Pesto Rigatoni

We got a new toy last week, the KitchenAid Pasta Extruder.  I couldn't wait to try it out.  Not only was our Sunday dinner the first time using the new pasta maker, but it was also the first time that I made pesto, which is surprisingly easy.

Pesto is really simple to make, but not the cheapest sauce.  We spent twice as much buying the ingredients for the pesto than buying a can at the store would have cost.  I can justify the cost based on taste alone, but it's great knowing that there are only a few ingredients in the sauce, no chemicals, additives, or preservatives.  The recipe also makes twice as much pest as was needed for the pasta.  We froze the other half and will definitely find a use for it.

For the pesto you will need:

4 cups of tightly packed basil

4 cloves of garlic

1 cup olive oil

2/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

salt and pepper

1/2 cups parmesan cheese

2 tablespoon unsalted butter at room temperature

For the pasta you will need:

4 eggs

3 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flower

1 tablespoon of water

1 teaspoon of salt

To make the pesto, start by toasting the pine nuts.  Just place in a dry pan on medium heat.  Do not walk away from the stove.  Not only do nuts go from toasted to burned in no time at all, pine nuts are crazy expensive.  You will be really bummed if you burn up $8 worth of pine nuts...  You can find these in most stores, but Whole Foods sells them in bulk and it's definitely the cheapest option.

This meal was also the first time that I got to take the new food processor out for a spin.  Just place the basil, garlic, oil, pine nuts, salt and pepper in the food processor.   

Process until a coarse paste forms.

Transfer to a bowl and stir the butter and cheese.  

For the pasta, break the eggs into a measuring cup.  You want the eggs to measure at least 7/8 of a cup. If low, just add water to top off.  Sift the flour and add to the mixing bowl along with the salt.  Using the flat beater mix and slowly add eggs and water.  Mix for about 30 seconds and then swap out for the dough hook.  Turn to speed 2 and knead for 2 minutes.  

Remove the mixture from the bowl and hand knead for a minute until the dough is smooth, pliable, and holds together in a ball.  This is probably a good time to make sure that you have a pot of water warming up on the stove.

The extruder is really cool and super easy.  You simply feed walnut sized balls of dough into the machine.

You place the balls of dough into the top of the machine and the auger forces the dough through the press.  You use a wire to slice the pasta at the desired length.  

It's a bit of a labor of love, since you really can't rush the process.

It takes about 10 minutes and you'll have a big bowl of rigatoni. 

 Make sure to flower and toss periodically so that the pasta does not stick.  

We decided to add sauteed mushrooms and cherry tomatoes to the pasta.  I  halved the tomatoes and quartered the mushrooms earlier and placed them to the side.

Heat a pan with a drop of olive oil over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms and saute until cooked.

When the mushrooms are cooked, add the tomatoes just to warm them up, don't forget to season with salt and pepper.  Cook for a minute and then deglaze the pan with a drop of white wine.

If possible, try to time everything so the pasta is done around the same time as the veggies.

The pasta only takes a few minutes to cook.  The rigatoni will start to boil up to the top when they're done, but I always just take a bite to see if they're ready.

Add the pasta to the veggies and add the sauce.

Mix in the pan for a minute to combine and heat the sauce.

Viola!  Home made pesto rigatoni.

Not a bad Sunday supper in the Lederman Kitchen.

Tonight's dinner was cooked while enjoying Cat Steven's Greatest Hits.  One of my all time favorite albums.  I strongly suggest trying to make the pesto rigatoni.  If you make it while listening to Cat Stevens I can only imagine that it will taste even better...  Enjoy.