Off baking for a bit...

[Apocalypso]

I've really been making too much rich, sweet stuff lately and trying to keep away from it for a bit, though I'm sure I'll be making a pie or something for Thanksgiving.

I have started to think about holiday stuff, and one thing I made to give away to coworkers and friends the past few years was pasta. Both cut, dried noodles, and freezer containers full of pierogies or ravioli.

I really wanted to make some pretty tri-color pasta but had trouble getting the red and green intense enough. I pulled out the juicer today and juiced a little kale, and then some raspberries. I'm currently reducing the juices in a barely warm mini convection oven to see if I can get some intense colors.

This guy's tri-color ravioli is beautiful: http://www.brunoskitchen.net/blog/post/tri-color-ravioli

I may have to try the parsley flakes idea.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I've really been making too much rich, sweet stuff lately and trying to keep away from it for a bit, though I'm sure I'll be making a pie or something for Thanksgiving.

I have started to think about holiday stuff, and one thing I made to give away to coworkers and friends the past few years was pasta. Both cut, dried noodles, and freezer containers full of pierogies or ravioli.

I really wanted to make some pretty tri-color pasta but had trouble getting the red and green intense enough. I pulled out the juicer today and juiced a little kale, and then some raspberries. I'm currently reducing the juices in a barely warm mini convection oven to see if I can get some intense colors.

This guy's tri-color ravioli is beautiful: http://www.brunoskitchen.net/blog/post/tri-color-ravioli

I may have to try the parsley flakes idea.

How do you dry pasta? I’ve never dried fresh pasta.

That’s really pretty pasta. I’ve made tri-color pasta; used spinach for the green, but it was no where near as green as this recipe.

 

[Apocalypso]

You can just air-dry it. They make racks, but I went cheap and practical and got some plain (about 1/2 inch diameter) wooden dowels at Ace Hardware that I use just for drying pasta. They can be put between the counter and the kitchen island, or my antique wooden ironing board which I frequently use for extra counter space when I'm making things like filled pasta. Some people also nest them and put them in a food dehydrator. Last year, I gave frozen fresh pasta to a few special coworkers, both ravioli and nests of fresh fettuccini, and some pierogi which are a little closer to my ethnic heritage. I'm both dying to use my ravioli rolling pin and scared of it... the tray method has been pretty successful and most of them stay sealed.

The raspberry, even concentrated, didn't impart all that much color. Beet does, but it's more of a magenta. I got a ball of dough that I have now colored with the raspberry, tomato paste, paprika, ground red pepper, and even a little bit of red paste coloring, and it still looks brick-orange-red, not red red. The green isn't really that hard, as I love making spinach pasta. Last year's Christmas eve meal was a big lasagna with fresh green noodles, and it was a bit of a last-minute get together.

The kale juice is very deep green and the concentrated juice looks lovely. I may still put some fresh blanched spinach in it too to round out the green. And I like his idea of using freshly dried green parsley. That would give it a nice sweet flavor I think.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

You can just air-dry it. They make racks, but I went cheap and practical and got some plain (about 1/2 inch diameter) wooden dowels at Ace Hardware that I use just for drying pasta. They can be put between the counter and the kitchen island, or my antique wooden ironing board which I frequently use for extra counter space when I'm making things like filled pasta. Some people also nest them and put them in a food dehydrator. Last year, I gave frozen fresh pasta to a few special coworkers, both ravioli and nests of fresh fettuccini, and some pierogi which are a little closer to my ethnic heritage. I'm both dying to use my ravioli rolling pin and scared of it... the tray method has been pretty successful and most of them stay sealed.

The raspberry, even concentrated, didn't impart all that much color. Beet does, but it's more of a magenta. I got a ball of dough that I have now colored with the raspberry, tomato paste, paprika, ground red pepper, and even a little bit of red paste coloring, and it still looks brick-orange-red, not red red. The green isn't really that hard, as I love making spinach pasta. Last year's Christmas eve meal was a big lasagna with fresh green noodles, and it was a bit of a last-minute get together.

The kale juice is very deep green and the concentrated juice looks lovely. I may still put some fresh blanched spinach in it too to round out the green. And I like his idea of using freshly dried green parsley. That would give it a nice sweet flavor I think.

For red pasta, I used tomato paste. But it was not a vibrant ready either. The only color I have ever used it was really deep intense was squid ink. That pasta came out black.

I want to try to dry pasta. I have frozen it many times. But I have never dried it.

Have you ever seen pasta artisan Miyuki Adachi’ instagram? If not look her up sometime. She does the most amazing things with pasta.

 

[Apocalypso]

For red pasta, I used tomato paste. But it was not a vibrant ready either. The only color I have ever used it was really deep intense was squid ink. That pasta came out black.

I want to try to dry pasta. I have frozen it many times. But I have never dried it.

Have you ever seen pasta artisan Miyuki Adachi’ instagram? If not look her up sometime. She does the most amazing things with pasta.

I think squid ink pasta is beautiful, but I haven't made it. Only had it at a restaurant.

Drying pasta isn't that hard, especially if your humidity is low. I just let it hang overnight. Only a few times have I had issues with it breaking over the bend (where it drapes over the dowel) or something. One thing I like about having loose dowels is I can slide the pasta off the end instead of having to pick it up and off.

And, I just took a look at that Instagram page. Wow. So pretty.

So much for being off baking... I made two loaves of pumpkin bread yesterday, one to share with a favorite Jazzercise instructor who says her family loves pumpkin everything. It's pretty good. It was a Martha Stewart recipe. I'd add a little more spice next time, or maybe toast the spices in a warm pan, it just didn't really pop. Then again I wonder whether my tastebuds are affected by drinking more water... I noticed I thought our spinach salad needed salt last weekend, and I usually undersalt to Edgar's taste.