Nidi Di Rondine

I'm a big fan of all things pasta.  I think "pasta parties" are my new favorite kind of party.🍝 It my way of inviting dinner guests to get involved in the meal prep process and to take some of the work load off of me.😉  I threw a couple of these do-it-yourself parties last December and just in case you want to host one of these partites - this is what I learned: 
* Make the dough and the sauce ahead of time so you can get right to to task of rolling dough when your guests arrive.
*  Use a drying rack to dry pasta before cooking so that it doesn't stick together in the boiling water.  (I used a drying rack for clothes - it worked great.)
*  Use at least 2 pasta machines to expedite the rolling process.  I borrowed a second machine from a generous friend.  

I've been making homemade fettuccini for a while but this year I ventured into the world of homemade ravioli.  (This new pasta making hobby is going to detrimental to my waist line.😂)   I loved it so much and I got so invested into my ravioli making that I treated myself to in an ELECTRIC pasta maker!  Safe to say, I'm taking my love of pasta making to a whole new level.😬  Now that I have the proper equipment, I'll be collecting all of your homemade pasta recipes.  Email me.😅  This one was featured in Cook's Illustrated and it's made without the use of a machine but it just looked too good to pass up.  

Nidi Di Rondine
Pasta
1 3/4 cups (8.75 ounces) flour
2 eggs + 5 egg yolks
5 teaspoons olive oil

Besciamella
3 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups milk
1/2 cup water

Nidi
1 1/2 cups shredded fontina cheese
6 ounces white mushrooms, chopped
6 ounces thinly sliced black forest ham
​1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Pasta: Process flour, eggs, yolks and oil in food processor until dough forms. 

Knead dough 1-2 minutes on counter. 

Shape into a 6" cylinder.  Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest 1-4 hours.  

Besciamella:  Melt butter in 10" skillet.  

Add flour, salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. 

Slowly whisk in 2 cups milk.  Bring to a boil.  

Cook 5 minutes until sauce thickens.  

Transfer 1 cup sauce to liquid measuring cup.  

Whisk water and 1 cup milk to remaining besciamella in pan.  

Cut pasta dough into 4 pieces.  

Roll 1 piece at a time into a 6" square. ​Dust both sides of dough with flour. 

Starting at center, roll dough away from you.  Start at center again and roll dough towards you. 

Repeat until dough is 12" long and sticks to counter. 

Transfer dough to a dry kitchen towel and repeat with remaining dough.  

Lay 2 sheets of dough on counter and trim rounded edges.  

Cut each sheet in half to create 4 rectangles.  

Spread 2 T. reserved besciamella over each rectangle. 

Sprinkle with half of fontina.

Sprinkle half mushrooms over cheese.

Lay ham over mushrooms.

Cut each sheet in half.  Roll up each side.  Repeat with remaining pasta.

Transfer 1 cup thinned basciamella to empty liquid measuring cup.  

Cut each roll in half. ​Arrange rolls, cut side down, in skillet.

Drizzle besciamella over rolls.  

Spray foil with Pam and cover pan.

Place pan on baking sheet and bake 1 hour at 375.  

Remove from oven and remove foil.  Sprinkle with parmesan and place under broiler until browned and crisp. 

Ciao!

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