Fresh gluten-free pasta (using a pasta maker)

I love pasta.

Turns out, our favourite organic bean pasta is made in China. Rice and quinoa pastas are OK but let's face it... there's nothing better than fresh pasta, especially ravioli. Ravioli is the ultimate goal.

Ever since I bought a pasta maker a few months ago, I've been obsessed with making pasta. After many unsuccessful attempts (with and without a machine), I finally found a gluten-free recipe that makes great tagliatelle in a roller. I'm confident this will also produce the perfect ravioli dough (stay tuned).

It only takes a few minutes to make the dough and I LOVE LOVE LOVE running the dough through the machine. I find it therapeutic. I could roll pasta all day. Don't worry, it took me less than half an hour to roll and cut the tagliatelle. The instructions seem long, but once you get the hang of it, the whole process takes about an hour- including the half-hour break you get while the dough is resting.

This video shows you how to make the gluten-free dough using a food processor.

I didn't use a food processor, I simply mixed it by hand in a bowl. I was too lazy to mess up the machine. I must also confess, I was attracted to this recipe because I had all the flours on hand. Also, many recipes call for additional egg yolks and I haven't yet mastered the technique of separating eggs.

If you are sensitive to xanthan gum (and know how to separate eggs), this recipe from Glutenfreegirl.com may be a better bet. She also provides good step-by-step instructions.


Ingredients

• ½ Cup Gluten-Free Brown Rice Flour
• ½ Cup Gluten-Free White Rice Flour
• 1/3 Cup Gluten-Free Sorghum Flour (or Gluten-Free Millet Flour)
• 2/3 Cup Tapioca Flour
• ¼ Cup Potato Starch
• 1 TBL. Xanthan Gum
• 1 tsp. Salt
• Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
• 3 Large eggs (maybe 4 if your "large" organic eggs aren't that large)
• 2 TBL. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 TBS water

Instructions

1. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl (you can also use a clean countertop)
2. Create a well in the middle of the bowl
3. Whisk eggs and olive oil in a separate bowl. Pour egg mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients (If you are lazy like me, you can put the eggs and oil directly into the well instead of using s separate bowl for whisking).
4. Mix all of the ingredients together. Add the water 1 TB at a time.
5. The dough should have the consistency of Play Dough. If you add too much water and the dough is very sticky, add a little bit more flour. If the dough is too dry, add a little bit more water. [Note: After a few tries resulting in very dry dough, I realized that my "large" eggs are pretty small. I now use 4 of them and a little less water].
6. Knead the dough for a few minutes
7. Divide the dough into 4-6 balls. Wrap them up or cover them so they don't dry out. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
8. Roll out and cut your pasta. While the recipe isn't gluten-free, this is a great demostration of how to make your pasta using a pasta roller. If you don't have a pasta roller, use a rolling pin to make the dough as thin as possible. Use a pizza or ravioli cutter to cut the dough into strips by hand.
9. After your pasta is rolled and cut, add it to a pot of boiling water. Cook for approximately 2-3 minutes or until done. Do not over cook the pasta otherwise it will be gummy and stick together.
10. Add your favourite sauce and enjoy! I love it with Roasted Tomato and Garlic Sauce.

Roasted Tomato and Garlic Sauce (Yum!)

I've mentioned in previous posts how much I love pizza and pasta. In fact, I like my pizza dripping in tomato sauce. People who have witnessed this, find my preference quite disgusting. No one will share pizza with me and that's just fine.

This recipe from asweetpeachef.com is perfect on pastas, pizza and tempeh testicles. The roasted veggies make the sauce deliciously creamy with a depth of flavour you won't find in a regular tomato sauce.

Ingredients

• 10-11 beefsteak tomatoes, cut in quarters (or use a few more roma tomatoes, cut in half)
• 5-6 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1-2 medium yellow onions, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2 medium carrots, unpeeled and chopped into large pieces
• 2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 8 basil leaves
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 2 tbsp. olive oil (instead of unsalted butter)
• 1/4 tsp. maple syrup The roasted veggies are quite sweet. You may want to leave the maple syrup/sugar out)
• 2-3 clove garlic, unroasted (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet (with sides at least 1-inch deep) with parchment paper. Lay out the tomato halves (skin-side down), onion, garlic and carrot and sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. Try to make this only one layer to allow for maximum roasting. Drizzle olive oil all over.
3. Bake for 60 – 75 minutes, or until the edges of the tomatoes and onions begin to turn black. (After about 45 minutes, check on the veggies. If there is a lot of liquid in the pan, the veggies will not crisp. Carefully dump some of the liquid out.  If the veggies are burning, take them out or turn them over. At this point, you may need to take out the garlic so it doesn't burn. Use your judgment).
4. Carefully transfer the roasted contents to a food processor or blender, add the basil leaves and pulse until smooth. Add your unroasted clove of garlic now for a little extra garlic kick.
5. Transfer the pureed contents to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add thyme, olive oil, maple syrup and more salt and pepper, to taste. I sometimes like to add 1 chopped green onion, chilis, and more fresh basil for extra flavour.

Pour over your favourite pasta, like this fresh, gluten-free tagliatelle!