Easton is Food TV obsessed.
It started as a compromise. Easton doesn’t watch TV during the week, but on the weekends, she is allowed a couple episodes of Daniel Tiger or Sesame Street. But, one early Saturday morning, I wasn’t in the right headspace for Tiger, she wasn’t in the right headspace to settle for the news and I suggested food. And, now, even though she doesn’t get to watch a lot of it, she’s very, very into it: the chopping, the cooking, the mixing, the eating. All of it.
I view it as education and an introduction to things she doesn’t normally see in our house, like meat, fennel (because I still just can’t) and last week, homemade pasta. I forget, all the time, how much of a surprise the world still is to her, and seeing pasta made from scratch, was just one more addition to the long list of, Things That Blow Easton’s Mind.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t just pasta, it was ravioli.
I am not against making pasta – I am one of those people who believed I would make it all the time, even registering for the crank attachment to our Kitchen Aid when we were married. (Sad fact: Larry’s mom’s cousins bought us that crank and I remember her saying, this is the kind of thing people think they’ll use and never do, but I know you are someone who will actually use this. I am hanging my head in shame right now.) I’ve spent years admiring Jen, from Last Night’s Dinner, who seemingly throws together fresh noodles like it’s no big deal. I just never seem to plan well enough to make it happen. The sad truth is that the last time I made my own pasta, I was in culinary school.
So, I had three choices: go for it full throttle and make ravioli, buy wonton wrappers and make a mock version, or just make pasta, any kind of pasta, to satisfy her questions. I stored all of this in the back of my head for a rainy day.
And, then fate intervened. Years ago, Larry signed us up for Food & Wine’s annual books – I always forget about them, and then they show up, a pleasant surprise, every few months. When the last book, Mad Genius Tips, arrived in the fall, I mentally bookmarked a recipe for Honey Sesame Sugar Cookies, and last week, finally made them for Easton’s teachers. Afterward, I reread the book and saw a recipe that I had missed the first time: grated pasta.
Grated pasta! This, I was pretty sure I could pull off (and most likely in the space of Reeve’s nap). A simple basic dough – flour, salt, egg, olive oil – stirred together, kneaded just until combined and grated.
So, on Sunday, we did it: we measured, Easton cracked the egg like a champ, we stirred and we kneaded. According to the recipe, the dough was meant to be on the dryer side, but I couldn’t get ours to come together, so we we drizzled in 1 teaspoon of water, and then, a minute later, just shy of one more. I was worried we had messed too much with the chemistry, but when I looked at our dough, and the one in the book, they were identical.
After convincing Easton that only grown-ups use the box grater, I grated, first slightly frustrated by the crumbly texture, but soon, after passing the outside layer, they grated into irregular pieces: some tiny, pastina-sized, some larger like Israeli couscous and others, too big, requiring one more careful pass. Did I accidentally knick my knuckle? Maybe. Did the grater somehow slip, leaving a trail of pasta on the floor? Possibly. Were any of these a big deal? Not ideal, obviously, but also, not really.
What I loved about the recipe: it can be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer, which is what I did, even though we were going to eat it that night (sometimes things don’t come together the way I intend, and I didn’t want to risk forgetting the pasta in the fridge for a few days).
The recipe in the book combined the grated pasta with pork meatballs in a carrot, leek and spinach soup. I liked the idea of it, but wanted adjustments, based on what I know everyone will eat and what we had in the house: I stirred together quick lemony chicken meatballs, flecked with scallions and laced with pecorino romano. And to the simple chicken broth, I added frozen peas – which are always a hit with Easton – along with the pasta.
The broth is delicate. I definitely recommend seasoning it well and not skimping on the the toppings: extra thinly sliced scallions, squeezes of lemon and more pecorino romano, sprinkled over top.
So, we made pasta. It may have been one of the most rustic of ways, but it was pasta, and we were both happy.
And, then, she watched “Bobby” make a raspberry-based jam (she was quick to remind me she is not allergic to raspberries) to stir into his gin, which was a whole new conversation. I think I need another minute before that one.
I prefer to bake my meatballs, rather than sautéing them in the pan or boiling them directly in the soup. But, if you prefer not to turn on the oven, you can cook them in the pan, until mostly cooked, remove them, and then proceed to sautéing the onion and garlic. As for shaping them, I like to use a small scoop and I don't bother reshaping them, because they're never going to come out round, if baked, anyway. If you do not have a small scoop, use a tablespoon measure, or guesstimate. I ended up with 37 meatballs.
- Grated Pasta
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 egg, lightly beaten (additional egg needed for meatballs, below)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1-2 teaspoons water (if necessary)
- Lemon Chicken Meatballs
- 1.5 ounces panko breadcrumbs
- 1 ounce grated pecorino romano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- heaping ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 organic lemon, zested (reserve lemon for serving)
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 large scallions, washed, trimmed and finely sliced (additional scallion for serving)
- 1 large clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped (additional garlic needed for soup)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- The Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large white or yellow onion, peeled and chopped
- 6 large cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 quarts chicken stock (8 cups)
- kosher salt and pepper
- Chicken Meatballs
- Grated Pasta
- 2 cups frozen green peas
- For Serving
- Sliced Scallions, Grated Pecorino Romano, Lemon Wedges
- For Grated Pasta
- In bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Stir in beaten egg and olive oil. Transfer to work surface and knead until it comes together. (The original recipe stated that the dough will be on the dryer side, but it was pretty clear early that mine was overly so. I drizzled a bit of water and it seemed better; a bit more made it perfect. I would make the pasta without the water, only adding it if necessary and at that point, only a bit at a time.)
- On the large holes of the box grater, carefully grate pasta. It will not be perfect. It will be OK. Let stand for 30 minutes; use in the recipe or transfer to an airtight container and freeze.
- Lemon-Chicken Meatballs
- In small mixing bowl, stir together panko, pecorino romano, salt, pepper and lemon zest. In large mixing bowl, gently combine chicken, egg, scallions and garlic; add panko mixture and mix just until combined. Using 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, form chicken mixture into balls, placing each one onto a greased rimmed baking sheet as you go. (If you play your cards right, you can keep your hands almost clean through the entire process.) Drizzle with olive oil.
- Heat oven to 375°F. Roast meatballs 13-15 minutes, or until almost completely cooked through.
- Grated Pasta, Lemon-Chicken Meatballs and Peas in Broth
- In large saucepot over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Add onions, sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper, and cook 10-15 minutes, or until the onions are softened and have started to just turn golden, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook 2-3 minutes, more, or until the garlic is nearly golden, stirring often.
- Add chicken stock. Increase heat to high; bring soup to a boil. Taste (carefully!) and adjust seasonings with kosher salt and pepper (obviously you don't want it to be too salty, but remember, this is the soup and, you'll be cooking your pasta in the liquid, so you want it to be tasty).
- Add chicken meatballs, pasta and peas; cook 5 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente, the peas are hot and bright green and the meatballs are cooked through.
- Divide amongst bowls; sprinkle with scallions and grated cheese. Serve with lemon wedges.
• The ingredients for the meatballs, the soup and the toppings, can be prepped one day ahead of time and stored in the fridge.
• The chicken meatballs can be made up until two days ahead of time, stored in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan and wrapped well.
• The soup, up until simmering the broth and seasoning it, can be made up until three days ahead of time. Let cool before covering and storing in the fridge.
*Recipe adapted from and inspired by Mad Genius Tips/Justin Chappel.
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