Literally Garlic Pasta

Ingredients

• 20 Garlic cloves (halved)
• 0.5 cup Olive oil (for confit)
• 0.25 head Red cabbage (juiced and reduced to a thick syrup for coloring)
• 4 oz Goat's cheese (softened)
• 2 oz Pecorino cheese (finely grated)
• 0.25 cup Mascarpone
• 1 Egg yolk (for the cheese binder)
• 2 Egg whites (used for the pasta dough to keep it white and for brushing)
• 1.5 cup Pasta flour (Type 00 flour recommended)
• 1 tbsp Dried mushroom powder (for the garlic root effect)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare the confit garlic by placing halved garlic cloves in a small saucepan and covering them with olive oil. Cook over very low heat until the cloves are soft and jammy, then set aside to cool.

2. 2

   Create the natural dye by juicing red cabbage and simmering the juice in a small pan until it reduces into a thick, concentrated pinkish-purple syrup.

3. 3

   In a medium bowl, combine the goat's cheese, pecorino, mascarpone, and one egg yolk. Mix until smooth and well-incorporated to create the binder for the filling.

4. 4

   Make the pasta dough by mixing pasta flour with egg whites (omitting the yolks to ensure the dough remains white like garlic skin). Knead until smooth, wrap in plastic, and let rest for at least 30 minutes.

5. 5

   Roll the pasta dough out into thin sheets. Use a circular cutter to create large rounds of pasta.

6. 6

   Pipe a portion of the cheese mixture into the center of each pasta round and nestle a few pieces of the confit garlic cloves into the cheese.

7. 7

   Spritz the edges of the pasta with water or egg white. Fold the edges upward toward the center, pleating the dough to create vertical lines that mimic the shape of a garlic bulb.

8. 8

   Using a fine brush, sparingly paint streaks of the red cabbage reduction onto the sides of the shaped pasta bulbs to mimic the natural pink streaks found on garlic skin.

9. 9

   Brush the bottom of each pasta bulb with a little egg white and press it into the dried mushroom powder to create a realistic 'root' look.

10. 10

    Carefully boil the pasta bulbs in salted water until the dough is cooked through, approximately 3-5 minutes depending on thickness. Serve immediately.

Notes

The use of egg whites only in the pasta dough is a specific technique to keep the pasta as white as possible to resemble garlic skin. The red cabbage reduction acts as a natural food coloring.

Nutrition per serving

• pasta
• garlic
• showstopper
• dinner
• vegetarian
• handmade pasta
• advanced