Wattleseed Pasta

Wattleseeds in pasta imparts a smooth nutty flavour to it. Try this pasta with a wild mushroom cream sauce or a mixed herbs sauce or pesto sauce or with a cheese based sauce such as goats cheese, mascrapone or stilton. Serve the pasta as an accompaniment with chicken or game

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4-6 Portions
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Prep: 20-30 minutes (alow 30 minutes for the pasta
Cook: 2 minutes

Ingredients

Pasta

  • 4 large - 6 small egg yolks
  • 500g strong flour
  • 1½ tbsp wattleseeds
  • 5 tbsp. boiling water
  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • Pinch maldon salt

Method

  1. Wattleseeds: Place the wattleseeds in a container and pour over the boiling water and leave for 1-15 minutes. The wattleseeds should absorb the water and be soft.
  2. Pasta:Place the flour and wattleseeds in a food processor and process briefly so that the wattleseeds are well distributed. Add the egg yolks and the oil to the food processor and blend for about 30 seconds so that you hve a soft breadcrumb like consistency. Tip the mixture out on a lightly floured work top and bring it together into a ball of dough and knead for 10-15 minutes until the dough is pliable and with some elasticity (you may need to add a little water if it is to dry). Make three individual balls of dough and cover them with cling film and leave it to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes to 24 hours . If you don't not have a food processor you place the flour on a work top and make a well in the centre. Place the egg, salt, wattleseeds and oil and beat them together with a fork. Then gradually work th flour into it until you have a rogh dough and continue as above.
  3. To Roll Out: Roll out a ball of pasta so that it will go on the lowest setting on a pasta machine. Roll it out on the lowest setting and then fold the 2 sides into the centre and roll it out again repeat this a couple of times. Then keep rolling the pasta out reducing the setting each time until you have the desired thickness. Cut the pasta out into what ever shape you desire. Repeat this process with the remaining pasta. If you haven't got a pasta machine use a rolling pin and roll the pasta out until very thin.
  4. To Store or Cook:When you cut the pasta out you may cook it immediatley in a large pot of boiling water for just 1-2 minutes so that it is aldente (this is dependent on the amount and the thickness of the pasta) or hang it on a pasta rack or pole of some suit eg. broom handle or wooden spoon. Allow it to dry for 1-2 hours then store in a well sealed container.
  • Wild Mushroom Herb Sauce: Soak 15g dried wild mushrooms in 250ml of boiling water for 15 minutes. Clean 150g mixed wild mushroom by lightly rising and drying or brushing them. Slice the mushrooms roughly. Strain the dried mushrooms reserving the water. Place the mushroom water in a saucepan with 100ml dry white wine and bring it to the boil and simmer until reduced by 2/3's. Remove the stock from the saucepan and set aside. Place 2 tbsp of olive oil in the saucepan with 1 cushed clove of garlic and the mushrooms and saute over a moderate heat. Add the stock and 2 tbsp of fresh herbs chopped (flat leaf parsley, basil and sage) and allow to simmer until the mushrooms are tender and the stock is reduced by half. Mix freshly cooked pasta with the mushrooms sauce and 4 tbsp. of creme fraiche. Mix together well until the pasta is well coated. Garnish with parmesan shavings and mixed herbs or deep fried leaves.