It’s Time To Talk About Pasta
Listening to: Frank Ocean — “Thinkin Bout You”
Sipping on: Rowan’s Creek
People like to call chefs “artists” a lot. I hate that. I’m a firm believer that chefs are craftsmen. We turn the inedible, edible. We work hellish hours in some of the most stressful environments imaginable while being held to the most stringent standards. It’s really fucking hard and definitely isn’t for everyone. That said, there are some things we do that provide a welcomed escape from reality, if only for a moment. For me, one of those things is making pasta.
Pasta dough was the first recipe I learned at The French Laundry and remains one of a handful of recipes that I know by heart even after nearly two decades. Making pasta by hand is a near Zen experience for me. Scaling the ingredients. Feeling the supple 00 flour between your fingers as you make your well. Cracking the eggs. The slow mix of flour & egg with the fork. It’s all so soothing and comforting. For 45 minutes, you can turn the world off and focus on a single, solitary, glorious thing. These days, that’s a luxury.
10/10 would recommend.
There are two distinct types of pasta dough, egg & semolina, and which you decide to use is based entirely on the usage or shape of your end product. Tagliatelle, pappardelle, ravioli, agnolotti? Egg dough. Orrechiette or trofi di castagne? Semolina. We’re gonna talk about egg dough, though. The photo above is from my TFL recipe book and has been the only pasta dough recipe I’ve used for the past 17 years. When in doubt, I always say “If it’s good enough for Thomas, it’s good enough for anyone.” This egg dough is the only one you’ll ever need. Obviously, this recipe is for a restaurant but it’s easily scalable for home use. Divide as needed.
From the day I learned what an “agnolotti” was at TFL, I’ve had them on my menus ever since. In my opinion, it’s the perfect stuffed pasta for multiple reasons. You can prep them in large amounts at a time. They hold the perfect amount of farce. They hold sauce extraordinarily well. The shape is exceptionally elegant. Long story short, make agnolotti your go-to filled pasta.
