Milk Street MUK SIREE] THE MEAL PLAN THIS WEEK WE’RE PLANNING: HANDMADE PASTA TOPPED WITH SEASONAL, SPRINGY SAUCES Orecchiette with Tomatoes, Peas and Pancetta Dear Milk Streeter, A lot of Americans overthink pasta making, both the pasta itself and the stuff they put on it. Most pasta doughs are three or four ingredients—usually flour, water, salt, and (occasionally) an egg. In terms of toppings and sauces, not every pasta needs a hearty bolognese, or even a tomato sauce. Pasta is a great vehicle for spring vegetables, particularly asparagus and peas. IF YOU HAVE FLOUR, WATER, AND HANDS, YOU CAN MAKE PASTA Homemade Orecchiette Even if you aren’t particularly skilled at kneading, you can make fregola, Sardenia’s tiny, bead-like pasta that’s made with semolina flour and water, without any special equipment. We got a lesson in making it from Trattoria Lillicu chef Francesco Pinna, who prepares it as an aunt taught him when he was a teenager. He began by sprinkling a bit of semolina flour and water in a wide, shallow bowl, then used his fingertips to stir the mixture until it clumped into small, irregular balls, which he air-dried for 30 minutes before toasting until firm and lightly browned. When cooked like traditional pasta, the fregola has a pleasantly chewy texture. We found we could speed the process—and make more fregola at once—using a food processor. (You can find our method in the side bar of this article.) Once made, you can cook and sauce fregola like any other pasta. Or do what we do and cook it like risotto, adding broth in multiple additions to give the grain-like pasta a thick, creamy consistency. Stir in some crisp pancetta and finish it with salty pecorino and a bright, verdant mixture of parsley, basil, mint, and lemon, and I think you’ll be quite satisfied. If you want something a little more substantial, but still light enough for warmer weather, try our Fregola with Shrimp and Tomatoes. It’s brothy and savory—thanks to an umami-packed combination of shrimp shells simmered in clam juice—and made with cherry tomatoes, which are reliably sweet all year (though I cannot wait to make this with summer tomatoes). Orecchiette—which means “little ears” in Italian—is another shockingly easy pasta to make at home. The pasta traditionally is made using only semolina: a strong flour milled from durum wheat with a high gluten content. Our version calls for equal parts semolina and all-purpose flour: the latter keeps the dough soft and easy to work with while the former provides the structure and elasticity required for shaping it, as well as a nutty-sweet flavor. If you want to branch out with different shapes, the same dough can be formed into cavatelli, a small shell pasta that resembles a tiny hot dog bun, and pici, a rustic hand-rolled spaghetti. For sauces and finishing touches, we have several great options: * Orecchiette with Tomatoes, Peas and Pancetta: An ultra-easy one-pot affair with salty pancetta and sweet pops of green peas. * Orecchiette Puttanesca: Bold, briny puttanesca sauce finds delicious partners in creamy white beans and flaked tuna. * Orecchiette with Saffron, Ricotta and Mint: This unusual dish with a no-cook sauce comes from Sardinia, Italy, where saffron often is used to infuse flavor—and color—into pasta and pasta sauces. Mint provides a fresh lift. * Orecchiette with Cherry Tomatoes and Mozzarella: This creamy, sweet-tart orecchiette dish takes inspiration from pasta alla Sorrentina, a southern Italian classic featuring fresh, quick-cooked tomatoes, mozzarella and aromatic basil. * Orecchiette with Broccolini: We boil the pasta in a minimal amount of water and the starchy liquid that remains becomes the base for the sauce that marries the orecchiette and Broccolini. A finishing sprinkle of toasted seasoned breadcrumbs adds a crisp texture. MAKE GNOCCHI WITH INSTANT MASHED POTATOES Gnocchi in an Instant Though we have a “traditional” gnocchi recipe that starts with boiled russet potatoes, there is no shame in using instant potato flakes. In fact, it makes for a much more consistent batch of soft, pillowy gnocchi, without the need for a kitchen scale, potato ricer, or food mill. Just stir together potato flakes and boiling water, then add egg, flour, and salt and knead until you have a smooth dough. Shape, boil, and sauce how you would any gnocchi. There’s even a potato-free gnocchi you can make with flour and water—Gnocchi di Farina. It’s just as easy to make as the potato variety, but saves you a trip to the store for potatoes (or potato flakes). Whichever gnocchi you choose to make, we’ve got a couple of sauces that work equally well with each variety. Gnocchi with Pesto alla Genovese is green, herby, and ultra-savory, thanks to a combination of Parmesan and pecorino; Gnocchi with Pancetta and Garlic makes a great base for any variety of spring vegetables. It’s not called for in the recipe, but a handful of tender-crisp asparagus or sweet peas would provide a delightful bit of vegetal contrast to the crispy pancetta and toasty garlic. Until next time, Claire Lower Digital Editor Milk Street PS—want unlimited access to over 2,700 Milk Street recipes? Become an Insider. You’ll get that, plus free shipping from the Milk Street Store, free streaming of our TV episodes and podcasts, and a subscription to Milk Street Magazine. JOIN TODAY This email was sent to you because you've signed up to receive updates from Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street. | | © CPK MEDIA, LLC.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED  177 Milk Street, Boston, MA 02109 Need help? Contact us.