Making Egg Dough Pastas

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   Measure the flour and shake it through a sieve into a medium-size mixing bowl (sifting aerates the flour).

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   However, if you are making a mixed-flour pasta, dont try to sift; just stir or whisk the flours to blend them.

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   Following the illustrations, drop the eggs and/or egg yolks (in the specified amounts) into a small bowl or measuring cup; beat briefly with a fork to break them up.

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   Pour in the measured amounts of oil and water and mix well with the eggs.

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   (In a measuring cup, you should have 7 fluid ounces.)

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   Pour the wet ingredients into the flour.

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   Toss and mix everything with a fork until all the flour is moistened and starts to clump together.

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   Lightly flour your hands, then gather the clumpsor use a flexible plastic dough-scraperand begin kneading right in the bowl, folding the raggedy mass over, pushing and turning it, then folding again.

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   Use the kneading action to clean the sides of the bowl.

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    When youve formed a cohesive clump of dough, turn it out onto a small work surface lightly dusted with 1/2 teaspoon flour and continue kneading for 2 to 3 minutes, until the dough is smooth and shiny on the outside, soft throughout (no lumps), and stretchy.

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    If your dough seems too sticky or too hard after it has been kneaded for a minute or two, adjust the consistency with very small amounts of flour or water and see box, page 157.

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    If you are adding nuts to a dough, do it when you turn the dough out of the bowl (see page 172).

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    Form the dough into a disk, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for 1/2 hour.

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    Store, very well wrapped, in the refrigerator for a day; or for a month or more in the freezer.

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    Defrost frozen dough slowly in the refrigerator, and let it return to room temperature before rolling.

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    Defrosted dough will need a bit more flour.

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    Fit the regular steel cutting blade in the bowl of the processor (these a batches are too small for the dough blades of most machines).

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    Measure the flour or different flours into the bowl; process for a few seconds to blend and aerate.

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    Drop the eggs and/or egg yolks (in the specified amounts) into a spouted measuring cup or a small bowl; beat briefly with a fork to break them up.

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    Mix in the measured amounts of oil and water (you should have 7 fluid ounces).

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    To minimize the chance of overheating the dough, use eggs right from the refrigerator and cold water.

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    Start the machine running with the feed tube open.

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    Pour the wet mixture into the bowl quickly; scrape all the egg drippings out of the cup into the processor too.

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    Let the machine run for about 1/2 minute.

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    A dough should form quickly; most of it should clump or ball up on the bladesome may spread on the sides of the bowlwhere it will twist and knead.

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    Let the machine knead the dough for about 10 seconds (no more than 40 seconds total processing).

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    Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface, and knead by hand for another 1/2 minute or so, until its smooth, soft, and stretchy.

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    Wrap and rest the dough, or store it as described for making the dough by hand.

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    If you have problems in the food processorif theres no apparent clumping after 30 seconds, or the dough stiffens up very quicklystop the machine and feel the dough.

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    Adjust for stickiness or dryness by working in either flour or water in small amounts (see box, page 157).

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    You can continue to work the dough in the machine, but dont process for more than a total of 40 secondsor turn the dough out to correct the consistency and finish kneading by hand.

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    stop the machine and feel the dough.

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    Adjust for stickiness or dryness by working in either flour or water in small amounts (see box, page 157).

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    You can continue to work the dough in the machine, but dont process for more than a total of 40 secondsor turn the dough out to correct the consistency and finish kneading by hand.

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    When I make pasta at home, I rarely take out my pasta machine to roll out the dough.

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    Even though Ive got a great machine (with a motor!

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    ), I find that its still faster to cover the counter with a big wooden board, grab the thick wooden dowel I use as a pin, and start rolling.

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    For most people, though, I think a sturdy pasta machine is an important, even essential, kitchen tool.

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    (Im referring to the kind of machine with rollersnot the home pasta extruders.)

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    The machine itself is simple to operate; the part that takes practice and attention is handling the dough, as I detail below.

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    Once you get the feel of it, you can use your machine to develop your dough and then stretch it into thin and tender pasta quite quickly.

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    So, if you dont have a machine, try to get oneand if you do, keep it readily available (not on the top shelf of a cupboard!)

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    and use it often.

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    Have your dough at room temperature for rolling.

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    Cut 1 pound of dough into four pieces.

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    Work with one piece and keep the others covered.

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    Have a large tray or baking sheet nearby (or two if you have them) lightly sprinkled with flour, on which to lay thin dough strips.

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    Smooth kitchen towels are also useful as resting surfaces and to separate layers of strips.

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    Have flour for sprinkling and a knife or sharp pastry cutter handy too.

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    Turn the knob to the widest settingyoull work at this setting for a while.

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    Following the photographs press the first piece of dough with your hands into a circle or a small rectangle, then fold it in half, and roll it through the machine two times.

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    Fold the now elongated rectangle in thirds, turn the dough 90 degrees (so the fold is on the side), and roll it through.

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    Catch the dough; fold it and roll it through again with the fold on the side.

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    Repeat the folding and rolling six more times (total of eight) to strengthen and smooth the dough.

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    Like kneading, this will make it more resilient and workable.

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    Lay the first piece down, sprinkle it with a tiny bit of flour on both sides, and cover it (with plastic wrap or a towel).

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    Put the remaining pieces of dough through the same steps of rolling and folding.

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    Either reset the rollers to the very next setting (slightly narrower) or skip to the third (even narrower)I generally roll dough at every other setting, from wide to narrow.

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    Roll your first strip through, short end in first (dont fold it again).

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    Let the rollers grab and move the doughdont push it or pull it throughand catch it in your hand as it comes out.

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    Roll the strip again to stretch and widen it; lay the strip down (on the lightly floured tray) and stretch the others in the same way.

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    Reset the machine even narrower; you should be on the third or fifth setting by now.

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    Pass the first strip through once; it will lengthen rapidly, and you will need to catch and support it as it comes through the rollers.

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    Flour the strip lightly if it is sticking to the rollers.

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    After the second pass, if the strip is 20 inches or longer, cut it crosswise in half, to get two shorter strips.

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    Lay these down (not overlapping) and dust with flour; roll and cut the other strips in the same way.

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    You should have eight long strips at this point, each about 5 inches wide (nearly the width of the rollers).

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    Because some doughs stretch more readily than others, the strips may be thin enough.

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    If they are over 15 inches in length and you can nearly see through the dough, you can stop rollingif you want to.

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    But if the pasta is 1/8 inch thick (and the strips are shorter than 15 inches), you should pass them through the next-narrower setting.

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    Roll the dough as thin as you like, as long as it doesnt tear or fall apart.

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    If it does tear, fold the strip in half or thirds (making it shorter and enclosing the tear) and reroll at wider settings.

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    Set the finished strips down, lightly floured and not overlapping, in the big trays.

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    If necessary, cover a layer of strips with a floured kitchen towel, and rest more strips on top.

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    Have your dough at room temperature for rolling.

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    Cut 1 pound of dough into three pieces (5 to 6 ounces each).

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    Work with one piece and keep the others covered.

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    Have flour close at hand for sprinkling when needed.

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    Lightly flour the work surfacepreferably woodand rub a little on your rolling pin.

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    Press the first piece of dough flat, then dimple it all over with your fingertips.

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    Begin rolling it into a rectangle, about twice as long as it is wide.

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    Working from the center of the dough, roll up and down, left and right.

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    Occasionally, flip the dough over and dust the surface with flour if the dough is sticking; periodically, turn the dough 90 degrees.

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    When the dough gets thin and floppy, you can also stretch it gently with your hands: grasp the edges and tug the dough on all sides to widen and lengthen it, evenly.

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    Roll and stretch the dough until it is 20 to 24 inches on the long sides and about 10 inches on the short sides.

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    Hand-cut this sheet of dough into your chosen shape, as detailed below, before rolling out the next piece.

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    As soon as you have rolled all your dough pieces through the pasta machine or hand-rolled one piece, you can start cutting the shapes you want.

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    Long flat shapes like tagliatelle (the same as fettuccine), tagliolini, or pappardelle are the quickest to cut (and cook).

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    A machine attachment will cut tagliatelle or tagliolini precisely, but I like hand-cutting and the slightly irregular noodles I get.

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    Details on both methods follow.

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    Lacce (shoelaces) are hand-cut thicker strips (shorter than the others) that are also quick to produce and a good shape for doughs that dont roll very thin.

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    If you are not in a rush, however, try the other shapes shown here: Maltagliatiwhich means badly cutare small diamond-shaped pieces (or rhomboids, in geometry).

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    Garganelli are little quill-shaped tubes rolled from maltagliati.

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    I especially love the last shape, boccoli, a spiral that resembles a little girls ringlets (boccolo is Italian for a curl).

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    All three are made from long ribbons of dough, so you can easily make some of each from the same batch.

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    Get someone to share the fun!

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    You can cook all these shapes as soon as they are cut, or let them sit and dry at room temperature until you are ready, but use them within a day.

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    Lay them out on trays as shown in the photos, lightly floured and separated so they dont stick togetherarrange long shapes in separate small nests, and other shapes in a single layer.

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    Pasta that has air-dried will take a bit longer to cook.

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     To freeze cut pasta for long storage, set the nests or individual pieces in single layers, floured and separated, on trays that fit into your freezer.

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     After theyre solidly frozen, pack them in small airtight plastic bags or containers.

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     Dont defrost before cooking; simply drop the frozen pieces into the boiling water.

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     For 1 pound of pasta, bring 6 quarts of water to a full boil and stir in 1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt.

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     The dough has no salt, so it is particularly important that the cooking water be well salted.

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     Before adding the pasta to the water, shake off excess flour, using a strainer or colander or just shaking it in your hands.

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     Drop the pasta into the boiling water in several batches, stirring with each addition to separate the pieces.

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     Keep the heat high but dont cover the pot.

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     Let the water return to the boil, stirring occasionally.

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     Start timing when the boil resumes.

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     Cook at the boil at least until the pasta rises to the top; at that point, many pastas are done (but some are not).

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     Remove and taste a bit of pasta when it surfaces.

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     Cooking times will vary with the composition of the dough, the shape and thinness of the pasta, and the degree to which it dried before cooking.

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     Here are some general guides to cooking times:

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     Fresh pastas are not cooked al dente like dried pastas.

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     Cook them until they are tender all the way through and you have tested them.

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     Tender white-flour pastas will cook the quickest.

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     Rich Mans Golden Pasta (see above) will be done in as little as 2 minutes.

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     Poor Mans Two-Egg Pasta (see above) will take a bit longer.

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     Some mixed-flour pastas, like flaxseed and potato pasta, cook quite fast.

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     Heavier, whole-grain pastas, like whole wheat, take considerably longerabout double the time.

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     Flat long pasta cuts will cook more quickly than rolled shapes like garganelli or boccoli.

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     Remove pasta from the cooking pot with a spider, tongs, or other tool, let excess water drain into the pot, and drop with clinging water into a skillet containing the sauce.

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     Finish the pasta and sauce together following the procedures outlined on page 105.

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     The Rolls-Royce of noodles!

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     It tastes rich (and it is rich) yet has such a delicate texture it melts in the mouth and hardly seems filling at all.

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     For all its tenderness, the dough is resilient and easy to work, but it cooks very quickly.

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     Suggested Shapes and Sauces

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     This pasta should always be the star of the show: cut it in long flat shapes, either tagliatelle or pappardelle.

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     It will not take much dressing, since it has lots of flavor.

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     Dress simply with butter and cheese (page 119), and top with a shaved truffle if you have one.

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     Or serve it with the juice of roast meat or poultry.

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     One traditional way is to dress it with Bolognese sauce topped with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano.

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     Long-cooked savory sauces, such as guazzetto, make this a truly festive dish.

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     But just remember not to oversauce and smother the pasta.

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     You will sense the difference in your mouth: this pasta has a bit more substance to the bite than the all-yolk pasta.

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     Still, it is quite tender and rich.

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     Suggested Shapes and Sauces

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     Another pasta to savor in simple flat cutstagliatelle, tagliolini, or pappardelle.

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     Sauce with Marinara (page 130); also good with longcooking meat or vegetable sauces like Ragu alla Bolognese (page 143), either of the guazzetti (pages 151, 154), or Asparagus, Green Pea, and Scallion Sauce (page 135).

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     Cheese sauces and game sauces are also good with this pasta.

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     Firmer than the preceding two, yet flavorful and light, this is a versatile pasta that serves as an excellent carrier for all flavorful sauces.

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     It is the pasta I recommend for ravioli and lasagna.

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     Cut this pasta in any shape you like; sauce it with almost anything.

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     Since it is not as rich as the first two, it goes very well with fish and vegetable sauces.

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     Heres a specific recommendation: practice making boccoli (Shirley Temple curls) with this pasta and dress with Simple Tomato Sauce (page 132), or with vegetable and pesto sauces.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.