RECIPES:
Fresh Rice Flour Egg Pasta with Butter and Parmesan
This fresh egg pasta should probably come with a warning. It's addictive. The dough is easily mixed in a food processor, and after rolling it out between two sheets of plastic wrap, it can be cut into any width you choose: 1/4-inch wide strips for fettuccine, 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch wide for papperdelle, 2 inches wide for lasagna, or various shapes for ravioli. As with all fresh pasta, it cooks in just 2 or 3 minutes. The recipe is easy to double.
Makes approximately 1/2 pound of fresh pasta; serves 2
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup brown rice flour
- 1/3 cup tapioca starch
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon water
- Combine the rice flour, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, and salt in a food processor, and process to mix. Combine the egg, yolk, olive oil, and 1 tablespoon water in a measuring jug and whisk to combine. With the motor running, pour the egg mixture over the flour and pulse until the dough forms into a rough ball. (If too dry, add a few drops of water; if too wet, add a little more rice flour.) Remove and pat together into a disk. Cut the dough in half and work with one half at a time.
- Place a ball of dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and roll into a very thin, even rectangle approximately 10 x 12 inches, turning it several times. (Italian cooks say you should be able to read newspaper headlines through rolled pasta dough.). Repeat with the remaining dough. If using immediately, peel off the top layer of plastic and cut into strips of desired width. (If refrigerating or freezing, leave the sheets inside the plastic wrap and cut later.) Peel the strips away from the bottom sheet of plastic and lay on a wooden board, so you can add them to the boiling water all at once.
- To cook: Bring 2 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and the pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and toss with butter and Parmesan cheese, or sauce of choice.
Pappardelle with Smoked Salmon and Cream
This luxurious first course is just right for a celebration. If you're pulling out all the stops, top each serving with a dollop of red salmon caviar instead of fresh basil.
Serves 4 as a first course
Ingredients:
- 1 recipe Fresh Rice Flour Egg Pasta
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Pinch hot red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
- 8 ounces smoked salmon, cut in thin strips
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed, softened
- 1 tablespoon shredded basil
- Working on a large wooden cutting board or a butcherblock surface, cut the pasta into 3/4-inch wide strips. Leave to dry, without overlapping, for 10 minutes or so while you prepare the sauce.
- Combine the cream, hot pepper flakes, and lemon zest in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and boil gently until reduced by one-third, about 10 minutes. Add the peas, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the smoked salmon.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente, about 2 minutes for fresh pasta or about 7 minutes for dried pasta. Drain the pasta, transfer to a heated bowl, and toss gently with the butter. Add the sauce, and mix carefully. Divide among heated plates, and sprinkle with the basil.
Off-the-Shelf Fettuccine with Pine Nuts and Peas
Simple but good, and a godsend if you're pressed for time or the refrigerator looks like Mother Hubbard's cupboard. The recipe is, of course, easy to double. Incidentally, it's best to store pine nuts (in fact, all shelled nuts) in the freezer, as they can go rancid quite quickly.
Serves 2 as a main course
Ingredients:
- 6 to 8 ounces gluten-free fettuccine or spaghetti
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, or more to taste
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil, add the pasta, and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 7 minutes. Taste test often as brands differ. Add the peas during the last 2 minutes of cooking time.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over moderate heat. As soon as it starts to turn a light golden brown, about 30 seconds, add the pine nuts and immediately remove from the heat. The nuts will continue to brown lightly. Season with salt and a generous grinding of black pepper.
- Drain the pasta and peas, and add to the skillet. Toss to mix, and divide between 2 heated plates. Top with the grated cheese.
Off-the-Shelf Spaghetti with Pancetta and Tomato
A little diced pancetta (unsmoked Italian bacon) adds inimitable flavor to countless Italian dishes, and can be stored in the freezer for instant use. It is available in some markets already chopped in handy plastic pouches, or you can buy it thickly sliced and chop you own.
Serves 2 as a main course
Ingredients:
- 6 to 8 ounces gluten-free spaghetti or fettuccine
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 ounces chopped pancetta or unsmoked bacon (salt pork)
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 (15-ounce) can chopped Italian plum tomatoes, juice included
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon rinsed and drained capers
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente, about 7 minutes. Taste test often as brands differ.
- Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a sauté pan over moderate heat. Add the pancetta, and cook until lightly colored, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes, oregano, and capers. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Cook at a brisk simmer until slightly reduced, 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning, add the drained pasta, and toss to mix. Divide between heated plates and top each serving with half the Parmesan.
About Jacqueline Mallorca:
British-born Jacqueline Mallorca is a widely-traveled cookbook author who started her career by creating the first Williams-Sonoma mail order catalog (and still writes food copy for the company today). She acted as James Beard's West Coast editorial assistant for several years, and has also been a regular contributor to the San Francisco Chronicle food section. A food writer long before her celiac gene caught up with her, Mallorca has written, co-authored, edited, or illustrated a dozen cookbooks, including The Olive Harvest Cookbook, Olive Lore & Recipes from McEvoy Ranch, with Gerald Gass; two volumes in the Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library series: Cooking Basics and Breads; Convection Cuisine, with Chef René Verdon; and La Nouvelle Pâtisserie, with Chef Jean-Yves Duperret. When she discovered that she could no longer eat wheat, she explored a new world of alternative grains, and found gold. "Who knew", she says, "that a luscious, light cake made with naturally sweet almond flour, eggs, a little sugar and a lemon could also offer good nutrition? Or that fresh egg pasta made with rice flour was so simple to produce?" Mallorca believes that gluten-free food should be exciting, healthful, innovative, and above all, delicious. Her last book, The Wheat-Free Cook, Gluten-Free Recipes for Everyone, was selected by Sara Moulton on 'Good Morning America' as one of the Top Ten Cookbooks of 2007. Her current cookbook, Gluten-Free Italian, was released in November, 2009. Jacqueline Mallorca makes her home in San Francisco, and is currently at work on a third gluten-free cookbook.
Website: http://www.glutenfreeexpert.com
Book signing:
Please join Jacqueline for a book signing, it will take place at the gluten-free Mariposa Bakery's new branch in the Ferry Building on Saturday, January 23, between 11 am and 1:30 pm.
Website: http://www.mariposabaking.com
