CookEat Recipe
Green Tagliatelle with Butter and Parmesan
Long spinach and egg pasta ribbons, simply dressed with butter and Parmesan, with three traditional sauce alternatives.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 2 eggs; 1 tightly squeezed handful cooked spinach, about 75 g after cooking and squeezing; About 250 g plain flour, with extra as needed for the dough and rolling; 50 g butter; 50 g grated Parmesan; Salt for the pasta water.
Step 2
Cook fresh spinach briefly in boiling water until wilted, drain, cool and squeeze very thoroughly. Finely chop a handful, about 75 g after squeezing. Mix with the two eggs and enough flour to make a firm dough, starting with 250 g and adjusting for the moisture in the spinach and egg size. Knead until smooth.
Step 3
Cover and rest about 20 minutes. Roll thinly, about 1 mm, dusting lightly with flour when the spinach makes the surface tacky. Let the sheet firm only briefly on a clean lightly floured cloth, then cut long ribbons about 6–8 mm wide. Keep the ribbons long; cook promptly or refrigerate rather than drying for hours at room temperature.
Step 4
Cook in boiling salted water until just tender, about 2–4 minutes depending on thickness. Drain well, reserving a little cooking water. Toss with the melted butter and Parmesan, loosening with a spoonful of cooking water if needed, and serve immediately.
Step 5
For the rustica sauce instead of the butter dressing, gently cook 2 finely chopped garlic cloves and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add 6–7 chopped ripe tomatoes as soon as the garlic begins to colour, plus salt, pepper and a little basil if desired. Simmer until the tomatoes collapse, about 20–25 minutes, then press through a sieve. Toss the drained green pasta with the juicy sauce and about 40 g Parmesan and serve immediately.
Step 6
For the Bolognese sauce instead, dice 150 g lean veal small and finely chop 50 g pancetta, quarter of an onion, half a carrot and two palm-length celery pieces. Cook them together in 40 g butter until the meat colours. Stir in a very small pinch of flour, about half a teaspoon, and gradually add about 300 ml broth. Simmer gently until the meat is fully cooked and tender, about 45–60 minutes, keeping enough liquid for a loose sauce. Check at least 71°C in the meat. Season cautiously with salt, pepper and optional nutmeg, then dress the pasta with this sauce and about 40 g Parmesan. Allow extra cooking time.
Step 7
The Bolognese sauce can also include about 5 g soaked, rinsed and chopped dried edible mushrooms cooked with the meat; a few slices of food-grade truffle; or one cleaned chicken liver cooked in the sauce to 74°C and cut into small pieces. Optionally stir in about 100 ml cream at the end and heat through. These additions are alternatives, not requirements for the plain butter version.
Step 8
For the prosciutto sauce instead, dice 120 g fat-and-lean prosciutto and finely chop carrot and celery in a combined volume about equal to the ham. Cook all three in 40 g butter until beginning to colour, then add 100 ml passata, or 1 tablespoon tomato paste plus 125 ml broth or water. Simmer until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is juicy, about 10–15 minutes. Toss with the drained pasta and about 40 g Parmesan. The source sausage variation replaces the prosciutto with 120 g crumbled fresh pork sausage, cooked to 71°C; half the butter may be reserved and stirred in off the heat.
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