Spaghetti Madness!

Time to get out one of our many new fun kitchen gadgets and whip up a night of spaghetti madness, madness, madness (in an echo voice). My favorite of the gadgets is the kitchen aid mixer, and you can get all of the accessories to do many more things with it. We got the pasta press that makes 6 different pastas; Spaghetti, Bucatini, Rigatoni, Fusilli, Large Macaroni, and Small Macaroni. 

On the Menu Tonight:

Spaghetti with Vodka Sauce and Ground Sirloin

Small Side Salad with Tomatoes, Croutons, and a Balsamic Vinaigrette

On the Playlist Tonight:

Papa loves Mambo – Perry Como

I Won't Dance – Frank Sinatra

I've Got the World on a String – Frank Sinatra

Just in Time – Tony Bennett

The More I See You – Nat King Cole

Day Tripper – Sergio Mendes and Brasil ‘66

The Way You Look Tonight – Michael Bublé

*Anything by Ol' Blue Eyes himself or Tony Bennett is always on key

For the Dough:

4 eggs

3 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 tbs water

1 tsp salt

Put the flour and salt in the mixer bowl with the flat beater attached, put on speed 2 and gradually add the eggs and 1 tbs water, mix for about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and exchange the flat beater for the dough hook, put on speed 2 again and kneed for 2 minutes. You may need to hand kneed the dough a little to get it a little more cohesive.

Mold dough into walnut-sized pieces and place into the top of the pasta maker, you kind of have to watch it and help it along when needed. Also rotate the bowl your new pasta is deposited in so it doesn't clump up.

Since we were making the actual pasta, I thought we would make it a little easier and just buy a good sauce. We tried this one from Central Market, and I really enjoyed it! 

Ground Sirloin + Vodka Sauce = Saucy Greatness

It was so delicate and pretty, it was like art! Which just recently at the McNay Art Museum they had a whole exhibit about things with macaroni or cheese puffs, can't quite remember which one. I obviously really wanted to see it, but never made time sadly. 

To cook fresh pasta, just place it in boiling water with some salt and a little olive oil. It only takes about 2-3 minutes, a lot less than dry store-bought pasta so you have to watch it pretty carefully.

Drain and place back in bowl, and then add the saucy greatness.

For spaghetti madness night a nice Chianti pairs well with the richness of the sauce and beef.

Mama Mia, thats a some good pasta!