Chef tips: Master Italian at home

Osteria Oggi’s Andrew Davies teaches us a thing or two about perfecting pasta at home.

Give your pappardelle skills a work out Source: John Laurie

Like the look of that pappardelle with goat ragu? Here's the recipe.

Making pasta at home

Andrew says it’s always nice to roll your pasta over wood, rather than a stainless steel bench: “Steel is very flat. It will make your pasta so shiny and smooth the sauce won’t stick to it. But when you roll it over wooden boards, the fibrous friction from the wood will ever so slightly create more surface area on the pasta. You might not see it with the eye, but it creates a rough enough texture on your pasta so the sauce will grip better.”

Essential ingredients

“For Italian you need salt and pepper; good olive oil and good extra-virgin olive oil for finishing; nice Parmesan, nice pecorino and that’s about it. Definitely make your own pasta when you can.”

Pasta machine

Andrew says don’t go for the cheapest model: “You’re better off buying the $70 to $100 one from a home ware place. The $30 one doesn’t last long, it’ll rattle and stick, the gauge mechanism doesn’t works sometimes.” 

 

Have we got your attention and your tastebuds? The Chefs' Line airs weeknights at 6pm starting April 3. Check out the program page for episode guides, cuisine lowdowns, recipes and more.