If you are looking for a way to wow your family or guests, this is for you. The idea was to make something that looked like squid ink pasta, but vegetarian. All you need to do is add black olives and flour to a food processor and that's really it!
To me, there's nothing more comforting than tucking into a bowl of pasta, especially if homemade, and these tagliatelle make for an easy midweek family meal. This long, ribbon-shaped pasta is everybody's favourite and suits perfectly thick sauces both tomato-based or cream-based like this.
I know the thought of making your own pasta can seem intimidating, and a lengthy process, but in truth it's quite easy (and I find it really therapeutic and relaxing).
All you need is a handful of ingredients and a bit of patience and you can have a plate of fresh pasta on your table in less than an hour.
Even better, you can make the pasta in large batches, divide it into portions and freeze it, and then use it as and when you feel like. Simply plunge the frozen pasta (yes, do not defrost it or it'll become a lumpy mess) in boiling water and voilà!
This recipe serves 4 and you can easily adapt it by doubling or halving the doses.
Ingredients (for 4)
For the Tagliatelle:
300g durum wheat flour
120-150g pitted black olives
A pinch of salt
Water as needed
For the Fondue:
125g Greek yogurt
200g ricotta
80g shredded mozzarella
A pinch of nutmeg
A pinch of black pepper
A pinch of salt
For the Parsley Oil:
50ml extra virgin olive oil oil
A small bunch of parsley
Method
Add flour and salt to a processor and half of the olives. Start mixing. Continue to add the olives until you obtain a deep black crumble. Now start adding water little by little until you have a stiff, smooth dough. If your olives are preserved in water, use the olive water for an even deeper black colour. Taste the dough for salt - depending on how salty your olives are, you may or may not need to add salt to the water when cooking the pasta.
Rest the dough, covered, for 20 minutes.
Divide the dough in 4 equal parts and roll each to 2mm thickness with a rolling pin or pasta machine. Then cut into equal strips about 1cm wide.
Cook in boiling water until the pasta comes floating on top. This will take about 1 minute so keep an eye on it!
While you are boiling water for the pasta, mix all ingredients and transfer to a non-stick wide pan on a very low flame. Stirring constantly, allow the mozzarella to melt completely, adding 1 ladle of pasta cooking water to thin the sauce if too thick. Drain the pasta and add it straight to the pan and mix well.
Blend oil and parsley to smooth and drizzle on top of the pasta before serving.
Word of the Day
Semola di Grano Duro
(sometime also called "Semola Rimacinata di Grano Duro", durum wheat is a flour commonly to make pasta and other baked goods in Sicily and other parts of Italy. It's a kind of fine semolina, not to be confused with the coarse one)
