Mother’s Day is a day to show that special lady in your life just how special she really is by making a beautiful Rainbow Carrot Tortellini! What says “I love you” more fulsomely than fresh homemade pasta? Making fresh pasta is a true labor of love that yields great rewards.
How to Use These Recipes in Other Ways
If you want to skip a few steps, purchase fresh ravioli or tortellini from a local store and focus on stirring up a lovely Herby Brown Butter Sauce. Plated with fresh dill, lemon zest, fennel pollen, dabs of fresh goat cheese, and shaved parmesan, your pasta will shine like the love you’re trying to express. You can also use Herby Brown Butter to spruce up any pasta, sauteed, or roasted vegetable. Or you can cook up these gorgeous, rainbow carrot shaped gems from scratch and wow your friends and family.
Basic Pasta Dough Recipe
Basic Pasta Dough Ingredients
- 350g ‘00’ Flour (or All-Purpose can work)
- 200g Eggs (room temperature) (3 or 4 eggs + 2 extra yolks)
Pasta Dough Instructions
- Make a well in the flour, and add eggs.
- With a fork, mix eggs together, then start slowly incorporating the flour. Take your time.
- Keep adding until you get a shaggy ball and can start kneading it.
- Knead for 10-15 minutes until smooth ball and flour/egg are thoroughly mixed.
- If it seems dry, lightly wet your hands, and continue kneading until smooth.
- Cover in a bowl or with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour before rolling out and shaping.
- To color dough naturally, you can use vegetable powders and purees.
- For rainbow carrots, use pureed beets for purple, tomato paste for orange, and spinach puree for green. Substitute 35-50g of the egg for the purees if coloring the pasta.
Rainbow Carrot Filling Recipe
Carrot Filling Ingredients
- 600g roasted or sauteed carrots (dice before cooking)
- 10 oz ricotta
- 20g finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 4 oz chevre or goat cheese
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1/2 tbsp chopped dill (can use more to your liking)
- Splash lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Filling Instructions
- After roasting the carrots until soft, puree them until they have a smooth consistency.
- Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl, add carrot puree, and fold until well mixed.
- Avoid over-mixing so your filling doesn’t become too soft.
- You can use this filling for any stuffed pasta.
Herby Brown Butter Sauce Recipe
Herby Brown Butter Sauce Ingredients
- 2 servings (double for more servings)
- 10 oz filled pasta
- 4 tbsp butter
- Reserve 4 tbsp pasta water
- A heaping handful of parsley (or any fresh herb you prefer)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- Salt & Pepper
Brown Butter Sauce Instructions
- Add butter to the frying pan over med-high heat when the pasta water is coming to a boil.
- As the butter starts to melt, swirl & stir often.
- The browning process happens rather quickly, so keep a close eye.
- Once the butter starts to bubble, add a few turns of fresh cracked pepper. (this step is optional)
- The butter will start to darken, and the most lovely nutty smell will begin to fill the air. This is when you know it is about done. Remove from heat and set aside; add the pasta directly to this pan.
- Once the pasta is cooked, set aside your pasta water.
- Place pan with butter back over medium heat and add pasta with a slotted spoon directly into butter. Also, add 2 tbsp of reserved pasta water as well. Bring to a light boil for a few minutes and gently stir. The sauce will start to thicken.
- Add herbs, cook another two minutes, and remove from heat.
- Stir in some of the leftover pasta water until desired consistency. About a tablespoon should do. Also, add about ½ tbsp of the lemon zest at this point—season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Top finished pasta with fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, fresh herbs, and more lemon zest.
Traditional Wine Recommendation
Sancerre
Experimental Pairing
Bandol Rose
Story and Recipe by Nina Gleason / Photography by Dave Bryce / Wine Pairing by Camila Alarcon Cordon
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