Making fresh pasta can be a daunting task and one I have to admit I was a bit intimidated about tackling several years ago.  Luckily, though, it really isn’t very difficult and, like bread making, can be a very hand-on and rewarding experience.  Unfortunately, like bread making, there is also a bit of an art to making pasta and recipes for the dough can be a little off each time…a little too dry or too wet, etc.  Over time, you develop a sense for those sorts of variances and can adjust.  So, if you haven’t attempted making pasta before, it may take a few attempts for you to really get the hang of it.  Otherwise, it’s a very simple process usually involving a dough with just a couple of ingredients.

When my wife and I visited Italy recently, there were chestnuts everywhere.  Roasting on the street during festivals, the smell was pretty incredible.  Chestnut flour, though not commonly found or used here in the US, is pretty regularly used in Italy.  The chestnuts, dried and ground, flavor the pasta with a deep nutty and earthy flavor.  The moment you crack open the chestnut flour the smell envelops you. The darker flour it creates also colors the pasta in a unique way when compared to pastas made with semolina or white flours.

Chestnut pasta can be used in a variety of ways but classically it’s paired with mushrooms as the nutty earthiness of the pasta is enhanced by the earthiness of the mushrooms.  The light cream sauce helps cut through some of the overpowering earthiness to bring a nice balance of flavor.  Here, I used both dried (porcini) and fresh (crimini) mushrooms.  Feel free to use all fresh or all dried or a combination of both.  Also, fresh peas and other fresh vegetables are great to add to the mix.  However, given the unique flavor of the chestnut pasta itself, I think everyone owes it to themselves to make a simple dish at first with just a few flavors and ingredients so that you can really savor the flavor and texture of this pasta and allow it to stand on its own.  From there, go where your imagination takes you!  Recipe and notes follow after the jump…

NOTE:  Chestnut flour can be found at Italian specialty food stores or on-line and 00 Flour can be found at gourmet grocery stores such as Kings or on-line.  Dried porcini mushrooms can be found at almost any grocery store in the produce section.  Also note that the measurements for the dough are by volume using the metric system.  This is common baking.  Use a digital scale for the measurements.

NOTE 2:  The pasta dough may be dry even if you follow the directions exactly as there are variances in the grind of the chestnut flour.  If you find it dry, add a teaspoon of cold water and try to reform the dough.  If it still is dry, add another teaspoon and so on until it comes together.  Again, there is both art and science in baking and this is part of the ‘feel’ of dough making.

Ingredients:

For the Pasta Dough:

300 Grams 00 flour

150 Grams Chestnut flour

5 Large eggs

1 Tablespoon olive oil

½ Teaspoon fine sea salt

For the Sauce:

1 Cup dried porcini mushrooms

1 ½ Cups sautéed crimini mushrooms

½ Medium onion, diced

3 Cloves garlic, sliced thinly

¼ Cup heavy whipping cream

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Handful of Italian parsley leaves, torn or rough chopped

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and red pepper flakes

Instructions:

• Make the pasta by combining the chestnut flour, the 00 flour and salt. Once combined, crack eggs into a bowl and whisk until combined.  Pour the flour in a mound onto a large countertop.  Make a well in the center and pour the egg and olive oil into the center of the well.  Slowly incorporate the flour in the egg by flicking a bit of flour into the center, mixing, and repeating until all the flour is incorporated into the dough.  (Note:  the egg may spill a bit out of the center.  If that happens, just add flour to the egg and mix then simply bring that mix back to the larger pile mound.)
• Once the egg and flour mix is incorporated, gather into a rough ball and knead it a few times. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
• After the brief resting period, go back to kneading the dough for 2-3 minutes. Gather the dough again, and shape into a ball.  Wrap in cling wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes on the counter (or up to several hours in the refrigerator).
• Once the dough has rested, place porcini mushrooms in a bowl with a tight fitting lid. Bring water to boil and cover the dried mushrooms with the boiling water.  Cover with the lid and set aside.
• Cut the fresh mushrooms in half and sauté over high heat until the mushrooms are golden brown. Set aside.
• Using a pasta maker, roll out the dough per the instructions of that particular machine. Cut the pasta using the pasta cutter attachment for your pasta maker or cut carefully by hand.
• When each pasta sheet is cut and sized, place a bit of flour over each resulting pasta bundle and cover with a kitchen towel.
• Fill a large pot with water and bring to boil over high heat.
• While waiting for the water to boil, place a skillet over medium heat. Wait a couple minutes for the pan to warm and then add a bit of olive oil to the pan.  Add the diced onions and cook for several minutes until just cooked through.  Add the garlic to the pan and cook another minute or so.
• Remove the porcini mushrooms from the bowl and give them a squeeze to release more liquid back into the bowl. Take the remaining liquid (now mushroom broth) and carefully add it to the skillet with the onions and garlic.  Cook until the liquid has reduced and evaporated leaving just a film covering the bottom of the pan.  Remove pan from heat.
• When water comes to boil, add a handful of salt to the water and add the pasta, working in batches. Cook the pasta for approximately 3 minutes or so.  Remove pasta from the water and add a touch of olive oil to them.
• Once the pasta is cooked, place pasta in skillet and place skillet back on burner over low heat. Add both the porcini and the sautéed crimini mushrooms to the pan and toss to mix.
• Add the cream to the pan and allow to cook for a minute, carefully incorporating the cream into the pasta without breaking the noodles. Once incorporated, remove from heat and immediately place in a serving bowl.  Taste and adjust seasoning by adding a bit of salt or red pepper flake to taste.
• Sprinkle the Italian parsley over the pasta. Squeeze just a small amount of lemon juice over the top (maybe a tablespoon at most) just to brighten the flavors.  Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the whole thing and serve immediately while hot.