Homemade Tagliatelle With Tomatoes and Spicy Italian Sausage

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the pasta dough:

2 cups/275 g OO flour or all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
3 large egg yolks
2 large whole eggs
1 tablespoon/15 ml extra virgin olive oil

For the pasta sauce:

2 tablespoons/30 ml olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup/100 ml dry white wine
6 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds/600 g), coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound/455 g spicy Italian sausages, casings removed, meat broken into bite size pieces
1 pound/455 g very thin asparagus, trimmed
¼ cup/5 g coarsely chopped fresh Italian parley

Method:

To make the pasta dough:

Place the flour in a large mixing bowl and form a well in the center of the flour. Place the egg yolks, eggs and olive oil in the center of the well. Using a fork, whisk the eggs and oil to blend.

Gradually whisk the flour into the egg mixture until a thick batter forms. Using your hands, gradually mix in enough of the remaining flour to form a shaggy dough. Do not incorporate any hardened bits of flour into the dough.

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead until the dough is smooth and semi-soft. Wrap the dough in plastic and rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

To cut the pasta dough:

Cut the dough into 2 pieces. Work with one piece at a time. Dust each piece with the flour and flatten with your hand into a rectangle. Run the dough through the widest setting of the pasta maker. Fold into thirds and repeat the rolling and folding about 3 times, dusting the folded dough piece with flour as needed before running it through the machine each time.  This helps knead the dough and make it more elastic.

Reduce the space between the rollers one setting at a time until reaching the last setting on the pasta maker.  The dough will be about 1 to 2 mm thick. Dust the sheet of dough generously with flour. Cut the sheet of dough crosswise in half to make it easier to handle.

Place the tagliatelle or fettuccini attachment on the pasta machine. Lightly dust the rollers of the attachment with flour to prevent the dough from sticking.  Roll the sheets of dough through the attachment to cut 1/4-inch-/6-mm-wide strips. Dust 2 clothes hangers with flour and hang the pasta on the hangers to dry.

To prepare the pasta sauce:

Heat the oil in a heavy large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute or until tender. Add the white wine and simmer for about 3 minutes or until reduced by about half.

Stir in the tomatoes and sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon of salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Decrease the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer gently for about 45 minutes or until a chunky sauce forms, stirring occasionally and smashing tomatoes.

Add the sausage pieces and cook for 7 minutes. Add the asparagus spears and cook for about 5 minutes longer or until crisp-tender. Stir in the parsley. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

To cook the pasta and serve:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 2 to 5 minutes depending on the thickness of pasta or until the pasta is al dente. Using a pronged pasta spoon, remove the pasta from the water, allowing the water to drip back into the pot.

Place the pasta in the tomato sauce, and toss to combine. Season the pasta to taste with salt and pepper. Twist the pasta around a roasting fork and place it onto the serving plates.  Spoon the sausage and asparagus around the pasta and serve.