It was a little magical.
FRESH PASTA W/ BUTTERNUT SQUASH SAUCE AND CRISPY ASPARAGUS
Pasta Cook Time: 2-3 minutes
Yields: 6 servings
PASTA INGREDIENTS
Basic ratio is 3 parts flour to 2 parts liquid, here is what I used:
4 eggs (200 g), 1 TBS olive oil (15 g), ~ 2 1/3 cups flour (320 g), 1 tsp salt
+ some flour working and rolling the dough
parmesan (to top)
PASTA INSTRUCTIONS
If you want to be precise, first weight out your liquids then weigh out 1.5 x that amount of flour. Whisk your salt into the flour and sift it out onto a clean counter top or cutting board. Create a well in the center and add your eggs and oil to it (see photo gallery above). Using your fingers, mix the flour and eggs together, starting from the inner edge of the well. Make sure to periodically reinforce your outer circle of flour to keep the eggs walled-in by flour. The dough should start to come together into a shaggy ball. Start kneading the dough with the heal of your palm, adding flour to the counter top if the dough is sticky. Pasta dough has a much stiffer consistency than bread dough and it will feel rough when you start kneading it, but after 10-15 minutes it should form a nice smooth ball
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes to an hour (or you can refrigerate it for up to 24 hours)
While the dough rests, prep the squash and get it in the steamer (see Butternut Squash Sauce Instructions below) then shred your asparagus (see Crispy Asparagus Instructions below)
When the dough is ready, cut it into 6 pieces. Take one of these portions out (keeping the rest covered) and press it into a rectangle < 1" thick and dust with flour. Using a pasta roller (or a rolling pin and some elbow grease), roll the pasta into paper thin sheets. My roller goes from 7 (thickest) to 1 (thinnest). I rolled the dough through 7 once, then folding the rounded ends over and rolled it through 7 again. After rolling it through 5 and 6 once each, I cut the dough in half, width wise (as you get to the thinner settings the dough really starts to lengthen out). At this point I dusted the dough with flour again, rolled it once each through 4 and 3, twice through 2, and once through 1. Dust it with flour once more, then either fold it in half length-wise (for long noodles) or cut it in half, length-wise (for shorter noodles) and using a sharp knife, or scissors, cut your noodles to the desired width (mine were about 1/4" wide). If you've dusted them with flour sufficiently, you can just toss them into a pile once they're cut. Repeat with the rest of the dough, breaking about half-way through to get a large pot of salted water boiling
When the pasta noodles are done, get your butternut squash pureed and alfredo going (see Butternut Squash Sauce Instructions below) and get your asparagus on (see Crispy Asparagus Instructions below). When those elements have just a couple minutes left, carefully drop your noodles into the boiling water. Let them cook for 2-3 minutes and strain them. Finish off the sauce, thouroughly toss the noodles in it, then top with generous Parmesan cheese, and crispy asparagus
Butternut Squash Sauce Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yields: 6 servings (about 3 cups)
BUTTERNUT SQUASH SAUCE INGREDIENTS
1 small butternut squash, peeled, cored, and chopped into 1" chunks
1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup cream, 2 TBS butter, 2 cloves garlic (microplaned or finely minced)
1 TBS flour, generous amounts of salt, a couple good pinches each of black and white pepper, 1-2 tsp sriracha (optional)
BUTTERNUT SQUASH SAUCE INSTRUCTIONS
Get a steam basket into a pot and fill with an inch or so of water, then set the pot (covered) over high heat. Lower the water to a simmer, add the squash to the steamer, cover, and steam for 10 minutes. While it simmers, shred you asparagus (see Crispy Asparagus Instructions below). When it's done simmering, leave it to cool and tend to your pasta. Come back to it once the pasta is cut.
Puree the squash with the milk and cream. (You should aim to get your sauce and asparagus on at about the same time). Get the butter in a small pot over medium heat and add the garlic. Whisk in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the butternut squash mixture and whisk often. Cook the sauce until it simmers and thickness a bit, then whisk in generous salt, the peppers, and sriracha (optional)
Crispy Asparagus Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yields: 6 servings
CRISPY ASPARAGUS INGREDIENTS
4 dozen medium-sized asparagus spears, trimmed
2 TBS vegetable oil , salt
CRISPY ASPARAGUS INSTRUCTIONS
Using a vegetable peeler, shred your asparagus, then set aside until your pasta is cut. Heat your oil in a large skillet over fairly high heat. Add the asparagus and toss the pan to coat them with oil. Let the pan sit until you see a little browning on the edges. Give the pan a good toss and wait until you see browning again. Repeat this process until the asparagus starts to get crispy, about 10-15 minutes.