homemade

i've always wished i was italian. the language, the landscape, the food, the fashion - there are just so many things to love. making fresh pasta is something i've only recently started to do and it makes me feel a little more italian than i actually am. i got a pasta machine about a year ago and it's so much fun to make the dough, let it rest and crank it through to make beautiful little noodles. you can make noodles in the morning, throw them in a ziploc bag in the freezer and then plop them in salted boiling water for dinner. this ragu is tasty over fresh fettuccine or some cheesy polenta and makes a hearty meal for a cold winter evening.

Beef Short Rib Ragu

4 oz pancetta, diced

2 tbs olive oil

2 lbs beef short ribs

2 carrots, peeled & roughly chopped

1 onion, peeled & roughly chopped

1/2 cup parsley

4 cloves garlic

1 lb 12 oz can diced tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried oregano

1 cup red wine

1 cup water

in a large heavy pot, brown pancetta in olive oil until crisp. remove with a slotted spoon and add short ribs. season well with salt and pepper and brown on all sides. meanwhile, in a food processor pulse carrots, onion, parsley and garlic until coarsely chopped. add to short ribs and cook 1 minute until fragrant. add reserved pancetta, tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano, wine and water and bring to a boil. reduce and simmer for 2 hours covered. remove short ribs and shred the meat, discarding the bones. return meat to the pot and simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered. season with salt and pepper to taste.

Fresh Egg Pasta Dough

1 lb 6 oz flour

6 eggs

place flour on a board or in a bowl. make a well in the center and crack the eggs into it. beat the eggs with a fork until smooth. mix the flour and eggs together a little at a time, taking flour from the center without breaking the well. with well floured hands, knead the dough until it's nice and smooth. wrap in plastic and refrigerate for an hour before rolling out.

taleggio & kabocha

we love pizza and there is nothing better than making it at home. this dough recipe comes from vogue magazine, random i know, and is one of my favorite doughs to make if i have the time for homemade crust. the toppings are inspired by a pizza giada de laurentiis made on everyday italian when i worked as the food stylist on the last season. changed the cheeses, different squash and added pancetta because everything tastes better with pancetta!

Taleggio & Kabocha Pizza

crust:

1/4 cup white wine

3/4 cup warm water

1 pkg active dry yeast

1 tbs honey

1 tsp salt

1 tbs olive oil

3 cups flour

combine wine, water and yeast in a large bowl and stir until dissolved. add honey, salt and olive oil. mix thoroughly and add 1 cup of flour to make a wet paste. Add remaining flour and knead lightly on lightly floured surface for 2-3 minutes. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a towel and let rise 45 minutes.

topping:

1/2 kobocha squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 tbs maple syrup

1 tsp red pepper flakes

6 slices pancetta

5 oz taleggio cheese, sliced

1 oz goat cheese

1 cup arugula

preheat oven to 375 degrees F. on a sheet pan, toss squash with maple syrup and red pepper and roast for 25 minutes. crisp pancetta in the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F and cool. increase oven to 450 degrees F. roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick on lightly floured surface and evenly distribute slices of taleggio. bake 8-10 minutes until crust begins to brown and cheese is bubbly. sprinkle pizza with crumbled goat cheese, pancetta and roasted squash. return to oven to 3-5 minutes until goat cheese is softened and crust is golden. top with arugula and give it a drizzle of good olive oil and some fresh cracked black pepper.