pasta date night!!!!

Last Friday we hosted a wonderful pasta making date night...we made new friends and enjoyed everyone's company.  Take a look:

Here's some delicious recipes you can try at home:

Homemade Pasta: 

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups semolina flour
• 1 pinch salt

• 6 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Thoroughly sift together all-purpose flour, semolina flour, and pinch of salt. On a clean surface, make a mountain out of flour mixture then make a deep well in center. Break the eggs into the well and add olive oil. Whisk eggs very gently with a fork, gradually incorporating flour from the sides of the well. When mixture becomes too thick to mix with a fork, begin kneading with your hands.
2. Knead dough for 8 to 12 minutes, until it is smooth and supple. Dust dough and work surface with semolina as needed to keep dough from becoming sticky. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. Roll out dough with a pasta machine or a rolling pin to desired thickness. Cut into your favorite style of noodle or stuff with your favorite filling to make ravioli. Bring water to a boil in a large pot, then add 4 teaspoons salt. Cook pasta until tender but not mushy, 1 to 8 minutes depending on thickness. Drain immediately and toss with your favorite sauce.

Homemade meatballs:

Ingredients:

1/3 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup diced yellow onion

1 clove,garlic

1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley

1/4 cup fresh basil

1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 pound ground pork

1/3 Italian bread crumbs

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

2 eggs

1/4 cup olive oil

marinara sauce

Place the chicken stock, onion, garlic, parsley, basil in a food processor and puree. 

 In large bowl, combine, pureed mixture, meat bread crumbs, egg and Parmesan, 

Form mixture into balls.

put oil in frying pan and brown balls on all sides.

finish in oven for 20 minutes.  Let simmer in marinara sauce up to an hour or all day. 

Marinara Sauce recipe: 

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 small onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

2 dried bay leaves

In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)

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