homemade fettuccine noodles with chorizo + red pepper + broccoli cream sauce
if there was one food i could probably eat every single day it would be pasta. i don't even it every single day because my pants would just get tighter and tighter but if that was not an issue, trust in the fact that it would be made allll the time in this home of mine.
when we do have a pasta dish i like to add as much protein and veggies as i can, you know the balance with the splurge. this one has all the flavours chorizo, red pepper, broccoli, there is also white wine and cream and parmesan and shallot and basil...it is heavenly comfort food perfect for this winter days.
i initially threw these flavours together on a whim. i had made some homemade pasta noodles to shoot for a workshop i was doing and of course didn't want to waste the beautiful noodles afterwards so i brought them home and pretty much threw together a dish with ingredients i had in the fridge. called it dinner, passed it onto paul and then the look on his face after his first bite made me think, ok this is damn good and i need to share this throw together!
if you don't always have a bottle of white wine {and red on the counter} sitting in the fridge for cooking i suggest making it a must! i always, always have one laying around and use it so very often. you would be surprised how much flavour white or red wine can add to sauces and dishes. it is freakin game changing. i am a wine de-glazing queen! so go out and get some a cheap red and white and keep them around just for cooking purposes, you won't regret it and when in doubt add some wine, seriously!
this dish is simple even if you do make your own noodles, but if that is not your thing you can totally buy pre-made noodles of your choice, you could make it even healthier by using chickpea or lentil pasta noodles. but if you are up for the challenge i dare you to make your own. it is a lot easier than you think and nothing really compares to fresh made pasta noodles. below is my go to recipe, i will sometimes add herbs into the dough but mostly just use the recipe as is. now it does help to have a pasta machine to do all of the rolling out and cutting afterwards but there are ways to do this all by hand as well, of course that would be more effort and time so if you are thinking you would like to make more noodles at home i would say invest in a machine.
homemade fettuccine noodles with chorizo + red pepper + broccoli cream sauce
ingredients
pasta dough
2 cups flour
3 eggs
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp salt
sauce
1 head of broccoli
1 1/2 red peppers
3 chorizo links
2 shallots
5 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup cream
1 cup parmesan {save 1/4 cup for garnishing}
1 bunch of basil
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
directions
pasta dough
if making the pasta dough by hand sift 2 cups of flour onto a smooth surface. make a well in the centre and crack 3 eggs, add the olive oil and salt. with a fork start to mix the flour into the egg mixture slowly pulling more flour with your fork into the centre until all of the flour is incorporated and the mixture starts to hold together as dough. {roughly 5 minutes}
once all the flour is mixed in start kneading the dough with your hands for about 8-10 minutes until the dough is soft and elastic. to test softly poke your finger into the dough if it comes back and smooths out it is ready.
the dough shouldn't stick to your fingers (if so add more flour) and it shouldn't be too dry (if so add a touch of olive oil).
separate the dough into four round balls, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
if you’re using a pasta machine, dust it with a little all-purpose. while dusting, spin the rollers to coat them with a very thin layer of flour. set the machine at the thickest setting (probably the highest 7).
with a rolling pin roll out one of the pieces of dough until about 1/4 inch thick {you can also use your hands by gently pressing and pulling until the dough is thin enough to make it into the machine. start to feed the dough through the pasta machine rollers at the thickest setting, fold into thirds, and roll again on the highest setting so that the piece of dough is an even rectangle.
keep placing the dough through your machine, lowering the number each time the sheet of pasta goes through until the dough is the desired thickness (I went to 2 for fettuccine noodles).
next add your fettuccine attachemnt to your pasta machine and feed your flattened dough through, cutting glorious noodles! toss the fresh cut noodles in some flour to keep them from sticking together and repeat this prices with all of the pieces of dough.
herb tip: if you want to add in herbs to the dough, do it when your machine is around the number 3 setting, finish rolling the dough through the third setting, place some herbs flat on the dough, fold it over and then place it through the machine on the third setting again, then proceed to the final second setting or just keep it at the third thickness. it can be a bit tricky working with herbs as it can tear the dough so be really careful and don't go too thin.
tip: If you’re working with only a portion of the dough at a time, keep the remainder wrapped in plastic to prevent it from drying out.
bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stove, add a pinch of salt and add in your noodles. cook until al dente {3-4 minutes, fresh pasta is quick so watch this}, strain into a colander and run under cold water. set aside
sauce
mince the shallot & garlic, take the skin off of the chorizo links and cut into small bite size pieces, slice the red pepper into bite size pieces and break the head of broccoli into florets.
in a large pan on medium\high heat add in the olive oil and butter, then add in the chorizo and cook until browned. once browned add in the garlic & shallot and saute for 5 minutes or until they are slightly browned and translucent. de-glaze the pan with the white wine and add in the red peppers, cook until they are tender {about 5 minutes} then add in the broccoli and cook for another few minutes.
turn the heat down to a simmer and add in the cream, 3/4 cups parmesan and some chopped basil, season with salt and pepper, mix this around and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. add in the pasta noodles and toss everything together.
serve immediately with some more fresh grated parmesan and chopped basil on top!