Fresh Semolina Fettuccine

Flour and water—can it get any more basic? After a few minutes of kneading, the dough magically comes together into a smooth, supple ball. Fettuccine is the goal here, but Chun also likes to cut the pasta into free-form “rags” to serve with a wild-mushroom sauce.

Yield:

Makes 1 1/4 Lb

Ingredients

1. 2 1/2 cups semolina (sometimes called semolina flour) plus additional for dusting
2. 1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup lukewarm water
3. All-purpose flour for dusting

Directions

1. MAKE DOUGH:
2. Stir together semolina and water in a large bowl until a slightly crumbly dough forms, then knead on a work surface (not floured) until smooth and elastic, 7 to 9 minutes (dough will start out dry; do not add water). Dust bottom of bowl with semolina, place dough on top, and let rest, covered with plastic wrap, 30 minutes.
3. ROLL OUT DOUGH:
4. Divide dough into 8 pieces, then flatten each piece into a rough rectangle and cover with plastic wrap. Set rollers of pasta machine on widest setting. Lightly dust rollers with all-purpose flour and feed 1 piece of dough through rollers. (Keep remaining dough covered.) Fold rectangle into thirds and feed it, open end first, through rollers 4 or 5 times, folding in thirds each time and feeding open end through. Lightly dust rollers and your hands with flour if necessary to prevent sticking.
5. Turn dial to next (narrower) setting and feed dough through rollers twice at same setting without folding. Turn dial to next (narrower) setting and repeat. Dough should now be about 1/16 inch thick (about 14 inches long and 3 1/2 inches wide). Lay on a semolina-dusted baking sheet. Dust pasta with semolina. Roll out remaining dough in same manner (do not stack pasta sheets).
6. CUT PASTA:
7. Attach fettuccine blades (to cut 1/4-inch-wide strips) to pasta machine. Feed one end of driest pasta sheet (the first one you rolled out) into cutters, holding other end straight up, then catch strips from underneath machine before sheet goes completely through rollers and gently lay across a semolina-dusted baking sheet. Cut remaining pasta sheets in same manner. Let cut pasta dry slightly, at least 5 minutes, before cooking.

Notes

Fettuccine can be made 1 day ahead and dried (keeping pasta strands as straight as possible) until leathery but still pliable, then dusted with semolina and kept in a sealable bag (folded over slightly if necessary) at room temperature.

Arugula And Goat Cheese Ravioli

Homemade ravioli are well worth the effort, and making them is the perfect task to share with a kitchen full of cooks (even novices can get in on the fun). Mixing the pasta dough is a breeze in the food processor, but if you don’t have one, don’t worry—we’ve given the method for making the dough by hand as well. A brown-butter pine-nut sauce is light enough to let your efforts on the pasta really shine through.

Yield:

Serves 8 (First Course)

Ingredients

1. FOR PASTA DOUGH
2. ====================
3. 2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
4. 1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus additional for kneading
5. 4 large egg yolks
6. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
7. 1 teaspoon salt
8. 1/2 cup water
9. .
10. FOR FILLING
11. ====================
12. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
13. 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
14. 3/4 teaspoon salt
15. 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
16. 1 lb arugula, trimmed
17. 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest (see Tips)
18. 1/2 cup soft mild goat cheese (4 1/2 oz)
19. 1/2 cup ricotta (preferably fresh; 4 1/2 oz)
20. .
21. FOR SAUCE
22. ====================
23. 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
24. 1/3 cup pine nuts (1 1/2 oz)
25. 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
26. 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
27. 1/4 teaspoon salt
28. 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
29. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
30. 1/2 cup chopped arugula

Directions

1. TO MAKE PASTA DOUGH IN A FOOD PROCESSOR:
2. Blend together all dough ingredients in processor until mixture just begins to form a ball. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, incorporating only as much additional flour as necessary to keep dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, 6 to 8 minutes. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature 1 hour (to make rolling easier).
3. TO MAKE DOUGH BY HAND:
4. Whisk together flours in a bowl, then mound flour mixture on a work surface, preferably wooden, and make a well in center. Add yolks, oil, salt, and water to well. With a fork, gently beat yolks, oil, and water until combined. Gradually stir in enough flour to form a paste, pulling in flour closest to egg mixture and being careful not to make an opening in outer wall of well. Knead remaining flour into mixture with your hands to form a dough (it will be soft and sticky). Knead dough until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Cover with an inverted bowl and let stand 1 hour (to make rolling easier).
5. MAKE FILLING WHILE DOUGH STANDS:
6. Heat butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then add garlic, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic begins to turn golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add arugula and zest and cook, turning with tongs, until arugula is wilted, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer arugula mixture to a fine-mesh sieve and press with back of a wooden spoon to extract excess liquid, then finely chop.
7. Stir together arugula mixture and cheeses in a bowl.
8. MAKE RAVIOLI:
9. Cut dough into 8 equal pieces. Cover 7 pieces with plastic wrap and pat out remaining piece into a flat rectangle. Generously dust with flour.
10. Set rollers of pasta maker on widest setting. Feed rectangle, a short side first, through rollers. Fold rectangle in thirds, like a letter, and feed it, a short side first, through rollers. Repeat 6 or 7 more times, folding dough in thirds and feeding it through rollers, a short side first each time, dusting with flour to prevent sticking. Turn dial to next (narrower) setting and feed dough through rollers without folding, a short side first. Continue to feed dough through without folding, making space between rollers narrower each time, until the second to narrowest setting is used. (Do not roll too thin or pasta will tear when filled.)
11. Put sheet of dough on a lightly floured kitchen towel (not terry cloth) with a long side nearest you. Drop 5 or 6 rounded teaspoon-size mounds of filling 1 1/2 inches apart in a row down center of right half of sheet, then lift left half of sheet and drape over mounds. Press down firmly but gently around each mound, forcing out air. (Air pockets increase the chance that ravioli will break during cooking.) Cut pasta (between mounds) with a sharp knife into roughly 2 1/2-inch squares. Line a large shallow baking pan with a clean dry kitchen towel (not terry cloth), then arrange ravioli in 1 layer in it. Make more ravioli with remaining pieces of dough and remaining filling in same manner, transferring to lined pan.
12. MAKE SAUCE:
13. Heat butter in cleaned 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook pine nuts, stirring frequently, until pale golden, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, pepper, and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic begins to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and oil, swirling skillet to combine, and remove from heat. (Leave sauce in skillet.)
14. Bring a 6- to 8-quart pot of salted water to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a gentle boil. While water is heating, reheat sauce over low heat if necessary.
15. Add half of ravioli to gently boiling water, carefully stirring to separate, and cook, adjusting heat to keep at a gentle boil, until pasta is just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Lift cooked ravioli with a slotted spoon, draining well over pot, then transfer to skillet with sauce and gently swirl skillet to coat pasta. Transfer ravioli to a platter with half of sauce and sprinkle evenly with half of chopped fresh arugula. Repeat with remaining pasta, sauce, and arugula.

Notes

Dough can be made (but not rolled out) 6 hours ahead and chilled, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.Ravioli can be made (but not cooked) 4 hours ahead and chilled, covered with plastic wrap, in towel-lined baking pan.Filling can be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.

Pasta With Green Vegetables And Herbs

Mixing aromatic herbs like mint and basil with asparagus and peas creates a beautiful green dish. Salty feta sparks it up.

Yield:

Serves 4

Ingredients

1. 1 lb thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2. 1 cup frozen peas
3. 1 lb linguine
4. 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
5. 1 cup packed fresh mint leaves
6. 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
7. 3/4 teaspoon salt
8. 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
9. 4 1/2 oz feta, crumbled (1 cup)
10. 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
11. 3 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Cook asparagus in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling well-salted water until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large heatproof bowl, then add peas to boiling water and cook 2 minutes. Transfer peas with slotted spoon to bowl with asparagus, then add linguine to boiling water and cook until al dente.
2. While linguine cooks, pulse basil, mint, oil, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup feta in a food processor until chopped, then add to vegetables.
3. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander. Stir reserved cooking water into vegetables, then add pasta, parsley, scallions, and remaining 1/2 cup feta and toss.

Notes

Pasta In Garlic-Almond Sauce

You’ll be shocked at how light yet satisfying this pasta is—it’s finished in a fast garlicky almond sauce, studded with peas, and topped with chopped roasted almonds. View more of our favorite recipes from this issue.

Yield:

Serves 6 (Main Course) Or 8 (Side Dish)

Ingredients

1. 3/4 cup whole blanched almonds (4 oz)
2. 3 garlic cloves, smashed
3. 3/4 cup water
4. 1 lb cavatappi or other small tubular pasta
5. 2 tablespoons extra-virigin olive oil
6. 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
7. 1 (10-oz) package frozen peas
8. 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus additional for serving
9. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
10. 1/2 cup basil leaves (torn if large), divided
11. 1/3 cup mint leaves (torn if large), divided
12. 1/3 cup chopped roasted almonds (2 oz)

Directions

1. Purée blanched almonds and garlic with water and 1/4 tsp salt in a blender until smooth.
2. Cook cavatappi in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (3 Tbsp salt for 6 qt water) until almost al dente. Reserve 3 cups pasta-cooking water and drain pasta.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet (preferably straight-sided) over medium heat until foam subsides. Add almond purée and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups reserved cooking water, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper and simmer, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in remaining 2 Tbsp butter until melted. Add pasta and peas and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente (sauce will be thin), 2 to 3 minutes. Add cheese and lemon juice and stir until combined well. Remove from heat and stir in half of basil and mint and salt and pepper to taste. Serve pasta in bowls topped with chopped almonds, remaining herbs, and additional cheese.

Notes

White-Cut Chicken

It’s traditional to serve a whole chicken, including the head and feet, for Chinese New Year. The white meat symbolizes purity, and serving the entire bird represents unity. Plunging the chicken into ice water after poaching ensures that the meat is perfectly juicy and tender. A very simple but powerful dipping sauce tops it off. Use only a tiny amount — it’s quite strong.

Yield:

Serves8 (As Part Of A Chinese Meal)

Ingredients

1. For the Chicken:
2. ================
3. 1 (3- to 3 1/2-lb) whole chicken (with head and feet if desired), neck (if without head) and giblets reserved for another use if desired
4. 1 bunch scallions, halved crosswise
5. 2 oz Smithfield or other cured ham (1 piece or sliced), trimmed of any spice coating
6. 6 (1/4-inch-thick) round slices peeled fresh ginger
7. 14 cups water
8. 1 teaspoon salt
9. 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
10. 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
11. .
12. For the Dipping Sauce:
13. ================
14. 1 bunch scallions (white and pale green parts only), cut into very thin 2-inch strips
15. 3 tablespoons light soy sauce (preferably Pearl River Bridge brand)
16. 3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
17. 1 tablespoon finely grated (with a rasp) peeled fresh ginger

Directions

1. MAKE CHICKEN:
2. Rinse chicken inside and out, then bend legs to tuck feet (if still attached) inside cavity. Stuff cavity with scallions, ham, and ginger.
3. Bring water with salt to a boil in a deep 7- to 8-quart stockpot or pasta pot. Add chicken, breast side down (chicken may not be completely covered with liquid), then reduce heat and simmer, covered, 20 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 30 minutes. Turn chicken over and let stand, covered, 15 minutes more (chicken will be cooked through).
5. While chicken stands, fill a large bowl three-fourths full with ice and cold water. Carefully remove chicken from pot with a large slotted spoon and plunge into ice water to stop cooking. Let stand, gently turning over once (be careful not to tear skin), until cool, about 10 minutes total. Carefully transfer to a cutting board and discard scallions, ham, and ginger from cavity. Pat dry. Rub skin with sesame oil.
6. MAKE DIPPING SAUCE:
7. Stir together scallions and soy sauce in a small heatproof bowl.
8. Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water vaporizes instantly. Pour oil around side of wok, then tilt wok to swirl oil, coating sides. When oil just begins to smoke, carefully add ginger (oil will spatter) and stir-fry 30 seconds. Immediately remove from heat and pour over scallion mixture, stirring to combine (scallions will wilt).
9. To cut and serve chicken on a platter (Chinese restaurant?style), cut off the head and neck (if attached) with a cleaver and put at one end of a large platter. (These parts, along with the back and feet, aren't always eaten.) Cut off the feet. Cut off the drumsticks and thighs, then cut crosswise through the boneinto 1-inch pieces. Place the feet and leg meat at the other end of the platter. Cut off the wings, separating them at the joints, and put on the sides of the platter. Cut through the ribs, separating breast from back, then cut the backbone crosswise into 3 pieces and put them in the center of the platter. (Striking the cleaver with a rubber mallet makes the cuts clean.) Cut the breast crosswise through the bone into 1-inch pieces and arrange on the back. Alternatively, cut chicken according to procedure and mound pieces in a bowl.
10. Drizzle 2 tablespoons dipping sauce over chicken and sprinkle with cilantro leaves. Serve warm or at room temperature, with remaining dipping sauce on the side.

Notes

Chicken can be cooked and rubbed with sesame oil (but not cut) 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.Chicken can be cut up and arranged on platter 4 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature 1 hour before serving. Drizzle with dipping sauce just before serving.Dipping sauce can be made 4 hours ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.