Best Cornmeal Pasta Recipes

CORNMEAL PASTA

Steps:

• Place corn, eggs, oil and salt in food processor or blender. Cover and process until smooth. Add flour and cornmeal. Cover and process about 10 seconds or until dough leaves side of bowl and can be pressed together with fingers. Remove dough and press into a ball. Cover dough with plastic wrap or foil. Let stand 10 minutes.
• Divide dough in half. Roll one-half of dough with rolling pin into rectangle 1/8 to 1/16-inch thick on lightly floured surface. Loosely fold rectangle lengthwise into thirds; cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips for fettuccine, 1/8-inch strips for linguine. Hang pasta on drying rack or lightly floured towels to dry. Repeat with remaining dough.
• In 6-quart saucepan, heat 4 quarts water to boiling; add pasta. Boil uncovered 2 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until firm but tender. Drain pasta; do not rinse.

CORN PASTA WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the coriander and garlic and let it toast until you smell it, 30 to 45 seconds. Add half of the corn and cook for a couple of minutes to soften. Add the sugar, scallions and a pinch of salt. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream and simmer until the cream reduces slightly, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Pour the mixture into a blender and puree until smooth. If the corn is "stringy" or the sauce grainy, strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Transfer the sauce to a large skillet and stir in the sun-dried tomatoes. Keep warm.
• In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add a generous amount of salt. The pasta water should taste like sea water. Add the pasta to the pot and stir so it doesn't stick to the bottom as it cooks. Cook the pasta until al dente (chewy but not hard or raw tasting), 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve a little of the pasta cooking liquid in case you need it later, then drain the pasta in a colander.
• Toss the pasta in the skillet with the sauce and remaining corn. Add some basil leaves and salt and pepper. Scoop into bowls and top with Parmesan and more basil leaves.

HILLBILLY TEA CORNMEAL NOODLES

Steps:

• For the noodles: Mix together the flour, cornmeal and salt on a clean work surface. Make a well in the middle and add the tea, oil and eggs. Mix the egg mixture with a fork until well combined, then slowly mix in the flour until incorporated enough to mix by hand. Knead the dough for 5 minutes; you will know it is done when you squeeze it and the dough springs back afterwards. Set the dough aside and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Cut the dough into thirds and transfer to a floured work surface. Roll out as thinly as you can; flour is your friend here. Sprinkle a little flour on one part of the dough, roll it up into a tube like you would with a jelly roll, and cut it into strips. Repeat with the remaining dough, flouring the noodles generously to prevent sticking. The noodles can be refrigerated for up to 2 days before use.
• For the sauce: Bring a large stock pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Heat some olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, Brussels sprouts and red peppers and cook until lightly caramelized. Turn the heat to low and add the cream, garlic and some salt and black pepper.
• When the water has reached a rolling boil, drop your noodles into the pot and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the noodles into the sauce using a spider strainer, adding 1 cup pasta cooking water, and then turn the heat to medium-high. (If you don't have a spider strainer, add 1 cup of pasta water to the sauce, and then separately drain and add the noodles without rinsing.) Cook the noodles in the sauce, stirring, until it all comes together and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Plate it up and finish the dish with some fresh lemon zest over top!

CORNMEAL OR POLENTA PASTA

Steps:

• Food-processor mixing recommended, following the directions on page 160.
• Cut in wide strips of polenta pasta.
• Dress with a simple tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella.
• Also good with Brodetto with Lobster and Corn (page 299).

CORN TORTELLI WITH TARRAGON BUTTER

Steps:

• For the Corn Tortelli:
• Begin by rolling out the pasta dough. Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal and set aside. Cut a piece of the dough off the ball and shape into a rectangle about the size of a deck of cards. Cover the remaining dough with plastic wrap until you are ready to use it. Roll the rectangle of dough through the widest setting of the pasta machine a few times until it is smooth. Then roll it through the remaining settings to the thinnest setting. Sprinkle the sheet lightly with cornmeal, gently fold, place on the cornmeal-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Continue rolling out the rest of the pasta.
• Next, in a medium bowl mix together the drained creamed corn, mascarpone cheese, goat cheese, tarragon, and pepper. Stir to combine and set aside. In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and set aside.
• To form the tortelli, place a sheet of pasta on a dry work surface. Using a pastry brush dipped in the egg wash, brush the entire sheet of fresh pasta. Place rounded teaspoons (about 1 ounce) of the corn filling on the pasta sheet, about 2 inches apart. Carefully place another sheet of pasta over the mounds, smoothing out any air pockets and firmly sealing the pasta around the filling. Using a scalloped pasta cutter (or a sharp knife) cut the pasta into small squares. Transfer the Tortelli to the cornmeal-lined baking sheet. Continue forming the remaining tortelli.
• To make the Tarragon Butter: In a medium bowl, gently mix together all the ingredients.
• To serve, place the Tarragon Butter in a large serving bowl. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until they float, about 2 minutes. Drain pasta, using a large mesh strainer or slotted spoon, into the bowl with the Tarragon Butter. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.
• Place the flour in a food processor. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the salt and olive oil to the eggs and stir to combine. Add the egg mixture to the food processor. Pulse to combine the ingredients, scraping down the sides once or twice. Continue, with the machine running, until the liquid is evenly distributed, about 1 minute. The dough should stick together if pinched between your fingers. The dough will be cornmeal-yellow in color. Some of the dough will be sticking together, but it will not form a single ball.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Press the dough into a ball and knead gently until the dough is smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Roll out the dough to your desired shape.