How fancy does this sauce look? Very. But it’s ridiculously simple to make. And to quote my friend Kelee, it’s “deeeeeeeeeelicious.”
The papperdelle itself was a little bit of a challenge though. Because we have such a small space, I couldn’t dry the pasta in the kitchen. Mama’s got no room to hang! So, out came the laundry hanger. My husband watched the cats in the living room to make sure that they didn’t think the drying pasta was a toy, while I rolled it and cut it in the kitchen.
It was our Saturday night family project.
Once the pasta was dried, I promptly put in the freezer for upcoming meals. Homemade pasta in the freezer is a little gift to yourself, from yourself. Other than the drying though, the pasta couldn’t be simpler to make. Just drop three ingredients in the food processor and away you go! The chive blossoms were courtesy of my mother-in-law who thought I’d like to dry them, because they’re so pretty. But she wasn’t exactly shocked when I said that I’d rather cook with them. Full blown chive blossoms? Hello, Sailor! Combine those with a salty parmesan cream sauce along with some fresh pea shoots, and this is a wonderful meal where the main players are only available in spring. It’s a beautiful confluence of ingredients.
Homemade Pappardelle
Makes approximately 50 noodles.
Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups unbleached flour, divided
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 large eggs
Instructions: In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse 2 cups of the flour and salt together 4 times to combine. Add the eggs and pulse until the dough becomes a ball, about 7-8 times. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 4 parts, and sprinkle the work surface with a tablespoon of the remaining flour. Roll the dough out as thinly as possible, (approximately 1/8th inch thick.) Loosely roll the dough up “jellyroll style” and slice into 1-inch pieces. (Actually, this part is up to you. Some people like it larger than that. Eyeball the size you like.) Hang to dry for 2 hours. When the pasta is dry, cook immediately until al dente, about 7-8 minutes, or freeze for up to 6 months.
Look Ma, No Roux! Ridiculously Easy Parmesan Cream Sauce
Makes 2 cups of sauce.
Ingredients:
- 8 oz cream cheese, cubed
- ¾ cup whole milk or heavy cream
- ½ cup shredded parmesan
- ¼ teaspoon white or black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Chive blossoms
- Pea shoots
Instructions: In a small sauce pan over low heat, gently whisk the milk and cream cheese together. Once the cream cheese has melted, add the parmesan, pepper and salt. Serve over papperdelle and top with chive blossoms and pea shoots. (Photos by Launie K.)
