Half batch: 2 servings
½ pound (8 oz) 00 flour (included)
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
water (as needed)
Full batch: 4 servings
1 pound 00 flour (included)
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
water (as needed)
Equipment
fork
plastic wrap
rolling pin or pasta roller
bench scraper or knife
garganelli board (included)
Make the dough
On a large, clean work surface, add the 00 flour in a mound. Use your hands or the bottom of a cup to form a well in the middle about 6 inches wide.
Crack the eggs into the well. Use the fork to carefully stir the eggs, taking care to keep the eggs within the walls of the well.
Once the eggs are well-mixed, run the fork around the edges of the well to bring in some of the flour. Mix the flour into the eggs and repeat, continuing until the egg mixture in the middle thickens. Continue to use most of the flour and form a dough.
When a shaggy dough has formed, brush aside any extra flour and use your hands to knead the dough, sprinkling in extra flour only if the dough sticks to your hands. Knead for 5-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and uniformly colored.
The dough is fully kneaded and ready to rest when it is smooth and bounces back when pressed. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes. Make a sauce in the meantime!
Shape the garganelli
Cut the dough into 4 pieces and work with one at a time, keeping the remaining pieces wrapped in plastic so they don’t dry out.
Use a rolling pin or pasta roller to roll the pasta very thin, dusting with flour as you go if needed. The dough should be thin enough that you can see light or wood grain through it.
Use a knife or bench scraper to cut the dough into about 1.5" x 1.5" squares. Lightly dust the squares with flour on both sides so they don’t stick to the garganelli board.
Place a square on a diagonal on the garganelli board so it looks like a diamond. Place the wooden dowel on top of the dough perpendicular to the length of the board so it lays across the diamond. Lift up one corner of the dough to wrap over the dowel. Press down lightly and roll the dowel, wrapping the dough around the dowel to adhere to itself.
Cook the pasta
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Drop the garganelli into the water and cook for 3-4 minutes, until tender but not entirely soft (al dente). Reserve about a cup of pasta water before draining.
Mix cooked pasta with desired sauce, adding a little pasta water if needed to help the sauce coat the pasta.
Garganelli with Sausage Ragu (4 servings)
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Homemade Italian Seasoning (included)
1 lb bulk sweet or hot Italian sausage
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth, more if needed
14 oz can crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
For serving:
1 full batch fresh garganelli, cooked
grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, and cook for 5-6 minutes, until softened.
Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add the sausage to the pan and use a spatula or wooden spoon to break it up into small pieces while it cooks.
Once the sausage is cooked through, add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
Add the wine. Stir to deglaze and pick up any stuck pieces from the bottom of the pot.
Stir in the chicken broth and crushed tomatoes and a big pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low and set a lid offset on the pot so that some steam can escape. Simmer, stirring occasionally for 30-45 minutes (or longer). Add extra splashes of chicken broth if the sauce gets too thick or sticks to the bottom of the pot.
Add cooked garganelli to the pot and stir to coat. Top with grated parmesan cheese.
Garganelli with Pesto & Chicken (4 servings)
Ingredients:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breast cutlets
2 teaspoons Homemade Italian Seasoning (included)
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for cooking
Juice of ½ a lemon
For the pesto:
2 packed cups fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup toasted nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, etc.)
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
For serving:
1 full batch fresh garganelli, cooked
pasta cooking water, as needed
Directions:
Place the chicken in a bowl and toss with the Homemade Italian Seasoning, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and lemon juice. Let sit for 10-15 minutes or refrigerate overnight.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, until browned and cooked to 165F internally. Set aside.
To make the pesto, place the basil, nuts, parmesan, and garlic in a food processor. Blend until finely chopped, then with the food processor running, stream in the olive oil until the pesto becomes smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Finely chop or shred the chicken and place in a serving bowl (or in a large pot over low heat if you need to reheat chicken or pasta).
Add the pesto, cooked pasta, and about ¼ cup of pasta water. Stir to combine, adding more pasta water as needed until the pesto thins to a saucy consistency that easily coats the pasta.