Farfalle, Avocado, Pesto, and the endless combinations

Our friend Sarah was probably the most faithful attendee to our college dinner parties. A proud devotee of the bay-area lifestyle, Sarah exudes a love of long outdoor jogs and fresh California vegetables. Her reverence for avocados borders on worship. To satisfy our best customer's yen for avocado (and also to utilize the ingredients that she so generously supplied) we developed this variation on pasta salad. Like Sarah, it is healthy, satisfying, infinitely variable, and can be adapted to formal and informal contexts alike.

The fundamental elements of this dish are pasta, avocado, and pesto. Use a small pasta - farfalle is best, but penne or rigatoni will work - to match the other ingredients in size.When it has been cooked and drained, toss it liberally with pesto. Pesto provides plenty of oil and salt here, so taste before adding more of either. Finally, chop the avocado in chunks about half the size of a farfalla and stir them vigorously in to the pasta while it is still warm. The heat from the pasta will soften the avocado so that as you mix the dish becomes creamy (without ever adding actual cream!). This is healthy-food substitution magic!

In addition to these three elements, there are countless exciting additions that add pizzazz to the dish and tailor it to the particular occasion (kind of like Sarah adding accessories to her outfits). Asparagus spears can be chopped into 3-inch sections, then blanched for no more than 2 minutes in a saucepan of boiling water and thrown into the mix. The crispiness of appropriately cooked asparagus contrasts perfectly with the softness of avocado and adds a fresh flair. It is perfect for Springtime picnics or lunches on the patio.

I believe strongly in balancing the color of a dish. If you look at it an feel a hue is missing, a flavor is probably missing as well. With that in mind, I like to add warm-colored vegetables to this dish. Sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and chili flakes all go well with the otherwise soft-toned palate.

Speaking of warm hues, this should definitely be served with red wine. We were pleased with the Neprica that we served with it, and also had success with a red zinfandel.

Depending on the amount and potency of the cheese in your pesto, additional cheese can be added as a topping. Like the avocado, this will melt into the warm pasta when stirred, adding to the overall creaminess of each bite.

This pasta shines best at a casual lunch, and is a go-to for potlucks or garden parties. It is great to prepare on steamy summer days because it requires very little cooking, so your kitchen will not turn in to a sauna - your guests will appreciate this! Because of its unrefined appearance this should not be the centerpiece of anything formal, but can certainly serve as the main course for a dinner among friends. This is a vegetable dish that does not feel like it is lacking meat, so vegetarians and carnivores can enjoy it together. If your diet-conscious friends are resistant to eating pasta, remind them that there is very little fat besides the natural omegas from the avocado, while all those vegetables are packed with nutrients!

Serve in a bowl. If you find the dish lacking in kick, sautee chopped garlic in olive oil and pour some over each bowl. Refill many times. Refresh your palate with a sip of wine after every bite.

Pasta for Dessert?

If pasta is the ultimate entree, and if stuffed pasta is slightly more impressive, can the same basic ingredients be used to stun and surprise? The answer is a resounding yes. “Pasta” in Italian refers to meals in general and dough more specifically; “fare la pasta” may simply mean to eat, while “pasta frolla” is a pastry dough for tarts. The concept of pasta need not be restricted to savory entrees. The sweet variation shown below is bound to wow diners for its innovation, its delectable flavor, and its elegant presentation. 

The technique here is much the same as for traditional pasta, except that sugar and cocoa powder are substituted for about ¼ of the flour (so if you would have a total of 2 cups, use 1 ½  cups flour, ¼ cup sugar, and ¼ cup cocoa. The cocoa will change the texture - expect to knead the dough longer and add more oil throughout the kneading process.

Cocoa also clumps more than normal flour does. Spend a little more time whipping the eggs into the dry ingredients, making sure the texture is smooth and elastic.

In the example photographed below I used a ricotta filling, just as one would for savory ravioli, adding one egg for 2 cups of ricotta and 6 ounces of white chocolate. Melt the chocolate until it is liquid throughout and let it cool for about a minute. In the meantime, whip the egg into the ricotta. Then gradually pour the white chocolate into the filling, stirring quickly to combine as it cools.

Because the pasta is heavy, we recommend serving this at the end of a light meal. In winter, hot coffee or a delicately flavored tea makes a good accompaniment; in summer, serve a sweet wine such as Vin Santo (be careful to choose a variety that is not overpowering, as the chocolate flavors are delicate).

It is best to boil these immediately before serving (this will only take 2-3 minutes) and eat them while still warm.

These make great individual-sized desserts. Many diners are reluctant to eat a large plate of dessert, but these tiny morsels will disarm even the most resistant. Serve on dessert plates, one per diner, emphasizing that each small portion is a centerpiece on its own. I think they benefit from a little sauce - simply light cream suffices. White or red plates to contrast with the dark dough; circular dishes will mirror the pool of cream nicely.

Stuffed Pasta (Or, how to impress for just a little bit more)

Earlier we explained why pasta is a great, low-cost entree for a large dinner party, guaranteed to please and simple enough to prepare by hand. What if you want to take it up a notch, though? For a slightly more impressive meal, stuffed pastas make a striking centerpiece. They remain low-cost (depending on the filling one selects), and once again are palatable to even the pickiest eaters.

Before embarking on a pasta-stuffing voyage, do consider time: once you’ve got the dough assembled plan to spend at least a minute on each individual tortellino, raviolo, or capelletto. That doesn’t sound like much until you calculate, say, six ravioli a piece for ten guests - you’re spending an hour on assembly! In terms of hosting, then you have two options:

1. Prepare in advance and set them aside before cooking. This is the best approach for a formal dinner, or for an event that will require you to interact with guests before the meal (shaking hands is awkward when you’re covered in flour). Then, escape for a mere three minutes, throw them in the boiling water, and voila!

2. Make it a pasta-stuffing party: if it’s an informal affair and your guests are fun-loving types, it will be so much fun to prepare the dinner as a group. We certainly found this to be true when cooking for our friends at Tulane: leading the busy, glamorous lives that we did (haha), we inevitably ran late while preparing meals; the more punctual guests might arrive before we’d even started! Asking them to help in the kitchen sped up the process, while also distracting them from their rumbling stomachs. While the maxim “too many cooks spoil the stew” is certainly worth remembering, the assembly-line nature of pasta stuffing benefits from as many sets of (competent) hands as possible. Chances are your guests will feel very proud to have participated, adding to the overall satisfaction of the evening.

We both agree that the shape of a pasta determines the nature of the dining experience it produces. The ways in which the dough is folded and stuffed are almost as numerous as those in which it may be cut.

As a casual diner, you could amuse yourself for hours experimenting with all the possible shapes. When hosting, however, given that the presentation can transform a commonplace meal to into an unforgettable one, it’s worth devoting some thought to form. Here are a few shortcuts for deciding on a shape:

1. What will your guests be wearing? It would be embarrassing (and potentially inflammatory!) to invite your boss over for dinner, only to have ricotta cheese explode on his Rolex. Larger pastas, such as ravioli or agnolotti, are more likely to burst and become messy. They are also more awkward to transport to the mouth in bite-sized pieces. Tiny tortellini or capelletti, which have much less filling and are often already bite-sized, facilitate a composed, formal meal. Larger pastas can certainly be elegant when presented correctly, so if you do opt for this route when hosting a formal dinner at least make sure each diner is equipped with a sharp knife and a lap napkin.

2. What kind of filling will you use? Possibilities abound, but many of the most exciting flavors carry with them unmanageable texture. Consider ravioli di pesce - while flaky white fish in a buttery lemon sauce make a scrumptious filling, this is difficult to fold into tiny tortellini, or any other more twisted form. Smaller pastas can be stuffed with certain very finely ground meats, but in general these are better showcased in the central pouch of ravioli or agnolotti. Conversely, a simple cheese-based filling may really shine in a tightly wrapped nugget. And stronger flavors, such as tartufo or gorgonzola, are better in dime-sized quantities.

3. What kind of sauce will you prepare? The centrality of the interaction between pasta shape and sauce is well acknowledged - in fact, that’s the inspiration for many creative forms (gnocchi, for example, have a central indentation designed to catch sauce). There is nothing more awkward than finishing one’s meal by scooping residual sauce up like soup because the pasta didn’t hold it. For thinner, slippery sauces, therefore, select a convoluted or twisted shape - the more indentations, the more opportunities to catch pockets of sauce. For a thick sauce or one with substantial texture, prepare large or simple shapes that can be cut and layered into the sauce on a fork. In the image below, for example, these large sweet potato mascarpone ravioli are more filling than dough; this soft texture contrasts well with the parmesan sauce that has melted into a crisp layer on top.

4. What shape are your dishes? This may seems arbitrary, but not if you want to wow your guests. Typically, triangular or quadrilateral pastas can be arranged most artfully in oval or circular dishes; rotund pastas contrast well with square plates; tiny tortellini fit comfortably in bowls.

Assembly is completely a matter of time. The more time you have, the easier it is to devote ample attention and care to each little fold and crease of your pasta. Consider each as a work of art deserving of all the love you would give your firstborn child (really!).

The possibilities for fillings are countless; really anything that will be firm enough to fit on a fork but soft enough to conform to the pasta’s shape will work. Here I’ve photographed a ricotta-based filling with parmesan, chopped parsley, and garlic (the last two ingredients can be sauteed for several minutes to soften their flavor).

This filling can be mixed up in minutes and due to its consistency can be piped into the pasta, a technique that helps standardize portions. Fill a ziplock bag and snip of one of the corners.

When it comes to deciding how much filling to use, less is more. This is because the edges need to be tightly sealed to avoid leakage during boiling. Begin by piping on half the amount you think is necessary; if you are able to seal that in satisfactorily try a little more on the next one.

If you plan to cook the pasta immediately, set them in a dish of ice water before boiling. This firms them up to reduce the risk of rupture while boiling. If you plan to wait a while, place them in the freezer on a dish until they are firm enough not to loose their shape; then tumble them all into a plastic bag and seal it tightly. Avoid letting your guests see you take it out of the freezer, however: even if the pasta was hand-made to begin with, a frozen meal never gives the impression of fine dining.

These cook just as quickly as other stuffed pastas, which compounds their ability to make you, the chef, shine: not only do you know how to prepare a dish that many find intimidating, you can also do so with speed! Remove them gently from the boiling water with a slotted spoon rather than pouring them into a strainer, to avoid the risk of rupturing. If it is a small enough party, we recommend arranging the pastas with deliberation on each individual’s dish. This gives you the opportunity to add that extra bit of flair - and artful drizzle of sauce, an herb sprig, a dollop of glistening butter - that makes your guests feel they are indulging in truly haute cuisine.

Ricotta Ravioli with Pistachio Sauce

Home-made Pasta (Or, How to Impress for Less)

One of the biggest challenges we encountered when hosting meals at college was cost. With education running a hefty price tag of $50,000 apiece we had minimal spending money. Frugality is the college student’s watchword. At the same time, we’ve got to live, right? How could we align cost-consciousness with our love of entertaining?

The answer is as elusively simple as the cuisine from which it derives: pasta. Containing only flour, water, and (depending on the chef) egg or oil, it’s no mystery why pasta is the foundation of Italian cooking. And, despite what Barilla advertisements would persuade you to the contrary, pasta fatta in casa does taste different - and better! - than the dried, boxed variety. Most importantly for our purposes, flour is one of the cheapest ingredients in our cabinets and water (unlike in Europe) is free! Finally, pasta is an almost universal crowd pleaser (a necessary consideration if one’s roommates don’t really care about haute cuisine).

Mixing the dough is a fantastically rustic process done without a bowl (a big bonus when entertaining, because it means fewer dishes to wash when the diners lapse into soporific post-meal complacency).

1. Begin by pouring the flour onto a clean surface, using between ¾ cup and 1 cup per diner. It is ideal to use “pasta flour,” but I’ve had success with generic white flour, and have even mixed white with whole wheat (this makes the pasta slightly heavier, so you may have to compensate with extra egg/oil, but it also adds a distinctive homemade flavor). Make a well in the center of the pile, turning your flour-mountain into a flour-valley.

2. Then, crack your eggs into this valley, using 1 egg for every ¾ cups of flour.

3. Using a fork, break the yolks and whip them into the whites. Begin slowly incorporating flour from the edges of the mound, moving the fork in a circular motion. It is important to do this gradually, only pulling in more flour after the previous portion has been fully integrated; otherwise, the dough will become gummy and difficult to mix.

This is my favorite part of making pasta, and it’s especially good when hosting because it looks impressive. After practicing once or twice on your own, whip this out during pre-dinner cocktail hour to show your guests just how “hand made” their meal is going to be.

4. Once the dough becomes too thick to mix with a fork, begin kneading it into smoothness with your hands. If you have guests, here’s a great moment for them to (wash their hands and) pitch in. Keep kneading until you get a silky texture; if that seems elusive just keep going - you will be glad you did! Mold the dough into a ball and let it rest under an inverted bowl for at least 30 minutes.

The next step is rolling out the dough. Though Italian grandmother’s might scoff, I sometimes use a pasta maker - for those of us lacking upper-body strength this makes the process much less labor-intensive. (Biggest bonus of using a pasta maker: you can clean it with just a few swipes of the sponge!)

If you need help deciding which technique to use, consider your guests: a manly man trying to showcase his strong shoulders on date night should definitely roll by hand. If the idea is to be more participatory, however, most guests can take a turn at cranking the machine without fear.

When it comes to rolling by hand, success really depends on the quality of your dough. Let your dough sit for at least 45 minutes to reach the right elasticity. Then, using a lightly floured rolling pin, work it into a flat, thin sheet, about the height of a dime (for stuffed pastas, leave it a bit thicker).

To flatten by machine, feed lumps of dough smaller than your fist into the mouth of the pasta maker, pulling them through repeatedly until they are of uniform thickness. Then cut the sheets into the desired shape - wide stripes for fettucine, thinner ones for spaghetti, rectangles for farfalle, etc - and hang it up to air-dry briefly.

Another great bonus about homemade pasta for hosting is time: once prepared it cooks in literally 1-2 minutes. This is great if your event doesn’t allow time for you to disappear into the kitchen, or if you’re sporting a designer outfit that you don’t want covered in flour (sadly, this was rarely a problem for us in college...). If your guests are complaining of hunger at this point, assign one of them as taste-tester to sample every 30 seconds until the pasta is cooked to al dente perfection.

Eat, Enjoy, Repeat!