I like working on a
wooden board. Makes me feel more
Italian!
Place flour on board or bowl.
Make a broad well in center.
Crack eggs into well.
Start mixing carefully with fork, collecting flour along the way. Keep going until the dough can be handled
with your hands.
Use a metal scraper to pull all the stray bits back into the
dough. Have a 1/2 cup of flour handy as
you will need more to adjust the moisture in dough. It should not be sticky, just smooth.
Knead.
Knead.
Knead.
Knead.
Knead. I like to
knead a full 10 minutes, so I put my timer on.
You can get away with less, but 10 seems about perfect.
You could hand this task over to a child or spouse ya know,
but why would you because really, this is quite satisfying.
Wrap in plastic and let sit at room temperature to rest for
at least one hour.
Tada! Fun eh? Now, we move on to forming your pasta. Lots of choices here, but we are making Beef
Stroganoff, which is a hearty, meaty dish and we need an equally hearty pasta,
so we are making Parardelle, which is a broad pasta and SUPER EASY to make!
1.Roll out until very thin (remember that pasta will increase
in size as it's cooked). Use a dusting
of flour to keep dough from sticking.
2. Cut down to smaller size if it's easier for you.
3. Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut approx. 1" strips.
4. At this point you can hang on a pasta dryer if you have one,
or just toss into little nests, making sure pasta is still dusted with flour
and it won't stick together.
You could cover pasta for later use at this point, or place
into a large pot of water that is heavily salted (I'm taking a handful of
Kosher sea salt).
5. Cook for 1 -2 minutes, which really depends on how you like
your pasta and how thick it is. Try some
after a minute and go from there.
6. Remember
though, it will continue to cook a bit because I'm placing it directly into my
Stroganoff.
This may seem more work than necessary for what many
consider a side note on a dish like Stroganoff, but in many ways it's the star
of the show.
I've divided our Stroganoff recipe into 4 parts.
1. Tender Beef recipe (make ahead)
2. Roasted Mushrooms
3. Sauce
4. Finishing
Tender Beef: I'm
giving you a recipe for creating tender beef pieces, which is essential to a
good Beef Stroganoff. However, you may
already have your favorite method or cut and to be honest I've used left-over
steak and roast to make this. But to
make from scratch just follow my recipe below.
I like to use a cut of meat that once braised and cooked for a few hours
is super tender, like a chuck roast or short ribs. Avoid stewing meat.
1. Saute 1 chopped onion and equal parts of chopped celery and carrots with 2 Tbsp of oil.
2. Cook for 5 minutes in a deep heavy pot until browned. remove from pan and set aside.
3. Add more oil. Salt & pepper beef chunks
4. Sear in hot oil for 5 min. approx. until brown all over.
5. Add the vegetables back into the pot.
6. Add 2 cups beef broth (or stock) or until covered. Add a few bay leaves and a bunch of fresh Thyme. Cover.
7. Cook low & slow, either in your oven or stove top for 2 hours.
Roasting Mushrooms:
You could saute your mushrooms with your onions and garlic, but roasting
is a neat step for creating intense mushroom flavor and very much mimics
beef in texture when cooked this way.
I like to leave my mushrooms whole
if they are small or cut into chunks.
Crimini are best, but a combination of wild mushrooms is lovely
too. Place mushrooms on large cookie
sheet, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with coarse Kosher salt and
freshly ground pepper. Toss with hands
and roast in a 425 oven for 15 minutes or until brown.
Reserve for Stroganoff sauce.
Making Sauce:
1. Slice one large shallot and several cloves of garlic.
2. Saute in a large heavy pan in a Tablespoon of oil and a
Tablespoon of butter until soft, about 5 minutes. Do not let brown.
3. Add another Tablespoon of butter and add the roasted
mushrooms. Cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Add a Tsp. of Smoked Paprika and a dollop of Dijon
mustard. Stir and cook out the Paprika
for a minute.
5. Add about 1 cup of beef broth (that is usually what I have
left when I make my tender beef bits, but you can use a container of beef broth
or stock as well.
6. Add tender beef bit to pan.
Reheating them if necessary.
7. If
not, then proceed to turn down the heat and add 1/2 cup of sour cream. Stir until combined.
Taste. (best part).
If you've been seasoning along the way, which I recommend,
you'll be fine, if not, then add enough salt & pepper to make you
happy. Let simmer lightly while you cook
your pasta, which only takes a minute.
Sauce will reduce a bit.
Add pasta to pan, stir carefully to combine. Dish with tongs, making sure you get a bit of
everything in each dish. Dollop with a
generous spoonful of Crème Fraîche (see below for
DIY) and chopped chives.
Serve with a crusty loaf of bread and a salad.
DIY Crème Fraîche
This is expensive!!
So make it yourself for half the cost.
2 ways...
1/2 cup Sour cream,
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream. OR
1 cup heavy whipping cream + 1 Tbsp buttermilk.
Mix well. Cover. Leave at room temperature for 12 - 24 hours. Will store in refrigerator for 2 weeks.
Recipe for printing
Beef Stroganoff with Homemade Pasta
{Tender homemade pasta, roasted
mushrooms & Crème
Fraîche make this a special dish}
Homemade
pasta for 4 people (see recipe above)
1 lb. Tender
beef chunks (see recipe below)
1 large
shallot, sliced finely
4 cloves
garlic, chopped finely
1 Tbsp
Olive oil
2 Tbsp
butter
1 cup
beef broth or stock (from making beef or store bought)
1 tsp
smoked Paprika
1 Tbsp
dijon mustard
1/2 cup
sour cream
Finish
with Crème Fraîche and chopped chives.
Slice one large shallot and several cloves of garlic.
Saute in a large heavy pan in a Tablespoon of oil and a
Tablespoon of butter until soft, about 5 minutes. Do not let brown.
Add another Tablespoon of butter and add the roasted
mushrooms. Cook for another 2 minutes.
Add a Tsp. of Smoked Paprika and a dollop of Dijon
mustard. Stir and cook out the Paprika
for a minute.
Add about 1 cup of beef broth (that is usually what I have
left when I make my tender beef bits, but you can use a container of beef broth
or stock as well.
Add tender beef chunks to pan. Reheating them if necessary. If not, then proceed to turn down the heat
and add 1/2 cup of sour cream. Stir
until combined.
Taste. (best part).
If you've been seasoning along the way, which I recommend,
you'll be fine, if not, then add enough salt & pepper to make you
happy. Let simmer lightly while you cook
your pasta, which only takes a minute.
Sauce will reduce a bit.
Add pasta to pan, stir carefully to combine. Dish with tongs, making sure you get a bit of
everything in each dish. Dollop with a
generous spoonful of Crème
Fraîche and chopped chives.
Serve with a crusty loaf of bread and a salad.
Serves 4
Tender Beef Chunks
{this recipe preforms double duty...supplying you with melt in your mouth beef chunks
for your Stroganoff and super flavorful beef stock}
1 lb.
chuck roast or boneless short ribs, cut into 1" cubes
2 Tbsp
vegetable oil
3
carrots
3 stalks
celery
1 large
onion
2 cups
beef broth or stock
Coarse
Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
3 bay
leaves
a bunch
of fresh Thyme (or tsp dried)
In a
large heavy pot with cover, sauté vegetables in 1 Tbsp oil until soft and
browned, salting along the way about 5 minutes.
Remove from pan.
Add
other Tbsp of oil. Make sure it is very
hot. Salt & Pepper meat. Add meat chunks being careful not to
overcrowd the pot. If your pot is too
small, do in two batches. Brown
well. Add veggies back into pot. Add beef broth. Add herbs. (I like to add the entire branch
of fresh Thyme and then fish it out after it's done cooking). Bake in 300 oven for at least 2 hours, or on
stove top very low heat (just simmering) for same time. You could also transfer
everything to a slow cooker and cook for 4-6 hours on high.
