New Year's Pasta

My husband and I have developed a tradition for making homemade pasta for our new year's eve dinner.  We make homemade pasta a lot throughout the year, but always try to make an extra special dish on new year's eve.  This year was no different, but I expanded outside of Ina's recipes and experimented with a Giada recipe (found on food network.com).  Her's was called "fresh pasta rollatini with spinach and ricotta" and while mine is similar, I added my own twists on it.  However, the pasta dough is all Giada and it's a light and fluffy pasta- not the usual dense dough that we're used to pasta being (the addition of cake flour makes it fluffier).

It may seem like a lot of steps, but you can make the pasta in advance and the filling in advance, so you don't have to start dinner at 3pm.  Enjoy!

(the pasta before the addition of tomato sauce and cheese)

(the finished product)

Pasta Rollatini 

Pasta:

1 cup cake flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour (plus more for dusting)

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4-1/2 cup water 

Filling:

1 package frozen spinach, thawed, and squeezed dry

3 oz. prosciutto (or sliced cooked chicken or sausage- they are all good- or leave meat out)

2/3 cup ricotta cheese

1/3 cup Parmesan 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper

For the pan:

cooking spray

Parmesan cheese 

2 cups tomato sauce (any flavor/any brand or homemade)

cheesecloth

kitchen twine 

Pasta:

In a food processor, pulse the cake flour, all purpose flour, egg yolks, olive oil, and salt

With the processor running, add the water in a steady stream until mixture forms a ball (if it's too wet, add more flour, if it's too dry, add more water)

Place dough on a floured surface and knead for about 2 min. until smooth

Cut the dough in half, shape into discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 min.

Filling:

Place dried spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, olive oil, prosciutto (or meat of your choice), salt and pepper in a bowl and mix lightly until combined 

On a floured surface, roll out chilled dough with a floured rolling pin into 2 (8 inch) circles 

Place the filling in the center of each and spread evenly leaving a 1/2 inch border of uncovered dough

Crack 1 egg into a small bowl and add a splash of water. Mix with a fork 

Use a pastry brush and brush the uncovered border of the pasta with the egg wash

Roll the pasta into logs, jellyroll style, and pinch the ends together to seal

Roll each log into double lined cheesecloth and tie the middle and ends with kitchen twine 

Preheat oven to 475

Bring a large pot to the boil and place the pasta logs into the water

Lower the heat to medium and cook logs for 15 minutes 

Remove the pasta logs and place on a baking sheet until cool enough to handle

Spray an 8x8 glass baking dish with cooking spray 

Unwrap each log and slice into 1/2 inch slices 

Place the slices in 3 rows in the baking dish, overlapping a little 

Put tomato sauce over the top and sprinkle with Parmesan 

Bake for about 10 min. until the cheese and sauce is bubbly