We were doodling with homemade pasta the other day and we decided to experiment with some herbs. Most folks who want to gussy up their homemade pasta think to add cooked, drained and finely chopped spinach, arugula or basil or add some beetroot or carrot juice, or squid ink to change the color of the pasta. But I once saw a recipe for herb infused pasta and I was intrigued whether I could pull it off or not… So I tried to make wide noodles with chives sandwiched into the dough. That worked nicely so I also tried thin sprigs of dill and that turned out pretty good. But here are some tips… add the herbs only before the last “pressing” of the dough, and do it only once… I passed the dough through several times and some thicker parts of the herbs broke through the pasta. Also, remove stems and try and keep the herb thickness uniform or as thin as possible. The results were terrific and the variations endless… You could make a shredded basil pasta and serve it with a fresh tomato sauce, or a dill infused pasta with a salmon sauce…
I cooked up the chive pasta and added some semi-dried tomatoes and goat cheese and it rather yummy…
The kid cooked up her angel hair pasta and aded three cheeses and a touch of semi-dried tomatoes and that was really good as well…
It really is so satisfying to craft one’s food from scratch…
21 Responses
you are so right. i get absolutely thrilled when something i come up with from scratch turns out to be actually edible and delicious.your pasta simply looks fantastic. the kid should be mighty proud too!
Beautiful! Haven’t tried doing my own pasta. My mom bought a pasta machine 18 years ago… and we haven’t used it even once!
That pasta by The Kid looks terribly delicious.. ;)
Mmmm, your pasta really looks delicious! I can almost smell the lovely aroma of the herbs…
I tried making pasta by hand years ago because we did not have a working pasta. (Yes, we had a broken one.) And i did add spinach. Suffice to say that i have never repeated that process. And yes, it was the most satisfying lasagna i ever had.
My brother borrowed my pasta machine years back. Need to get it back. You just inspire a lot of us.
Question? Are chives and kinchay one and the same?
Chives are very similar to spring onions; in fact, they belong to the same family. Chives are the “sibol” or sprout of smaller, less bulbous type of onion. The taste is that of a milder onion.
On the other hand, kinchay is chinese celery. The taste can be compared to a bit like parsley.
makes me drool….
my pasta machine is somewhere up there with the christmas decors. seeing that beautiful herb ribbon makes me want to haul the ladder and rummage through the boxes. now.
Ultimate definition of freshness! It’s daunting but once you get the hang of it, both you and the Kid will be master in pasta making! Who knows your pasta making passion might lead to a deeper well – supplying Rustan’s, SM and the the like in the refrigerated shelves MM Fresh Pasta!
I agree whole heartedly. Making food from scratch is not only the tastiest but there is some sense of satisfaction that comes with it!
Making fresh pasta is quite heavenly….My brother who is a purist, dry pasta lover, cannot see the virtue in fresh pasta (by the way, he and his wife are the couple behind the newly opened Mamou at Serendra) ..but enough time in Italy, and you’ll be hooked…its nice to see that there are kindred spirits like you MM, and your family, who do take the trouble…..during a recent trip to Torino during white truffle season, a restaurant owner taught me that the best way to enjoy pasta with truffles is to have them just frsh with butter, and the truffles generously shaved on top…also, alter the proportion of eggyolk to flour in your ecipe a bit, lessening the flour, to make a more flavorful and also less carb-filled version….a good option for those south beach or low-carb dieters….ps fresh and dry pasta each have their strengths
pasta heaven!
Wow, The KId is turning out to be quite a gourmet and citizen of the world, just like Dad! Is it too late for you to adopt me so I can learn from you, too? heehee :-)
Two variations that I like:
1. Parsley leaves – A chef I know made sheets of pasta with parsley leaves sandwiched in between. He then used these to make ravioli. The end product is quite elegant with the leaves showing through.
2. Saffron threads – After infusing saffron threads, mix both the liquid and threads into the dough. Some recipes ask for the infusion to be strained. The threads visible in the pasta give it an extra special touch :D
Wow, THE Gaita Fores leaving a comment on your blog!!! You have arrived, MM!!!!
Hi Cecile J….you must agree MM.s blog is a real education for all foodies…..the best part about this passion is it gifts us all with constant, never-ending learning!!!! Am afraid I will start sleeping less because of this… Happy eating to all!!!!
Wheee! Now my day is made! THE Gaita Fores has replied to my comment! (Obvious ba I am a Cibo fan-atic?) Wide grins all around!!!!…And, yes, MM shares so much more than recipes and foodie info. He shares so much of himself to all of us and we are made better for it.
CecileJ, hahaha, you have to watch what you say in your comments now that a real chef is reading them…heehee. Marghi,I did a series of posts from a trip to Spain and Italy in May or June of 2006 which may be of interest to you… Dee Bee, those versions sounds great. I also saw one with chervil in the noodles, except finding chervil here is like a needle in a haystack, but I did find it ONCE. Consol, the Kid rarely spends THAT much time in the kitchen but I think she was fascinated with noodle creation. Margarita, yes, less flour, definitely as my dough wasn’t the most ideal. And yes, to other commenters that semolina flour would be nice but I didn’t have any at the time… Jade186, thanks for answering kb’s question. kb, kinchay and chives are different as Jade explained.
Yikes, MM, I always cringe when I am called a chef!!! i think cook or kusinera is more apt….I don’t have a degree and have never worn a chef’s outfit or a toque because I am not comfortable with it (foodie nalang)… Cecile J, thank you for being a fan-atic!!! You are all our reason for being! I agree with you about MM…indeed we are all made better because of his sharing!! Thank God for your archives, MM, at least I can catch up!! will check out your May and June 06 archives now….hope I see you at Pink for Life…