The Good Dish Missy Robbins' Tagliatelle With Mushrooms

Contributed from Missy Robbins's "Pasta."

You'll be making your own tagliatelle noodles for this incredible dish from chef Missy Robbins — and you won't be sorry. the dish itself cooks in just 15 minutes, and you're left with a beautiful dinner of tender egg noodles, mushrooms, garlic, parmesan and mint.

The dough for the egg noodles calls for "Double Zero" flour. This specialty flour is "considered the gold standard of pasta," according to The Kitchnn. It's a very fine Italian flour that creates a silky dough and a pasta that's sturdy but not chewy.

Pro Tip: Substitute "double zero" flour for all-purpose flour if you cannot find the specialty ingredient. The Kitchnn notes there will be a texture difference noticeable to those familiar with noodles made with "double zero" flour — but the recipe will come out just fine.

Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4 to 6

Table of Contents:

INGREDIENTS

1 batch egg-based pasta dough (steps below)
1 pound of king oyster mushrooms
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup of unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1/2 cup of finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 lemon, peeled, pith removed and peel finely chopped
1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley
30 mint leaves
Black pepper, to taste

STEPS

Make the Pasta Dough:

500 grams of Double Zero flour, plus more for kneading
About 24 to 26 egg yolks

To begin, place the flour on your wooden work surface and create a barricade with a center sanctuary for your yolks that is 5 to 6 inches in diameter but not more. If you create too much space, your barricade won’t be strong enough to hold the yolks as you begin to incorporate the flour. To avoid any additional risk to your barricade, mix, but do not beat, your yolks before adding them to the well. Kick off by adding half of the yolks to the well and use a fork to incorporate the inner layer of flour, stirring in a continuous motion around the circumference to combine. Continue adding the rest of the yolks, incorporating the flour as you go. If you bust through your barricade, not to worry. Use your bench scraper to catch the egg mixture and fold it back into the flour, doing this at every edge until you have a mixture that is thick enough to contain itself. Set your tools aside, roll up your sleeves, and get to work kneading. The dough will be sticky at first, so as you work it, continue to remove the dough that clings to your hands and return it to the mass.

The dough will begin to firm up as the gluten is activated by kneading, but if it feels a touch too dry and is not integrating (this can happen when the environment is drier, such as during the winter or when you’re working in an arid climate), gradually add about 1 tablespoon room-temperature water to loosen it. The kneading motion is simple, but it does take some time to get the rhythm right. You essentially want to fold the dough in on itself, pressing down and away from your body with the heel of your dominant hand, relying on the weight of your body to do so. (You can hold the edge of the dough closest to you with your other hand to keep it in place as you stretch it away from you.) Rotate it 180 degrees, fold, and press again. Repeat this rotating, folding, and pressing motion until the dough is smooth and relatively firm to the touch, 8 to 10 minutes. Use your bench scraper to clean off any pieces of dough that clump and stick as you’re kneading. Lightly dust the board with flour if needed; be careful not to add too much, as it will dry out the dough.

When properly kneaded, the dough should resemble the texture of Play-Doh and should spring back just slightly when poked. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set it aside for at least 30 minutes. This allows the dough to become more pliable. If you’re not forming pasta until the evening or the next day, place the dough in the refrigerator and remove it 20 minutes before you plan to roll it out so it returns to room temperature. Use the dough within 24 hours.

Rolling & Sheeting the Dough:

There is a tactile satisfaction to cutting a piece of that perfect, covetable dough, rolling it out with a rolling pin, and then slowly, patiently guiding it through the pasta machine until it’s just thin enough to make out the contours of your palm through it. A sheet of pasta requires that you treat it with a white-glove reverence, and I always delight in indulging myself, and it, by taking it slow. Pasta has a way of rewarding the patient.

The instructions that follow assume that you’re using a manual sheeter. If you’re working with the KitchenAid attachment or another motorized sheeter, more power to you. It will undoubtedly make your life easier, and the instructions that follow will be more detailed than necessary, though they will still apply. I do recommend, however, starting with a manual sheeter, as it will help you learn to make decisions based on feel rather than prescription. For instance, cranking by hand assists you in determining,

by the tension in the handle, whether your dough sheet needs to go through the same setting again (and again) or if it’s ready to go down (or up) one.

To start, cut your dough into quarters so you’re working with smaller, more manageable pieces. Begin with one piece and cover the remaining pieces with the plastic wrap. Dust your board and rolling pin with a bit of 00 flour. Roll the dough out to an oval 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch thick and about 8 inches long. You want it to be thin enough to fit through the widest setting on the sheeter, but not so wide that it doesn’t have room to expand widthwise as it’s fed through. Feed the dough through once, cranking with your dominant hand while you very gently lead the dough through with your nondominant hand. Then fold the dough into thirds by bringing one end to the middle and then the other end over the top as if folding a business letter. Lightly press on top to seal and then feed one narrow end of the dough through the sheeter again. What you’re doing at this point is essentially rekneading the dough and making sure there is no extra air in it. Repeat the fold and feed at least three times, until the dough is smooth and uniform. Decrease the setting on your sheeter (to “5” on the Imperia or “2” on the KitchenAid) and feed the dough through again. At this point, the sheet will be long enough to be a bit unwieldy to work with. You can return it to your floured board, cut it in half and work with only one length at a time, covering the length(s) not in use with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap.

The shape you intend to make will determine how thin you sheet the dough

from this point. Some shapes, such as strangozzi, are cut at this point in the process, while others are fed through three more gradually narrowing settings, yielding a sheet through which you can easily see the outline of your hand—even the lines of your palm. As the sheet becomes longer and thinner, you will need to handle it with more care. Don’t be afraid to pause and adjust or to cut your sheet in half if it becomes a bit unwieldy to work with. (Just cover the half you’ve set aside with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap.) The dance between cranking the machine and feeding the dough through on one end while catching it on the other is not second nature—indeed, it’s a job better suited to three hands than two. It will be awkward at first, and you will certainly turn out more than a couple of unseemly sheets. You can always fold the sheet in half and feed it through again to even it out. Continue this process until you’ve achieved the desired thickness for the shape you intend to make. As you work, your sheet may become tacky and require a light dusting of 00 flour; be careful not to add too much or you’ll end up with a sheet that’s too dry. Lightly dust with 00 flour and transfer to a parchment-lined sheet tray, layering parchment between each sheet to ensure they do not stick together. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and repeat the process until you have sheeted your full batch of dough. Follow the directions for trimming the sheet(s) in the recipe for your desired shape.

Make the Tagliatelle Noodles:

Lightly dust a wooden work surface with 00 flour. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly dust with semolina.

Lay your sheet(s) of pasta on the work surface. Use a knife to cut 12-inch-long sheets, removing the scraps from the unclean edges (save them for soup).

Lightly dust each sheet with 00 flour and neatly stack them two or three high. Using your fluted pastry cutter, cut around the edges of the stacked sheets so all of the edges are ruffled.

Beginning at the long edge of the stack of sheets, move inward and cut ½-inch-wide strands. (You can use a ruler or other straightedge to keep your lines even while you get acquainted with the fluted cutter.)

Generously dust your strands of tagliatelle with 00 flour and gently shake them to separate. Curl the batch into a horseshoe shape and place it on the prepared sheet pan.

Repeat with the remaining sheets.

Let dry for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature.

If not using right away, cover the sheet pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

Prepare the Dish:

Clean the dirt from the mushrooms by peeling off the first layer of flesh on the stems with a paring knife. Be careful to avoid taking off too much. With a slightly damp towel, gently but thoroughly clean away any remaining dirt.

Slice the mushrooms very thinly, cutting through both the caps and the stems so you end up with slices about ⅛ inch thick by about 2 inches long.

Place a large sauté pan over high heat and add 56g / ¼ cup of the olive oil. Add about one-third of the mushrooms in an even layer and sear, turning to ensure even coloring, until golden brown around the edges and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. (Matsutakes are very meaty mushrooms, so they will still feel firm but have a glossy sheen.) Transfer the mushrooms to a plate or bowl and set aside.

Repeat this process, adding 56g / ¼ cup of the olive oil with each batch of mushrooms until you have cooked all of the mushrooms. Reserve the sauté pan.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt the water.

While the water is heating, return the sauté pan to low heat and add the remaining 14g / 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add the garlic and gently cook until aromatic but without color, 10 to 15 seconds. Return the mushrooms to the pan and stir to combine.

Add the tagliatelle to the water and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until tender but not soft.

While the pasta is cooking, add 2 to 3 ladles (115g to 170g / ½ to ¾ cup) pasta cooking water to the pan. Add the butter and swirl the contents of the pan to emulsify.

Using tongs or a pasta basket, remove the pasta from the pot and transfer to the sauté pan. Turn the heat up to medium. Toss for 1 to 2 minutes to marry the pasta and the sauce.

Remove the pan from the heat and add half of the parmigiano. Add the lemon peel and parsley and continue tossing to combine. If the sauce begins to tighten, add a splash of pasta cooking water to loosen. When the pasta is properly married, it will cling to the sauce and have a glossy sheen.

Divide into bowls and garnish with the remaining parmigiano, the mint, and with pepper.