On Mar 13, 7:32 pm, "Curt Nelson" <X> wrote:
> Hi everybody:
>
> So I spent this weekend doing homemade fresh pasta experiments and finally
> found a use for my Cuisinart Mini Prep processor. I've had the thing for
> about eight years and have only used it a handful of times for occasional
> salsa or chopping larger quantities of garlic.
>
> I started out making pasta with the "well method" with reasonable success,
> but found it to be messy and made way too much dough for a single guy. After
> some Internet research, I finally figured out that pasta can be made very
> well in a food processor... except that it still makes too much for a single
> guy.
>
> Enter my previously useless Mini Prep. It turned out to be the perfect size
> for making a single portion of the good stuff. Here's what I ended up doing:
>
> _________________
> 2/3 cup flour
> 1 extra large egg
>
> Pulse until you achieve a cornmeal-ish texture and then run the damn thing
> full blast until the dough comes together and forms a ball. If it refuses to
> come together, add 1/2 tsp H2O slowly until the dough cooperates.
>
> Knead for a minute or so and wrap in plastic and rest for 30 - 60 minutes.
>
> Proceed as usual with whatever pasta-making implements you like to use. I
> use my KitchenAid attachments.
> _________________
>
> I've read, and found to be true, that dough done in a food processor needs
> less kneading than making it by hand. For me, the dough was ready in less
> than a minute and made virtually no mess.
>
> Finally (!) I have a way to make small quantities of pasta whenever I want.
> To hell with the "well method" and tradition. These results have certainly
> worked best for me.
>
> And now, here's my favorite and extremely simple dish.
>
> _________________
>
> CPN's 30-second pasta
>
> Ingredients:
> Cast Iron Skillet (mandatory)
> Kitchen Tongs (also mandatory)
> Pasta
> 3 tbs. Good Butter
> Black Pepper (in a grinder)
> Parmigiano Reggiano cheese in a rotary grater
> Fresh Basil, chiffonade
>
> While your pasta is boiling, heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. The
> pan should be damn hot, but not ridiculously hot. After you've drained the
> pasta, get ready, because this literally takes about 30 seconds.
>
> Plop the butter into the pan and use your tongs to move the butter around
> quickly to melt and brown it as fast as possible. At the exact moment your
> butter is browned properly, drop your cooked pasta into the skillet and
> start turning with the tongs. The residual water on the pasta will cool the
> pan and prevent the butter from burning. In about 10 or 15 seconds, the
> pasta will be evenly coated with the browned butter.
>
> Plate it and hit it with some fine black pepper and top it with the Reggiano
> and your basil chiffonade.
>
> Serve to your date with a good wine and go have some sex. Bask in the
> afterglow the next morning.
>

Bag the basil. Instead deep fry some sage leaves and use those.

And Curt - remember *all* wine is good wine if you're on a date.

Susan B.