A frseh tomato pasta recipe that’s a perfect match for Italian wine
Fresh and umami rich, this classic wine bar pasta is a perfect fit for both red or white wines
Enrico Tomelleri is head chef at Paski wine bar and restaurant in Sydney’s Darlinghurst. Here, he shares his most popular dish, made with fresh pasta if possible. It’s perfect paired with Italian wine.
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Spaghetti al pomodoro fresco
Ingredients
For the spaghetti
- 800g tipo 00 flour
- 200g semolina flour
- 550g whole eggs (about 10 large eggs)
For the sauce
- 2kg ripe Roma tomatoes
- 5 shallots
- 3 cloves garlic
- 200g tomato paste
- 1 bunch basil
- 500g cherry tomatoes
- 100g grated Parmigiano reggiano
Method
- To make the fresh spaghetti, you need a cutter attachment for your mixer or pasta machine. If you don’t have it, just buy some good-quality pasta from your favourite store.
- To begin, place the flours in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the eggs, beaten, and bring together, kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll the dough out until slightly flattened and then roll it through the widest setting on your pasta machine. Fold the dough in, like a parcel, on all sides so it forms a uniform square shape. This will help strengthen the dough. Dust the dough with some flour to stop it sticking to the machine, and then pass the dough through the machine again. Turn the thickness setting on the machine down one notch, and then pass the dough through again. Repeat this process until the dough is 3mm thick. Cut the dough around 30cm long and pass through the cutter. Dust the spaghetti with semolina and roll them into 100g nests.
- For the sauce, take a large pan of water and bring to the boil; plunge the Roma tomatoes into the pan and blanch for 15-20 seconds, until you see some cracks on the tomato skin. Using a slotted spoon, remove the tomatoes and put them in iced water immediately to cool them down and stop cooking. Peel the tomatoes, cut them in quarters, remove the seeds and cut in 1cm dice.
- Chop the shallots and the garlic, put some olive oil in a pan and when hot add them both. Sweat them over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes until they gain a golden colour. Add the tomatoes and a teaspoon of salt, cover the pan with a lid, bring the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. At this point add the tomato paste, half a teaspoon of sugar and most of the basil. Cook at low for another 30 minutes, then season well.
- As this is cooking, blanch and peel the cherry tomatoes in the same way you prepared the Roma tomatoes. Lay them on a tray with baking paper, season with salt, pepper and olive oil, and cook in the oven at 100C for about 40 minutes.
- Cook the pasta in salty boiling water for about 3 minutes. When ready, transfer to the pan with hot tomato sauce. Add a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and some reserved basil, and toss over a medium heat until the consistency is right – not too wet, not too soupy. Serve to plates and add some of the cherry tomatoes on top and some grated Parmigiano reggiano. You can add chilli powder as well. Serves 4