We don't eat much pasta, maybe once per month, so when I was given an atlas pasta maker and a chitarra for my birthday this past August, I was a little perplexed. I thought it would be collecting dust in a closet. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, it unleashed a bunch of ideas about what is possible with pasta.
First and foremost, if you make fresh pasta at home, you will never be satisfied to eat boxed spaghetti again. Ever. Ever. The pasta cut on the chitarra is light, delicate, and delicious. It's important not to overwork the dough, as I learned trying to make filled pasta this past weekend. To serve two people, the simple recipe is 100g flour/1 egg/a tiny bit of water. All this goes in the cuisinart, and off you go. Adjust water/flour to right consistency. Turn once, let rest for 30 minutes. And you are ready to make pasta.
Here's the thing about this sauce, which really isn't a sauce, it's more like a ragu...or a compote. If I ever leave the world of marketing performance products, I will do it to sell this sauce/ragu/compote.
I wanted the sauce to be as fresh and light as the pasta itself. This came together really well, and has a kick but has a very fresh taste that would work just as well on top of fish or chicken as it does on pasta. In this case I like making the noodle fettuccini width. I may try hand cut pappardelle as well.
Ready ?
-Slice six to eight cloves of garlic super thin (think the movie Goodfellas where Paul Sorvino slices the garlic with a razor....yes, that thin...although I don't recommend the razor)
-Sauté in ev olive oil but do not let brown
-Add 2 tbsp capers
-Add three or more cups of cherry tomatoes (I like red and yellow), halved. Or rough chopped fresh tomatoes.
-Add 8-10 pepperoncini, sliced, seeds removed.
-Add 10-12 pitted, chopped olives-they must be Castelvetrano olives.
-Cook down until tomatoes are soft and shriveled..
-Remove from heat.
-Swirl in two to three teaspoons butter
-Add chopped fresh parsley and basil.
Insane.
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