Here are some Italian pasta side dish recipes to share with you. Also, the satisfaction of eating your homemade pasta is priceless. In addition these pasta recipes require only a few simple ingredients: flour, egg, olive oil, and salt. Additionally, pasta is one of the most desirable comfort foods.
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Homemade pasta is a form of artwork. Additionally making the dough into the desired shapes is fun and can be shared with the entire family. When my kids were small, it was an activity we shared, an art they learned that they can share these pasta dishes with their families.
Italian pasta side dishes:
Orecchiette con Pomodoro e Pecorino
Orecchiette con pomodoro e pecorino is a great side dish. Hailed from Puglia Italy this is a unique shape of pasta combined with a cherry tomato sauce. Orecchiette means “small ears” in Italian. It resembles the shape of pasta.
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There is no special equipment needed. You may want to use a pasta machine, but it’s not necessary. Therefore we prefer the old-school method of rolling out the pasta with a wooden rolling pin.
The beauty of this art is the versatility of the ingredients. If you want to make egg pasta, simply use more eggs. Also to make your pasta more delicate, roll it out thinner. There are also different types of flour to experiment with. Recently, the transformation into “gluten-free” may be desirable. For this requirement, gluten-free flour is available.
Lets not forget the cheesy garlic bread to add to your Italian pasta side dish:
- Start with your favorite baguette of bread and slice it into 1/2 to 3/4-inch slices.
- In a ramekin fill with fresh garlic cloves and enough olive oil to cover the fresh garlic.
- Roast at 300 F until the garlic becomes a golden color, and is soft enough to spread on your bread.
- With a fork mash the garlic to create a paste.
- Spread the garlic/oil mixture on the bread
- Now here is the creative part: sprinkle your favorite cheese on your creation. Parmesan, Pecorino, Asiago, or Gruyere are some great options.
- Season with your favorite fresh herbs. Be creative “Cooking is art”
- Toast at 400F until the cheese is browned, and the bread is crunchy
Variations:
If you like to add vegetables like sun-dried tomatoes or spinach can be added to your flour. In addition to adding flavor, it also changes the color of your pasta. Subsequently enhancing the presentation of your dish. We also added fresh herbs to flavor our pasta. My Nonna occasionally added a little fresh basil to her pasta to add a little flavor.
Other alternatives are the sauces you pair with your delicious noodles. The question is, do you want a type of creamy cheese sauce, white sauce pasta or maybe a tomato-based sauce? One of my favorites is simply brown butter sauce with a little sage.
Remember, “Cooking is artwork”. Whatever form of pasta you are making, you are creating art.
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