pasta experiment two

the other night, i got the pasta out again... i had never made any for phil, and i knew he would love it. i decided to make a carbonara pasta. i had some bacon and veggies, and like i said, i just go with what's in the fridge : )

i made the same pasta dough but experimented with substituting a little whole wheat flour. i then put it through the press. i rolled it through the different settings, ending with a 5 or 6. it was as thin as i felt comfortable. as i rolled each piece, i folded it to prepare for cutting - dust with LOTS of flour. so sticky!

i cut the folded pasta dough into strips. not really sure what "shape" this is - fettucine or tagliatelle? eh. oh well. while i was cutting the dough strips, i browned some bacon i had cut into bits.

i also roasted some tomatoes. did you know i prefer just about everything roasted? broccoli, potatoes, chicken, squash, peaches... seriously. mmmm. so when i have veggies on their way out (like the cherry tomatoes i had that started out SERIOUSLY out of season), i douse them in olive oil and spices and roast at 425 or 450. for tomatoes, i use salt, pepper, oregano (dried), rosemary (either), and basil (fresh). anyway, that's another thing i wanted to use in the pasta. and when i roast tomatoes, i make extra. they're wonderful in salads, egg dishes, etc. 

i also had some swiss chard. i love swiss chard. actually, i like all greens. i tend to buy random bunches at the grocery store - it's something i usually have in the fridge. i do love them roasted (helloooo, kale chips), but for this dish i threw it in with the bacon as it was about done. just to wilt it. and turn a gorgeous deep green! i pulled out the roasted tomatoes, turned off the heat on the bacon and chard, and threw the pasta into boiling, salted water. fresh pasta cooks VERY quickly. i tossed the pasta into the skillet with the bacon and chard. added the tomatoes and a bit of pasta water, along with olive oil. i tossed it all with my tongs and then topped it with parmesan, of course. about an hour, start to finish. the pasta pressing took longer than expected. 

super yummy!! the wheat made the pasta a little gummy after the first dinner. because you know i ate it for a couple of lunches : ) but i added some water when i reheated it in the microwave and it helped.

full disclosure: i left a tupperware in the fridge for about two weeks (oops!). the pasta turned a WEIRD brown color. not cool. right down the disposal with that! so, fresh pasta that has been cooked needs to be eaten within a week. preferably sooner. also, i should learn to not keep leftovers until they make me gag.