🍅A Flavor-Filled Pan Sauce On Freshly Made Pasta 🍝
One of my favorite, and I think easiest, dinners to prepare is a simple pan sauce for pasta. In this recipe, you can make fresh, homemade fettuccine 🍝 , which is something I really enjoy making (and eating). Or, you can make this pan sauce in just a couple of minutes and add you favorite dried pasta and you’ll have a delicious, beautiful and healthy(ish) dinner on the plate in less than 20 minutes. Either way, I hope you try this recipe for homemade (or not homemade) Fettuccine with Artichokes, Tomatoes and Basil.
Pasta Passion ❤️
Flour, eggs, salt and olive oil. These ingredients are truly incredible. When I look at them in their natural state, just lying on the counter in the kitchen, it always amazes me. That these simple ingredients and how they are blended become perfectly delectable and tender pasta. Add a little yeast and the very same ingredients become french bread 🥖 or pizza dough 🍕. All so amazingly good and different .
When I first started making pasta, I will say I could make a bit of a mess and it did take some time. But honestly, I don’t know of anything I can make that amazes me more than the gorgeous and delicious pasta that comes from such ingredients. If you make this a few times, you will completely get the feel for the dough and making enough for four people is actually super fast. I’ve even managed to make this not only super fast, but with virtually no floury mess. That means I’m 💯% positive you can do it better than me with just a little practice. The taste difference between dried pasta (still totally delish) and homemade is staggering. Oh good grief, homemade pasta is unbelievably DIVINE!
For the Pasta 🍝
Into a large bowl, add 2 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix will to combine. Make a well in the bottom (like shown in the picture). Crack 3 eggs into the center and add 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Using a fork, slowly scramble the eggs with the oil, then ever so slowly, start to drag some flour into the mix a little at a time. Eventually, you will have a fairly sticky dough. Then, using your hands, mix and knead the dough until you feel you cannot easily bring anymore of the flour into the mix. As needed, add water by spoonful, until no more than about 1/4 cup but slowly, incorporating more of the flour into the dough. Remove the dough ball and place it on a lightly floured work surface. The dough will feel slightly sticky before kneading.
Knead the dough, adding a little more flour as needed. Once the ball is unable to take on more flour without becoming dry and cracked, continue to knead a bit more, just a minute or so. It should fee soft and neither dry nor sticky. Then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest at least 30 minutes.
Rolling the Dough 👩🏻🍳
I use a simple, non technical old school roller. They make attachments you can add to your KitchenAid mixer etc. I just find this to be the easiest way for me.
Secure the roller to the kitchen counter. Add a baking tray to one end and another to the other end. I flour each tray fairly heavily.
Take the dough out of the plastic and cut it into 4 even quarters. Take one-quarter out and then cover the others in the plastic until you complete the rolling of the first piece.
Start feeding the roller at notch 1. I do this at least 4 times. Then I fold the dough over and put it through notch 1 another time. Using lots of flour, I feed the dough from notch 1, then 2-6 for fettuccine. When the dough is on the last notch it gets a little tricky.
Make sure that you are using flour to keep it from sticking. Then fold the final sheet over about 3-4 times. Trim the rough sides, then cut into about 1/4 inch thickness. Gently pull the strands apart and lay them in piles on the floured baking sheet. Continue with all 4 quarters. Keep the dough out until you’re ready to boil it. I keep it out for up to a few hours with no issues.
Cooking The Pasta 🍝
Fill a large pasta pot with water and about 1 tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil. You can let the water simmer until you’ve made the sauce, then cook the pasta after the sauce is ready because this pasta will boil and be ready in only 3 minutes.
Drain the pasta, but reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water for the sauce.
The Sauce 🍅🍃
Into a large saute pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat on medium high. Add 3-4 cloves of finely minced garlic and let it cook only about 30 seconds. Next add 1 can of artichoke hearts that have been drained of water or use 1 package of frozen artichokes that have been cooked according to the package directions, be sure to cut the artichokes into either halves or quarters, depending on your preference for size. Add 2 cups fresh cherry or grape tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Let the veggies cook about 3 minutes, then top with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Let the sauce cook until the tomatoes release their juices and become very liquid, only about 3-5 minutes. If you like a little extra salty bite, add 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives and two tablespoons of drained and rinsed capers, then mix to combine.
Add the drained pasta to the pan with about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Mix well, then plate the pasta. If you like it a little looser, add another 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Top with fresh basil and plenty of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Fettuccini with Artichokes, Tomatoes and Basil.
Enjoy!
Fettuccini With Artichokes, Tomatoes and Basil
Ingredients
For the Pasta
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for rolling and kneading
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup water
For the Sauce
- 1 can artichoke hearts in water or 1 package frozen artichoke hearts, cooked according to the package directions
- 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- Optional:
- 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
Garnish:
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
For the Pasta
- Into a large bowl, add 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix will to combine. Pull the flour from the bottom to create a cavern. Crack 3 eggs into the center and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Using a fork, slowly scramble the eggs with the oil, then ever so slowly, start to drag some flour into the mix a little at a time. Slowly start to add a bit of water, up to 1/4 cup water as needed, working the flour into the dough. Eventually, you will have a fairly sticky dough. Then, using your hands, mix and knead the dough until you feel you cannot easily bring anymore of the flour into the mix. Remove the dough ball and place it on a lightly floured work surface. The dough should feel a bit sticky.
- Knead the dough, adding a little more flour as needed. Once the ball is unable to take on more dough, continue to knead a bit more. The dough should feel soft and neither dry nor sticky. Then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest at least 30 minutes.
Rolling the Dough
- Secure the roller to the kitchen counter. Add a baking tray to one end and another to the other end. I flour each tray fairly heavily.
- Take the dough out of the plastic and cut it into 4 even quarters. Take one quarter out and then cover the others in the plastic until you complete the rolling of the first piece.
- Start feeding the roller at notch 1. I do this at least 4 times. Then I fold the dough over and put it through notch 1 another time. Using lots of flour, I feed the dough from notch 1, then 2-6 for fettuccini. When the dough is on the last notch it gets a little tricky. Make sure that you are using flour to keep it from sticking. Then fold the final sheet over about 3-4 times. Trim the rough sides, then cut into about 1/4 inch thickness. Gently pull the strands apart and lay them in piles on the floured baking sheet. Continue with all 4 quarters. Keep the dough out until you're ready to boil it. I keep it out for up to a few hours with no issues.
Cooking The Pasta
- Fill a large pasta pot with water and about 1 tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil. You can let the water simmer until you've made the sauce, then cook the pasta after the sauce is ready because this pasta will boil only 3 minutes and it will be done. Drain the pasta, but reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water for the sauce.
For the Sauce
- Into a large saute pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat on medium high. Add 3-4 cloves of finely minced garlic and let it cook only about 30 seconds. Next add 1 can of artichoke hearts that have been drained of water or use 1 package of frozen artichokes that have been cooked according to the package directions, be sure to cut the artichokes into either halves or quarters, depending on your preference for size. Add 2 cups fresh cherry or grape tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Let the veggies cook about 3 minutes, then top with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Let the sauce cook until the tomatoes release their juices and become very liquid, only about 3-5 minutes. Add the olives and the capers, if using and mix.
- Add the drained pasta to the pan with about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Mix well, then plate the pasta. Top with fresh basil and plenty of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
