Saffron Pasta with Lemon Chervil Sauce

Saffron Dough

Ingredients

1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 ½ tablespoons warm water
2 cups (300g) '00' pasta flour or your favourite plain flour
Good pinch salt flakes
3 large free range eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons pure olive oil

Method

For best results use the KitchenAid® Stand Mixer and Pasta Roller Attachment.
Combine the saffron and water. Set aside for 20 minutes or until a dark yellow colour.
Attach the flat beater and mixing bowl to the stand mixer. Place the flour, salt, eggs, lemon, oil and saffron mixture into the mixing bowl. Mix on speed 2 until mixture just comes together into a ball.
Change to the dough hook and knead on speed 1 or 2 for 3-5 minutes or until dough is smooth and very soft. Dough can be slightly sticky so a little extra flour can be added, if required. Remove with floured hands and knead lightly.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate (if desired) to rest for 15 minutes.
Cut dough into 6 even thick slices. Attach the pasta roller to the stand mixer. Dust the roller and dough lightly with a little extra flour. Take one section of dough and pat out to flatten.
Adjust the roller setting to 1. Turn mixer to speed 4 and feed the dough into rollers. Fold dough in half and feed through again. Repeat this step three more times, reducing the roller setting with each rolling.
Place pasta sheets over a pasta dryer or lightly floured surface. Repeat with remaining dough. Remove the roller attachment and attach the thick noodle cutter. Turn the mixer to speed 4.
Feed each sheet into the cutter. Lay the cut pasta over a pasta stand or lightly floured surface.
To serve cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water for 3 minutes or until just tender. Drain well and toss with the sauce and half of the parmesan. Top with remaining chervil and parmesan.

Lemon chervil sauce

Ingredients

50g butter
2 spring onions, finely chopped
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
300ml cream
Several extra saffron strands
Freshly ground black pepper
2 bunches chervil, leaves picked and roughly chopped
150g finely grated Parmesan

Method

Melt the butter in a frypan until foamy, add the spring onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add the lemon, cream, saffron strands and season well. Stir through half the chervil

Tips & Hints

Please note: vegetarian recipes in this database may contain dairy products and eggs and are therefore suitable for lacto-ovo-vegetarians only, who have adopted a vegetarian diet for health reasons.
Saffron is available from good delicatessens and supermarkets. Choose the darkest and longest strands you can find or afford. There is a big variance in the quality available, some brands are quite inferior and have little flavour.