POTATO CHIP PASTA

Potato Chip Pasta image

We love potato chips. We use them in a variety of preparations, from stuffings to ice cream, so making the leap to pasta dough wasn't as crazy as it may sound. After all, potato chips go with almost anything. Think of all those dips. Although we originally tried to make this with actual potato chips, the dough was too greasy. Using toasted, ground potato flakes gives it that nutty flavor without the added fat. The potato flakes, sometimes labeled "instant mashed potatoes," are easily found in the supermarket. It doesn't take much effort to toast the flakes and grind them into flour, and the results will make you feel like a kid again. The dough can be cut into noodles or used to make ravioli. The potato chip pasta is delicious tossed with brown butter, parsley, and lemon, perhaps served alongside soft-shell crabs or sweet Maine lobster.

Yield serves 6 as an entrée

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups/100 grams potato flakes
2 cups/300 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and rolling the dough
1 1/2 teaspoons/9 grams fine sea salt
6 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons/84 grams unsalted butter
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Put the potato flakes on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until they are a deep golden brown. Stir them once during baking to ensure even browning. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and let the flakes cool completely, stirring them occasionally to speed the process, about 30 minutes. Pour the flakes into a blender and pulverize them into a fine powder.
Combine the potato powder, flour, and salt in a bowl and whisk together. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and yolks. Pour the eggs into the flour mixture and slowly mix them together, working from the center of the bowl outward. Once you have a cohesive dough, turn it out of the bowl and knead it on a lightly floured work surface, adding more flour as necessary until the dough is silky and dry. Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can put it in a vacuum bag, seal it, and let it rest for 10 minutes before rolling out your pasta. (This will leave you with a moister dough than resting in plastic wrap.)
Unwrap the dough and cut it in quarters. Keep 3 pieces of the dough wrapped loosely in plastic while you work with the first piece. Lightly flour a work surface and, using a rolling pin, begin to roll out the dough. This process takes time. Dust the surface of the dough lightly with flour and continue to roll from the middle to the edges, turning the dough a quarter turn and flipping it over every couple of rolls. Continue to roll the dough until it is 1/8 inch (3 millimeters) thick and roughly 10 × 12 inches. Dust the dough with flour and fold down the top third of the dough. Dust the dough with flour again, and fold the bottom edge of the dough up over the third of dough you just folded down. Dust the dough with flour and, using a sharp knife, cut it lengthwise into ribbons 1/4 inch (6 millimeters) wide. Unfold each noodle, and dust with flour. Sprinkle a baking sheet with flour and loosely nest each batch of noodles on the pan in a single layer. Cover them with a kitchen towel and repeat with the remainder of the dough.
When all the dough is rolled, refrigerate the noodles until ready to use. If using within a few minutes, simply cover with a kitchen towel.
Alternatively, you can roll out the dough with a pasta maker following the manufacturer's instructions, using the cutter of your choice.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt the water, then add the noodles. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a separate pot large enough to hold the noodles, melt the butter over medium heat. Drain the cooked noodles and put them in the pot with the butter. Coat the noodles evenly with the butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.