Chefs share top pasta-making tips, recipes: Why ramen is the best kept secret for starchy, glossy pastas
Chef Robbie Felice and cookbook author Meryl Feinstein share top pasta tricks.
Flour and water is the simplified, two-ingredient base for one of the world's most beloved foods: pasta.
Pasta-making itself is a culinary craft that's been honed and adapted over centuries and cultures -- from China to Italy -- with some iterations so simple, even a novice home cook could execute it with the right instruction. From there comes the fun of rolling, cutting, shaping, filling and saucing to create a unique bowl of handmade pasta that's equal parts delicious and satisfying.
To celebrate National Pasta Day on Tuesday, "Good Morning America" enlisted a couple of food experts to throw a pasta party in New York City's famed Times Square.
"Pasta Every Day" cookbook author Meryl Feinstein and chef and restaurant partner Robbie Felice of Montclair Hospitality Group divided and conquered to make the pasta party a success. Feinstein focused on demonstrating how to properly make an array of pastas and shapes while Felice showed how he uses ramen to develop sauces and more flavor.
Feinstein also explained what types of sauces pair best with various types of pasta -- for her large, broad, flat pappardelle and other thin pastas, for instance, she recommended Bolognese or a heavy cream sauce; doughier pasta shapes like cavatelli or small dense shells with ridges are perfect for tomato sauce.
Standard Egg Pasta Dough
Serves 4
Ingredients
350 grams (2¼ cups) 00 or all-purpose flour
50 grams (5 tablespoons) semola rimacinata or semolina flour
225 grams eggs (about 4 large eggs plus 1 to 2 yolks), lightly beaten
Directions
Making Pasta Dough by Hand: Combine the flours in a wide mixing or serving bowl. Keep the flour in the bowl (this prevents runaway liquids) or turn it out onto a work surface. Make a wide “well” in the center with your fist, forming a wall of flour tall enough on all sides to contain the eggs. Pour the eggs into the well.
Using a fork, gradually incorporate a portion of the flour, a couple of teaspoons or so at a time, from the inner rim of the well into the eggs in a circular motion (à la scrambled eggs) until a thick, custardy batter forms. You’ll use only about a quarter of the flour at this point; the majority will remain loose.
Incorporate the remaining flour into the thickened eggs, either by folding and pressing the flour into the center with your hands until it becomes a shaggy ball or, if you’re working on a flat surface, cutting the flour into the eggs with the help of a bench scraper. If it looks like a total mess—sticky here, flaky there—you’re doing it right.
If you’ve been using a bowl, transfer the mixture to a flat surface, along with any large flaky pieces. It’s also totally normal to have some flour left behind.
Knead the dough vigorously however works best for you (don’t be shy; you can’t overwork it). I like to push it forward with the heel of my hand, then fold it over on itself about halfway. Do this a few times in one direction, then rotate the dough 90 degrees and repeat, shifting 90 degrees every few strokes. Once the dough starts to come together, brush away any remaining flaky pieces. Always give it time before adding flour or water—more often than not, it will sort itself out after a few minutes. Then, if the dough still feels dry, add a small amount of water with your fingers to the dry areas and knead until smooth, repeating as necessary; if it feels very soft and sticky, work in more flour until it firms up.
After about 5 minutes, cover the dough tightly and completely in plastic wrap or under an overturned bowl (you can also use a clean shower cap or snug Tupperware container). Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes—have a cup of coffee, a snack, a glass of wine—then uncover and knead the dough until it’s smooth and firm, pliable but not soft, 3 to 5 minutes more.
When it bounces back from a light touch to the surface, cover the dough tightly and completely once more. Let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to two hours.
Pappardelle
Set up your workspace: Dust a sheet pan with semolina or line it with a dry dishcloth. Gather your tools and set up your pasta machine.
Sheet the dough: Roll your dough through setting 6 twice on your KitchenAid and Marcato pasta machine, ensuring that your pasta is a semi-thin, tender sheet. Lay the sheet on your work surface; if using a countertop, dust the bottom with 00 or all-purpose flour. Cut the sheet into an even rectangle – roughly 15-inches in length.
Dry the sheet (a little): Let the sheet dry for about 10 minutes per side, or until the surface feels leathery and doesn’t stick to your hands, work surface, or itself when folded over and pressed (but is still pliable). In the meantime, roll out another sheet if you have the space.
Cut the pasta: Dust both sides of the sheet with 00 or all-purpose flour, spreading it another and removing any excess. Position the pasta sheet horizontally along your work surface. Fold the ends toward the center like an envelope so they meet in the middle. Then continue to fold up each side, carpet-style, once or twice more until they, too, meet in the middle and you have a little packet that looks like flat scrolls.
Rotate the dough 90 degrees, so the center line runs horizontally. Use a knife to trim the ends so you have straight edges, then cut 1-inch wide strips across the dough.
Slide the blade under the pasta so its spine is directly under the center line and lift – the strands should unfurl like Rapunzel’s hair.
Gently shake out the strands to separate them, then lay them across the prepared sheet pan. Dust the pasta with semolina flour and spread the strands out a little if using right away, or form them into nests* (optional) if storing for future use. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Cook the pasta: Boil the pasta in a well-salted large pot for 2-3 minutes or desired doneness. When adding pasta to the pot, shaking out any excess flour to avoid gumminess, and stir for a few moments to prevent sticking.
Casual Bolognese (for Pappardelle)
Serves 4
Active time: 1 hour
Total time: 4 hours
Ingredients
2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil or unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, very finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium carrot, peeled and very finely chopped
2 celery stalks, very finely chopped
1 pound (450 grams) ground beef
3 heaping tablespoons (50 grams) tomato paste
3/4 cup (180 ml) dry red or white wine like Sangiovese, Chianti, or Pinot Grigio
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) low-sodium beef or chicken stock, plus more as needed
1 cup (240 ml) tomato purée (passata)
1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk (or, to keep it kosher, dairy-free alternative like oat milk)
Whole nutmeg (optional)
Finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving (optional)
Directions
Warm the oil in a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, and another pinch of salt and pepper, and cook until very soft, 10 minutes more.
Push the vegetables to the side of the pot and increase the heat to medium. Add the meat and season it generously, then use a wooden spoon to break it into small pieces. Cook until no longer pink and most of its liquid has evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often.
Stir in the tomato paste and mix with the meat and vegetables. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and simmer until mostly evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Add the stock and tomato purée and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered, at a low bubble for 2 to 2½ hours, until most of the liquid has reduced. Stir the sauce occasionally and add more stock if it looks dry.
Stir in the milk (or alternative) and a generous grating of nutmeg, if using. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve: Cook your pappardelle 2-3 minutes. Transfer it directly to the sauce, along with ¼ cup (60 ml) pasta cooking water (if you need to drain the pasta first, reserve a little more cooking water than you might need). Toss to combine and continue to cook the pasta in the sauce until well coated, 1 to 2 minutes, loosening with more cooking water as needed. Divide the pasta among bowls and serve topped with grated cheese, if you’d like.
Adapted from PASTA EVERY DAY by Meryl Feinstein. Copyright © 2023 by Meryl Feinstein. Photographs by Nico Schino. Used with permission of Voracious, an imprint Little, Brown and Company, New York. All rights reserved.
Meryl Feinstein's top pasta tips
In general when making pasta, Feinstein suggested kneading the dough vigorously -- don't be shy, because you can't overwork it.
For pappardelle, she said you're better off looking for a semi-thin sheet of dough so the pasta is tender but also still has bite to hold up to a bold sauce or ragù. The great thing about cutting by hand, she said, is you can make the pasta whatever size you like but also use the machine.
Cavatelli, Feinstein explained, is made without a machine and without eggs -- just semolina and water. Create the shape and add texture to the pasta by using a gnocchi board -- or you can simply use a knife to make a slit in the middle.
Ramen Carbonara
Felice, who is a partner at pastaRAMEN in Montclair, New Jersey, created this recipe for a delicious mashup of Japanese and Italian cuisines.
Ingredients
2 large cloves garlic, sliced
1/3 cup shallots, sliced
1/2 cup pancetta or guanciale, diced (this can be omitted if preferred)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon gochujang
1/4 teaspoon white miso (can omit)
3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup water or pasta water
175 grams ramen
1 small block Parmigiano-Reggiano
Directions
Render the pancetta in the sesame oil.
Once pancetta is crispy, add the garlic, shallot, white miso and gochujang.
Saute the mix until garlic and shallots are translucent.
Add the black pepper and the ramen. Cook for one minute.
Add the water, Parmigiano-Reggiano and lemon juice.
Stir and add the egg yolk.
Cook for one more minute to bring the sauce together over low heat.
Plate the ramen and finish with fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Chef Robbie Felice's ramen pasta tips
Most ramen has a quicker cooking time than fresh pasta and definitely a quicker cooking time than dry pastas. Perfect for at home! You can make this meal in under 30 mins! And the ramen can cook in 2-3 minutes!
The absolute best thing about ramen is it is very high in starch. Starch is an Italian chef's best friend. It's the most important ingredient to help develop your sauce! To use ramen to create an Italian pasta at home is the best kept secret. The problem with pasta at home is no one ever creates that perfect marriage between the sauce and the pasta. The starch from the ramen and actually cooking that ramen in the sauce for 1-2 minutes before serving it does just that!
Ramen can be substituted with spaghetti, bucatini, angel hair or any other long noodle.
Gochujang is easy to find these days, but if not, it may be substituted with chili flakes and a little sugar. I love the sweet heat you get from gochujang.
Pancetta or guanciale is perfect for this recipe, but a little extra white miso is also fine if you choose to skip the meat. If no white miso is available, using soy sauce can give you some nice umami flavor as well.
Turn the heat on low or even off once you add the cheese and egg yolk so it melts and thickens properly. Be careful not to scramble the egg. No one likes a scrambled egg carbonara! Use water to keep from doing this!
Have fun eating it! Ramen is so fun to eat -- make sure you slurp!
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