Stained Glass Pappardelle

We all have those recipes that sit in our archives for ages. Ones that we really want to make but for some reason never get around to. Well this is that recipe. This was posted on Good Things Catered literally over a year ago, but I hadn't forgotten it. It is much too pretty to forget.

So on the last Saturday before my 2010 diet starts I finally decided to make this. First of all I have to say that I love the basic recipe for the pasta dough from this recipe. For some reason I found it much easier to work with then my other recipe. Also, I didn't make the dough in a food processor like the recipe suggested. I'm one of those rare people who don't believe they need a food processor so I just did the old mound of flour on the counter top with a well for the egg mixture technique. This of course worked fine, but I'm going to keep the food processor instructions since most of the world has a food processor.

I just think this pasta is beyond impressive. Visually, this pasta is just so interesting that it makes it much more appealing then regular pasta. If you want a pasta to impress, this is most certainly it.

*Note - I served this pasta with some Alfredo Sauce I had leftover which was great. However, Good Things Catered has a Parmigiano-Reggiano Cream Sauce Recipe which looks just delicious!

Ingredients
Source: Good Things Catered

2 1/4 c. sifted all-purpose flour, divided
1 small pinch salt
4 large eggs
2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small bunch of fresh parsley, leaves picked

Directions
-In bowl of food processor, add 2 c. flour and salt.
-Pulse to combine.
-Add eggs and olive oil and process until dough comes together fully, about 10-12 seconds.
-Remove top from processor and pinch dough with fingertips. You want a moist dough, but if it's too sticky, add flour 1 Tbsp at a time and process until dough is moist, but not sticky to the touch, should take an additional 30 seconds.
-Turn dough out onto well floured surface and knead for about 1 full minute, or until no streaks of flour remain and dough has come together cohesively.
-Turn dough into a ball and place on surface, under glass bowl for 30 minutes to let dough rest.
-After dough is rested, setup pasta roller.
-Divide dough in half.
-Roll half of pasta through thickest setting, fold in thirds, and then roll again.
-Repeat this rolling through thickest setting about 8 times or until pasta is completely uniform.
-Slowly decrease pasta roller width and take down to the thinnest setting.
-After you roll through the thinnest setting, set dough out on counter, sprinkle half of dough with small pieces of parsley leaves, fold other half of dough on top of parsley and press over to remove air pockets.
-Roll this through the pasta rollers one more time and set aside.
-Repeat rolling process with second half of dough.
-Take dough halves, cut into 12-16 inch sheets, fold each sheet and cut with a sharp knife into 1-inch strips, length wise.
-Place cut pasta out onto floured baking sheet to dry (15-20 minutes)while you bring large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
-Once water has come to rolling boil, pick all pasta up at the same time and drop into water.
-Boil until al dente, about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes, depending on thickness.
-Drain pasta, reserving some pasta water, and place into desired sauce.
-Use pasta water to add to sauce, as desired.
-Plate and serve immediately.

Makes about 1 lb.