Homemade Pasta with Alfredo sauce and the summer of 85′

I’m not gona lie, I partied pretty hard back in the day.  (Don’t worry my kids never read my blog, way beneath them) The summer of 1985 was somehow the pinnacle.    That was the summer to end all summers.  In fact, in the fall I moved to New York City and my life as I knew it would never be the same.    You could catch us dancing until all hours of the night or driving to Palm Springs for the odd weekend soiree.  Living in Newport Beach was unforgettable growing up.  During these times we would get our tan on during the day and then make pasta by night!  We’d host massive dinner parties at Robyn’s house with homemade Fettuccine Alfredo as our signature dish.  Lucky for us, cell phones and connecting at a moments notice was unheard of.  If that were the case we would have had some big problems, and we did from time to time.  We would invite maybe 12-15 people for dinner but word would get out and by the end of the night we could have 50 to 75 hanging around.  No worries, we always had plenty of pasta at the ready.  Check out the almost mullet hair style on Robyn and myself!  I might possibly get killed before my next post ’cause I never told Kitty or Robyn that I was using these photos or writing this and they do read the blog…………….just in case I’ll say goodbye and it’s been great!

Enough of that, let’s get to the homemade pasta!  I have no idea where Kitty got the recipe for the pasta and alfredo sauce but it is amazingly wonderful and easy. The homemade pasta soaks up the sauce to make it so tender.  The pinch of nutmeg is also a genius touch. When she first wanted to teach us I thought it would  be so much easier to just buy the pasta!  After making it one time I realized, first off it was fun to make, second it was super cheap to buy the ingredients, and the end result was impressive, and it was fairly easy.   Having said all that, what I enjoyed most was the time spent in the kitchen together.  The three of us totally trashing the kitchen and sipping a little wine as we plotted the course for the evening events.  Which boy did we want to be paired with, what were we going to wear, who was going to bring someone who wasn’t invited.  During these years I never considered myself a cook.  I was a baker, so when the dinners came off without a hitch I was always so surprised and secretly proud.

As if you didn’t know, this is really a post about good old friendship and a super easy tasteful dish to make with anyone.

This is the fettuccine setting above. When you are sending the dough through the press I go all the way to #5. I prefer my pasta on the thinner side.

INGREDIENTS FOR PASTA

makes 4- servings

ALFREDO SAUCE INGREDIENTS

 TO PREPARE THE DOUGH

1. In a small bowl, add flour and egg and mix with a fork until the egg disappears.

1. Place the dough and the extra flour on a cutting board.
2. Knead with the palm of your hand until all the flour has been incorporated. If the dough is sticky, you may need to add a bit more flour (a little at a time) to reach the desired consistency. Be careful not to add too much flour so that the pasta dough becomes dry.
3. Continue to knead the dough until it springs back when poked with a finger. Now the dough needs a “nap”. Wrap the dough ball in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator from 1 to up to 24 hours.

ROLLING AND CUTTING THE PASTA

1.  If you do not have a pasta machine, a rolling-pin works just fine here. divide the dough ball into quarters and place the quarters, 1 at a time, on a well floured board or countertop. Keep the unused dough as thin as possible (it will thicken when cooked).
2. Using a sharp knife, cut the pasta into long strips, about 1/4 inch wide. After cutting, toss the strips of pasta lightly with flour to prevent sticking.
3. If you are using a pasta machine, send the quartered balls through the numbered rollers to make thin sheets all the way to #5.
4. Then send the sheets of pasta through the fettuccine rollers. After cutting, toss the strips of pasta lightly with flour to prevent sticking.
5. You can let them air dry for up to one hour before you cook them otherwise you need to storage the pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

TO COOK AND SERVE

1.  Heat a big pot of water on high until it is boiling.
2. While you are waiting for the water to heat up you’ll make the sauce.
3. In a small pan on medium, heat the butter and whipping cream.
4. Keep stirring and don’t let it burn.
5. Once incorporated turn down the heat to low.
6. The water for the  pasta should be ready.
7. Add the pasta and cook until done.
8. With fresh pasta it only takes a couple of minutes.
9. Drain and place in a big bowl.
10. Immediately add the sauce and mix well.
11. Add the parmesan cheese and mix.
12. Add a sprinkling of nutmeg to garnish.
13. It is ready to serve.