Argentina Pasta recipes

Windows shop with Gnocchi´s in Buenos Aires. Photo by Jessica

Even though I try to focus with Mediterranean food and British food, this New Year I will bring to you some of the recipes from Europe that become very popular in South America after the big migrations of the 20th century from Europe to the Americas.

It´s well known that Buenos Aires like New York was flooded with Italians during and after the II World War and with them they bring all their recipes. Argentina is worldwide famous for its quality beef, but also in the cafes and restaurant of Buenos Aires the pizzas and pasta are the also the star dishes at the Argentinian homes.

I share 3 recipes that always enjoyed when I was living in the River Plates coast. The first the popular raviolis with a tasty meat sauce called Tuco a real adaptation to the dish, the another are the ñoquis (gnocchi’s)  where every 29^th of each months is traditionally to have it putting some money under the plate for luck. And then you can try the sorrentinos, another popular fresh fill pasta known as Sorrentinos it´s believed that was invented in the vanished restaurant Sorrento in Buenos Aires,  although the origin must be from some forgotten town of south Italy.

Potato Gnocchi.  

Ñoquis with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese

You need x 4 -6 serves: 1kg waxy potatoes (scrubbed and unpeeled) – 250 to 270g of flour – 1 egg – 25g butter (softened). 1tbsp of salt – ½ tsp of grated nutmeg. Parmesan cheese to serve.

1. Bring to the boil a salty pan of water with the potatoes in. Cook until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart. Drain, let cool down until you can manage the potatoes and so you can peel them.

2. Mash the still hot potatoes using a food mill or similar, then spread some flour over a work surface and drop the mash potatoes onto the work surface.

Gnocchi mash

Cutting the Gnocchi´s

3. Now sprinkle over with half of the remaining flour and mix lightly.

4. Add the egg to the mixture plus the nutmeg and knead lightly, adding the remaining flour when it´s necessary. When the dough is light to the touch and no longer sticky is ready to be rolled

5. Divide the roll into 4-5 parts. In a new floured work surface, roll each dough until you have a dough stick of about 2,8cm of diameters. Cut with a floured knife into pieces of 2,8cms long.

Making Gnocchi s with a fork

Traditional Gnocchi shape

6. With a common table fork, one by one press and roll lightly with your thumb the gnocchi over with the fork prongs.

7. Bring to the boil a large pan of salty boiling water and drop your gnocchi’s in. Be sure they have space. Best cook in 2-3 batches. When the gnocchi rise to the surface after 3-5 minutes the gnocchi are done. 

8. Drain and put them in a serving dish, cover with a tomatoes sauce and sprinkle some parmesan cheese

Raviolis with Tuco sauce

Ravioli with Tuco sauce

You need x4 serves

Ravioli dough:  500g plain flour – 2 white eggs – 1 egg – 1tsp of salt – 2 tbsp olive oil.

Ravioli filling: 400g fresh spinach (washed) or 180g frozen spinach – 175g ricotta cheese – 70g parmesan cheese – 1 egg – ½ tsp grated nutmeg.

Tuco sauce: 1 small onion (chopped) 50g red pepper – 50g green pepper (both finely chopped) – 2 grated carrots – 2 can chop tomatoes – Pinch of nutmeg – Bunch of parsley.

400g of stewing beef (also used silverside or shin of beef) in chunks.

Ravioli dough.

Ravioli dough well

1. In a big bowl place the flour with salt and make a well in the centre. Break onto the middle the egg whites and the whole egg, plus the olive oil.

2. Start beating the eggs with a fork and gradually drawing the flour from the inside walls of the well. As the paste starts to thicken continues mixing with your hands until you have dough, adding more flour if still sticky or some lukewarm water if it is too dry.

3. Spread some flour over a working surface and knead the dough for about 10-20 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. You can also with this dough smash onto the work surface time to time. Cover with a cling film and let rest for 1 hour.
4. Split the dough in 2.  With a floured rolling pin flat the dough into a disc until you has less than half centimetre thick (ideal 3 mm like a kitchen towel). When is ready with a cutter create rectangle for approx. 30cm long and 10cm wide. 

Ravioli filling. (Meanwhile you are resting the ravioli dough)

1. In a saucepan with some depth, put in the spinach without draining and cook in a gently heat for 5 minutes covered. Drain and let cool down squeezing out as much moisture as possible. Reserve the moisture. Chop very finely the spinach.

2. In bowl combine the spinach with the ricotta, egg, parmesan and nutmeg. Season with a pinch of salt and a good quantity of pepper and mix all very well. Cover until you need to use it.

Making the raviolis

Place the filling in the sheet

Cover and remove the air with your fingers.

1. In a lightly floured working surface, place half of the pasta sheets. 

2. Then place small teaspoon of filling over the centre of the pasta sheets in rows with a separation of 5 cm each other.

3. Cover with another sheet of pasta, pressing down gently and removing any air pockets and selling with your hands the sheets as good as you can

Sealing the raviolis with a fork

Cook the raviolis in salty water

4. Using a fluted pastry wheel or a pizza cutter cut between the rows to form the classic ravioli shape. If you don’t have a fluted wheel, seal the ravioli pressing with a fork the edges.

5. Let rest the raviolis for at least 30 minutes in a floured surface.

6. Bring to the boil a large pan of salty boiling water and drop your raviolis in. Be sure they have space. Best cook in 2-3 batches. When the raviolis rise to the surface after 3-5 minutes the raviolis are done. 

7. Drain and put them in a serving dish, cover with the Tuco sauce

Tuco sauce:

1. Heat 4 tbsp. of olive oil in a sauce pan at medium low heat. Sauté the onions and peppers for about 5 minutes.

2. Add the meat chunks and laurel leaves. Brown the meat. Add the carrot and stir

3. Add the tomatoes and season. Simmer until the meat is tender about 2 hours (depending of the kind of meat that are you using)

4. Turn off the heat and add chopped parsley. At the end I like to fall apart the meat.

Sorrentinos 

Sorrentinos argentinos

You need x 4 serves

Sorrentinos dough: 500g flour – 2 tbsp olive oil – 1 tsp of salt – 1 egg yolk- Lukewarm water.

Sorrentinos filling: 400g ricotta cheese – 100g mozzarella cheese (grated) 150g York ham (finely chopped) – 50g parmesan cheese – 1 egg – ½ tsp grated nutmeg.

Sorrentinos filling: 

1. In a big bowl mix very well the entire sorrentinos filling. Season with salt and pepper, cover and set aside.

Making the sorrentinos

Sorrentinos ready to cook

1. In a big bowl place the flour with salt and make a well in the centre. Break onto the middle the yolk egg, plus the olive oil.

2. Start beating the egg with a fork and gradually drawing the flour from the inside walls of the well adding at the same time a tiny splash of the lukewarm water. Add more flour if still sticky or some lukewarm water it is too dry.

3. Spread some flour over a working surface and knead the dough for about 10-20 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover with a clean film and let rest for 15 minutes. 

Shaping sorrentinos without pasta accesories

Filling Sorrentinos

4. Split the dough in 2.  With a floured rolling pin flat the dough in floured work surface  into a disc until you has less than half centimetre thick (ideal 3 mm like a kitchen towel). When is ready with a circle cutter of at least 6cms. diameter cut the dough.

5. Spread the dough circle over a floured working surface, then place small teaspoon of filling over the centre and cover with another dough circle. With your fingers press down gently and removing any air pockets and sealing with your hands the sheets as good as you can.

6. Seal the sorrentinos pressing with a fork the edges.

7. Bring to the boil a large pan of salty boiling water and drop your sorrentinos in. Be sure they have space. Best cook in 2-3 batches. When the sorrentinos rise to the surface after 3-5 minutes the raviolis are done. 

8. Drain and put them in a serving dish, cover with your favourite sauce.


Fresh Argentinian Pasta Notes.

*Like in Italy in Argentina they use any kinds of accessories for make the pasta recipes quicker and with a professional look. Pasta machines, pasta shape cutters and pasta sieve or spoon sieve are a must in every Argentinian kitchen. Today are easier to find on-line or Italian gourmet shops.

*For remove the pasta from the boiling water is recommended use a sieve spoon or a pasta sieve, for avoid any braking. Fresh pasta is much more delicate than dry pasta.

*Before cooking the pasta can be frozen for up to 3 months.

*With the leftover dough(s) you can make pasties to cook in the oven or spaghettis.

Three easy tomatoes sauces recipes

◦

Argentina Pasta recipes