New pasta roller - looking for great, simple, nothin heavy - sauces to add.

[lexpatti]

Just got a pasta roller (and a lesson on homemade pasta) and having a blast - never realized how fantastic fresh pasta was. My son and fiance did a really nice simple parm and cracked pepper, and another with sauteed fennel, capers, etc. Last night, I did a great roasted veggie mix.

anyone care to share their favorite simple sauce (maybe with shrimp or seafood), but NOT red sauce - I've got Nanna's and it's all I want.

key words are simple and lighter

thanks so much

[harryharry]

I just made some pasta the other day and made the following sauce recipe: If you can find guanciale (cured pig jowl) it's awesome, but pancetta is also good - the meat stays really crispy if you take it out and then sprinkle it back on top -

Sauté diced pancetta or guanciale in olive oil – until crispy
Add chopped garlic and minced fresh sage - cook only until you smell garlic

Remove from pan to stop cooking

Cook fresh pasta (reserve a little cooking water)

Add pasta to olive oil in sauté pan

Add crème fraiche (cream or panna) and a little pasta water and cook to warm

Add parm.

Taste seasoning

Plate and top w/ guanciale/pancetta, garlic and sage mixture

[ipsedixit]

Saute some crushed garlic in EVOO in a saucepan until garlic is golden brown. Remove saucepan from heat source, add chopped parsely , toss in cooked pasta and a spoonful of pasta water. Toss and garnish with parsely and sea salt. Serve immediately.

[eight_inch_pestle]

It's not red, but is it pink...Marcella Hazan's Shrimp with Pink Cream Sauce was the first dish I made when I got my pasta roller.

[MMRuth]

I'll have to look up that recipe - sounds delicious. I've not made pasta, but next time I go up to Arthur Avenue I'm going to buy some fresh pasta at Borgatti's at make this sauce.

[lexpatti]

yum, that's my kind of dish - thank you. I'll report back

[eight_inch_pestle]

Please do! And let me know if you can't track it down.

[MMRuth]

I made this sauce last night - just wonderful. I used a pound of shrimp though, and 1/2 a pound of pasta, and, well, we ate most of it! I didn't get around to getting fresh pasta, so used dried orecchiette, which is a shape that, for whatever reason, I find is a good subsitute. It seems to catch creamy sauces well.

[c oliver]

Thanks for reporting back on that. I just found out yesterday that my allergy test for shrimp, crab and lobster was negative! So I'm really ready for shrimp. And I have some orecchiette hanging around. Sounds perfect.

[morwen]

This isn't light either but definitely simple and sooo good, especially in cold weather. It calls for slab bacon or pancetta but I usually use thick sliced bacon with fine results.

Pasta Carbonara

Ingredients
4 ounces slab bacon or pancetta, diced in 1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 extra large eggs
1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound pasta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Cook bacon or pancetta in oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat until golden brown and most of the fat has been rendered, about 8 to 10 minutes, then remove skillet from heat.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, parsley, salt, and red pepper flakes until combined.
4. Add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
5. Add hot pasta to bacon mixture in skillet and toss well over medium-low heat until pasta is coated. Add egg mixture and a little of the cooking water; toss gently until spaghetti looks creamy. Add cheese and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

[lexpatti]

thank you, awesome!

[MMRuth]

Do you prefer using fresh pasta to dried with this sauce? I've never tried it.

[morwen]

I've used both. When I use fresh pasta for carbonara I roll it a little thicker than usual, no lower than 3 on my machine. Can't say that I prefer one over the other although the last time I did it with fresh I had mixed crumbled dried sage into the flour before mixing in the eggs. That was awesome! We love sage in this house!

[c oliver]

I've used homemade pasta with Hazan's Carbonara. As you know, the Hazan recipe has some different ingredients and techniques than the one above but I'm bettin' it's still really good.

[rainey]

I agree with you that with fresh pasta you want to not overwhelm it so you can enjoy the flavor and texture that are so wonderful. Possibly not as light as you were hoping -- but you don't need much! -- is a simple browned butter with fresh sage leaves. Let the sage warm in the lightly browned butter. Toss in the hot pasta. Sprinkle on some Parm and youre good to go.

[lexpatti]

yummm!! thanks. I'm going to play with some roasted or sauteed mushrooms one of these next times.

[rainey]

I forgot to add that I sprinkle pine nuts on as a garnish too.

[MMRuth]

I like to both crisp up some sage leaves in the butter, and then add some chopped fresh (uncooked) leaves as well. Brown butter with rosemary is also delicious.