Friday, March 16, 2007

Bi Colored Pasta

Does bi colore mean two colors in English? I don't know much Italian, any help is really very appreciated. Ok, back to this pasta, about the how-tos I'll explain in the bottom of my post. The yellow part is just a regular pasta while the red is beetroot's. I don't recommend using tomato as its color will wash out quite a bit after cooked. Taste-wise (dough itself), the beetroot taste isn't that noticeable, I'm very glad, not because I hate beetroot; if there's any prominant taste in pasta somehow I feel being restricted by only going for certain filling or sauce, now it leaves me no boundary.

Few years ago I saw Martha Steward shaped a candy out of a piece of pasta sheet, wouldn't it be more theme-relevant if going for a sweet filling as well? So I combined her idea with this recipe - Cialzons alla frutta (prune- and fig- filled ravioli with cinnamon-scented butter) from the book In Nonna's Kitchen. This pasta is common in Friuli, north eastern part of Italy. The book said while the choice of filling is vary from family to family, the one thing that remains constant is the filling's sweet flavor. The taste comes from the time when spice merchants called Cramars brought spices from Venice across the Carnia mountains as they made their way to Austria and Germany. The people of the area were much too poor to afford expensive spices, but they could exchange their panoply of homemade cheeses and prosciutti for some of those spices, and then invent pastas as enticing as these (extracted from In Nonna's Kitchen).` Isn't it beautiful?

So in the photo, upper left, is my version of cialzon alla frutta, instead of topped with smoked cheese as suggested, I used toasted nut and chocolate. Please note this sweet pasta is definitely a first course. It still takes me a while to get use to this idea. So at the same time, I finished up the rest of pasta dough by making two-cheese ravioli, which is on the upper right.

After I seen Martha using a manufacturer's colored pasta sheet (which consisted of three colors... as I recalled), I figured out my way to make it in a home kitchen. So far it has been tested three times, if you have tried it, or have a better idea, kindly let me know, thank you!

You will need:

  • one regular pasta dough (I used the 1st recipe)
  • and one more pasta dough, but replace the water with beetroot juice. To make the juice, I (coarsely) puree two small beetroots with 2 (or more) cups of water, pass the juice through a sieve.

Directions:

  • For Method A, it's a bit time consuming, but the outcome is better, best for small size stuff-pasta. Roll small logs of dough, stick them together by egg yolk. Here you get one basic portion.
  • For Method B, it works faster, the outcome is nice but not as good as A's, best for lasagna sheet. After you finish making the dough, shape it a big tall square block, slice them. Glue the slices (alternate color) with egg yolk, then slice the width-wise, here you get one basic portion. Keep slicing you get more.
  • Either method A or B, you have to flatten the dough with roller pin prior working with the pasta machine.
  • Pass the dough through the machine until you get your desired thickness. For stuff-pasta, I prefer the thinnest or second-last. Trim off the both ends before use.

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36 comments:

Anh said...

Gattina, this looks awesome! I have always wondered how you made the candy pasta, and here it is the clear instruction! Thanks pal!

Ilva said...

so beautiful! Brava!

Lis said...

Gattina? Will you marry me? :D

Brilynn said...

That's beautiful!
I was just recently looking through your achives and saw the last time you made the multi coloured pasta and was so impressed, not that you've added a sweet filling I'm even more impressed!

Mishmash ! said...

Gattinaaaa, that looks like a neatly wrapped candy to me!! and look at the way u arranged those two mint leaves as ribbons...so cute ! btw, when u publish a book with all ur brilliant photos, pls sign one for me :) Looks like a time consuming one,appreciate u for all that effort and patience.Very good Job!

Shn

Edith said...

Brilliant! such interesting idea.

Katie said...

How pretty!
And you have made it look so easy. I think I'd like spinach pasta - white and greent stripes...
Not as pretty ....

Callipygia said...

Wow truly wondrous! I never thought of sweet stuffed pasta either. What do you think about them baked or fried and with a ricotta, candied peel, chocolate filling, like cannoli? Probably not nearly as pretty!

Kt said...

That's beautiful! I only recently discovered your blog, and I'm loving it. :)

Patricia Scarpin said...

Gattina, you are amazing! Look at this pasta!! It's so beautiful! And the candy shaped pasta looks terrific, I have never seen something like that!

Alpineberry Mary said...

Absolutely beautiful! I love the vibrant colors.

Anonymous said...

That is simply stunning. What a great idea! I plan on buying a pasta machine very soon and I definitely want to try this.

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

Ah, I've always wondered how to make the striped pasta. So nice with the beet color/flavor. Great photos of your pasta-making technique, too. I will definitely get my pasta machine out of storage for this one.

Bong Mom said...

Gattina..You Rock !!! You should be on TV or something for your ingenuity

Anonymous said...

Wow!!!!! Awesome colourful pasta to relish.

Unknown said...

Gattina, this is the 2nd time I'm seeing your bi-colored pasta, and I'm impressed :) This is very very pretty.

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

Gattina you just amaze me! This is so beautiful! I loved my pasta making, enjoyed with friends. You raise it to an art! I am more than impressed with your skill and creativity. Brava is right!

Susan from Food Blogga said...

This is my kind of candy! As usual, your recipe is innovative and delicious.

Anonymous said...

Gattina, ok, I want to be your neighbour as well as karaoke partner as well.... so beautiful your pasta.

h

Ari (Baking and Books) said...

This is so cool, the pasta looks like a piece of candy!

Ari (Baking and Books)

Anonymous said...

I NEED a pasta maker! This looks fantastic, what a great idea to turn an ordinary dish into something that looks so amazing! Of course, not that anything you make looks ordinary :P

Mandira said...

Gattina, this looks awesome. Fabulous, I wish I lived closer to you, I would have dropped by ;)

Anonymous said...

Your pastas are always so fantastic! This ones a beauty :) And the pasta with the sweet filling sounds really good!

Anonymous said...

Fantastic Gattina! This 'pasta bicolore' is perfect and very beautiful. Bravissima

FH said...

So very creative Gattina! Kids would flip for these pasta.So colorful!!!

Helene said...

Brava! Magnifique! I am just dreaming everytime I come here. Gorgeous!

Anonymous said...

That is visually stunning...that would be a show-stopper for company!

Passionate Eater said...

Stunning pasta! What an innovative idea! And I just spent a few hours on your blog and am dying of hunger now! You make scallion pancakes just like my mom, and I sent her the link to your site. She wrote back and told me that they look better than how she makes them! Thanks for your inspiration!

J said...

Wow Gattina, that looked like candies!! Your creations are beautiful! May be you should publish a book of your creations! :)

Peabody said...

Seriously, you are the pasta making queen and I bow down to you.

Anonymous said...

your pasta looks so nice... great job! Your are very good in making pasta. I showed this post to my colleagues here in Sweden and everybody said: "WOW!"
Ciao.

Anonymous said...

Yes. "bicolore" means "due colori", which means "two colors".
Ciao.

Burcu said...

Gattina, you never stop amazing me! The things you do with dough is incredible. You must be a really patient person.

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous, Gattina! Absolutely gorgeous!!!

Mae

Anonymous said...

That looks wonderful! How creative & innovative you are!

Blather From Brooklyn

Chime said...

I did it! all thanks to you! I made mine with green stripes (spinach)

They look amazing! Thank you so much!