Ingredients
1 perfect saffron pasta
Directions
Makes about 2/3 pound, 4 to 6 servings.
The rich flavor and aroma of this pasta are wonderful with fish and
shellfish in a broth, wine, or cream sauce, or with sauteed chicken.
It stands up well to sauces that have the strong flavor of olives and
acid ingredients such as wine and tomatoes. Try Saffron Pasta with
sweet peppers, garlic, and onions or leeks. Here, we shape it into
bow ties, called farfalle (''butterflies") in Italian.
2 teaspoons saffron threads, firmly packed 1 tablespoon hot water 2
cups unbleached flour 2 extra-large eggs
In a small bowl, combine the saffron and the watcr and let stand 10
minutes. If you are making the pasta by hand, add the saffron and
water to the eggs after you have beaten them lightly with a fork. If
you are making the pasta in a food processor, add the saffron water
to the work bowl aftcr you have added the eggs. Proceed according to
the directions for Egg Pasta (please see the recipe "Perfect Pasta").
After rolling the dough through the next-to-last setting on the pasta
machine, cut it into 1-by-2-inch rectangles with a fluted ravioli
cutter or knife. With your thumb and forefinger, pinch the centers of
the rectangles together to make bow ties and set them on tea towels
or a lightly floured surface.
FETA, CHIVES & PISTACHIOS W/ SAFFRON PASTA
Serves 4 to 6.
Bright and beautiful, golden bow ties are dressed with chopped chives
and pistachios. Serve them as a side dish or a light but satisfying
main course.
Water 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled 1/3 cup roasted, shelled, and
peeled pistachios, coarsely chopped 1/3 cup chopped Chives 3
tablespoons currants, softened in hot water and drained 2 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil Salt 1 batch Saffron Pasta Freshly ground
black pepper
In a large pot, bring several guarts of water to a boil. Meanwhile,
place the cheese, pistachios, chives, currants, and olive oil in a
large saute pan.
When the water comes to a boil, salt it well, add the pasta, and cook
it al dente. Drain it, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
Add the drained pasta to the saute pan along with enough of the
reservcd cooking water to make a sauce that just coats the noodles.
Season with salt and pepper and toss well. If desired, you may
drizzle the top lightly with olive oil. Serve hot.
Source: "Pasta & Herbs: A Natural Noodle Connection" by Carolyn
Dille & Susan Belsinger ** The Herb Companion -- April/May 1996 **
Scanned and formatted for you by The WEE Scot -- paul macGregor
From: Paul Macgregor
Date: 05-01-96
Servings: 4 servings
Perfect Saffron Pasta Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Italian; Pasta
The History of Recipes
We can read the history of written recipes back into history, in truth as far back into recorded history as the Egyptians, and quite possibly further than that. However, these, early cookbooks were just basic pictorial instructions for food preparation.
In fact, the most ancient recipe discovered so far, according to academics is a collection of stone tablets in the Sumerian language which recount the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making people feel `wonderful`. Progressing into Roman times around 25BC a man called Apicius compiled a few documents which described recipes enjoyed by wealthy Romans. In his works, Apicius tells us how the meals were separated into appetizers, main course and afters, known in latin as `Gustatio, Primae Mensae and Secundae Mensae`. Aspicius also informs us how the cooks of Roman times used a wide range of herbs and spices, including a few you will know like thyme, rue and parsley. Later on in the 1400s, the Crusaders brought back many new foods, spices and herbs from middle-east cuisine, including parsley and basil. The introduction of these new foods and spices led to an increase in manuscripts on cooking, the majority of which still exist in private cookery archives. For the next few years, the wealthy families of the West tried to serve the best banquets, and because of this the best cooks and their recipe collections were much in demand. Nevertheless, it was during the nineteenth century that cooking and cookery books really came of age. Mrs Beeton in the UK, and Fannie Farmer in the US, devoted their lives to assembling, verifying, and writing down recipes to help cooks of their time. By the advent of the twentieth century, cooking books were increasing in popularity due to higher levels of literacy, people having increased free time and having more disposable income. |
We hope you enjoy this Perfect Saffron Pasta recipe.
