Culurgiones - Sardinian potato filled pasta

Don't be intimidated by the shape, it is a simple pinch one side then crimp to the other to reveal a beautiful wheat shaped pasta.  Recipe for Dough and Pasta is enough to make approximately 70 culurgiones.  Sauce is enough for 4 persons.  These are very filling pasta shapes, therefore for starters serve 6-8 culurgiones, and for main course serve 12-14.


For the dough

400g Plain 00 flour
300g Semola Flour
4 eggs
150ml water
1/2 tsp salt


For the Filling

1kg mashed potato
few strands of Saffron
3 heaped tbsp Grated Pecorino
Salt & Pepper to season

For the Sauce

150g maltese sausage
6 chopped sun dried tomatoes
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
few basil leaves
1/2cup pasta water
Grind of fresh Pepper
Grated pecorino to finish

Method

1. Prepare pasta by adding all ingredients in a food processor, and give short pulses until all combined
2. Transfer dough on a clean top, and knead until smooth
3. Wrap dough in cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes
4. Prepare filling by adding all ingredients together in a large bowl
5. Using clean hands knead to activate the potato gluten until mixture resembles the gnocchi dough
6. Take 1/10th of the dough and pass through pasta machine until approx 1mm thick
7. Cut circles using 6cm diameter ring.
8. Put a walnut size of potato filling on to each pasta circle
9. Make 5 at a time and cover the pasta with cloth as it dries out. 
10. Take the pasta circle in one hand, using the other hand, pinch from side to side to form the culurgiones
11. Bring a pan of water to boil, add 1 tsp salt
12. Add fresh culurgiones and boil for just 5 minutes.
13. Heat frying pan and fry small knobs of maltese sausage in olive oil
14. Add chopped sun dried tomatoes
15. Lift Culurgiones from boiling water and add directly to frying pan.
16. Add pasta liquid and butter and toss
17. Toss for about 30 seconds, adding basil leaves at the last 10 seconds
18. Serve topped with grated pecorino cheese 
    

Pici al Pesto di Nocciole

Pici is a typical Tuscan pasta, shaped in the form of a thick Spaghetti.  They taste fabulously with ragu al cingiale, but summer is here and basil is in abundance.  Get hold of some Piedmontese hazelnuts and all around your table will be more than pleased to tuck in!

For Pesto

Large Bunch of Fresh basil

250g Raw, Shelled and Skinned Hazelnuts

3 Cloves Garlic

Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

3 tablespoons Grated Parmesan

100ml Fresh cream

100ml olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lemon

For Pasta

500g Pici

1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional) 

1 tbsp olive oil

Ground Fresh Pepper

For Garnish

Basil Leaves

Parmesan/Pecorino shavings

Olive oil

Pesto

1. Heat a non stick frying pan on medium heat, add hazelnuts and toast till lightly golden.  Keep turning the pan at all times to avoid burning.  Process takes about 5 minutes.  Cool slightly.
2. Add cooled hazelnuts to food processor, add crushed garlic and process till coarsely ground.
3. Add basil leaves, turn on machine again and process while pouring oil.
4. Add lemon juice and give few more pulses.
5. Add grated parmesan, salt and pepper and give few more pulses to combine.
6. Transfer mixture to clean jar, top with more olive oil so that surface will not discolour and refrigerate.  (keeps well for 2-3 months) 

Pasta  

1. Bring a large pan of water to boil, add 1 tsp salt, add pici and cook for about 15 minutes till just al dente.  
2. Drain but reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
3. Return pasta to pan, add two heaped tablespoons of pesto
4. Add cream
5. chilli flakes (if desired)
6. Mix well on low heat, loosening with reserved pasta liquid.
7. Serve with fresh basil leaves, parmesan shavings and drizzle of olive oil

Strozzapreti Rigati

I used a basic dough for ricotta gnocchi, but with a touch more flour to make a harder dough and easier to shape.  You can prepare these in advance and freeze uncooked. Recipe is enough for 4 generous main portions or 7-8 starters.

For the Dough

500g ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp fresh thyme
grated nutmeg
250g Semola flour
250g Plain Flour
1/2 tsp salt

For the Sauce 

3 San Marzano Tomatoes
Fresh Basil
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Grated Pecorino or Parmeggiano Cheese

1. Process ricotta, eggs, thyme and salt in a food processor till creamy
2. Add mixture to a large bowl and add flours
3. Knead flour till dough ball forms. (as not all flours absorb the same, quantity may vary a little.
4. Divide dough into ten pieces
5. Roll each piece to long rope approximately 1cm thick
6. Cut each roll into small 1cm pieces, as you do for gnocchi
7. Take each piece and roll it under your palm on top of flat surface or else on a gnocchi board to have the 'Rigate' effect
8. Place each strozzapreti on a floured tray 

Bring a large pan of water to boil, add  1 tsp sea salt  and boil strozzapreti for just 4 minutes, till just al dente. (fresh pasta takes much less to cook and normally floats when about to be ready)

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pan, add chopped tomatoes, season well and cook for just 2 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon lift strozzapreti from boiling water and add directly to sauce.  Add basil leaves, toss and serve.  Sprinkle pecorino or parmeggiano.

Perfect Hobza Sourdough bread

This is the closest I got to a Maltese loaf of bread... a crunchy bottom and crispy top with that sourdough flavour.  I am from Qormi, the village known for the best bakers in Malta,  and I can still remember the streets filled with scents of baked flours from my childhood!  We had three wood oven bakers in our street alone baking fresh bread from early in the morning till late at night.  Sundays was the best! as around 11.00am the smell will be mixed with that of baked potatoes and fennel seed! Nearly everyone took dishes of meat and potatoes to the baker, to save energy and improve the flavour! Follow the steps carefully but once you repeat it will become as simple as anything!

Quantities are enough to make 1 large loaf or 2 medium loaves.

600g strong plain white flour

11g salt

80g Levain

365g Water (filtered)

1. Put water and levain together in a large glass bowl and whisk until levain has completely dissolved
2. Sift flour into a size smaller glass bowl, add salt and mix dry ingredients well
3. Tip flour into water and levain mixture then using one hand make circular movements until the flour absorbs all the liquid.  Keep hand in the form of a crab all the time, do not knead at this stage.  Clean the dirty hand with the clean hand and cover the scruffy looking mixture with the small glass bowl.  ( large bowl at the bottom holding the dough, smaller bowl used as a dome cover on top). Stand for 10 minutes in a warm place away from direct sunlight.
4. After 10 minutes, uncover and take a small portion of the dough from outer edge and pull it to the centre and press. Turn bowl slightly clockwise and repeat pulling the dough from out to the centre until you do a complete circle.  Should take from 8-10 pulls and push movements.  Gather the dough and turn upside down.  Cover again and stand for 10 minutes
5. After 10 minutes repeat the pull from outer dough and pressing to centre of dough process.
   
     Always using the imaginary 8 -10 sections of the dough, turning the bowl clockwise to the next section.  Turn the ball of dough upside after you finish with the pulling and pushing. Cover dough with the smaller glass bowl again and rest for 10 mins.
6. Uncover dough, and you should realise that now, gluten has relaxed and the dough is becoming more silky and smooth. Repeat step 5 again, turn dough upside down and it should be smooth and lump free.  Cover and let it prove for approximately 6 - 24 hours depending on the room temperature.  ( if dough is still lumpy, then wait another 10 minutes, and repeat for the 4th time the pulling and pressing process of step 5)
7. When dough doubles in size, turn it onto a floured surface, divide into two portions  or more for smaller baps, and knead to form round loaf.
8. Line baking sheet with baking paper.  Arrange loaves on the baking tray leaving enough room to grow.
   
     Sift over some flour then cover first with a plastic sheet, then with a cloth and leave to prove till double in bulk. (process may take from 2.5hours to 6 hours)
9. Heat the oven to 220C.
10. Uncover loaves, then score tops with sharp knife, and transfer to pre heated oven.  Close oven door and turn temperature down to 210c
11. Bake until turn into dark golden colour and sound hollow when tapped from the bottom. (Approx 30-45 minutes)
12. Cool bread on wire rack and enjoy warm with olive oil or butter! 

Note:  To manage fresh bread making in a very busy schedule, I always prepare steps 1-6 in the evening, then steps 7-12 in the morning.  Or else, I delay the second proving by transferring the formed baps to the fridge for a slow proving (6-8 Hours) and take out just 1 hour before I bake.