Shape up

PHOTOS: Dirk Pieters | PRODUCTION: Abigail Donnelly | FOOD ASSISTANT: Hannah Lewry

Pasta goes from hearty to arty in time for spring, with beautiful shapes, unusual colours and intriguing flavours adding a new twist to this trusty staple.

Pea and fresh rocket pasta with a lime cream and luxurious truffles

SERVES: 6
PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes
COOKING TIME: 5 minutes

500 g cake flour
4 free-range eggs
6 free-range egg yolks
5 ml (1 t) Maldon sea salt
125 ml (½ cup) peas, blanched
60 g rocket, wilted
semolina, for rolling
250 ml (1 cup) fresh cream
zest of 2 fresh limes
2 fresh truffles, thinly sliced

Place the cake flour in a mixing bowl, make a well in the centre and add the eggs, egg yolks and salt. Combine to form a soft dough. Mash or purée the peas and rocket together, reserve half and add a small amount to the pasta dough at a time while kneading it. When the colour of the dough is rich and vibrant throughout, refrigerate it for 1 hour. Remove the dough from the fridge and, using a pasta machine or rolling pin, roll it out on a semolina-dusted surface until thin.

Cut long strips of pasta with a crinkle-cut roller, place in boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and toss it in the reserved pea and rocket purée. Place a small saucepan on a low heat, add the cream and lime zest and gently simmer the mixture for 2 minutes until the flavours infuse. Drizzle this over the pea and rocket pasta and serve topped with slivers of fresh truffles.

Squid-ink pasta hearts with carrot parpadelle and chilli-infused olive oil

SERVES: 4-6
PREPARATION TIME: 25 minutes
COOKING TIME: 15 minutes

500 g cake flour
4 free-range eggs
free-range egg yolks
5 ml (1 t) Maldon sea salt
2 x 5 ml sachets squid ink (available at specialty delis)
3 carrots, cooked and puréed
semolina, for rolling
60 ml (4 T) olive oil
2 large fresh red chillies, chopped

Place the flour in a mixing bowl, make a well in the centre and add the eggs, egg yolks and salt. Combine to form a soft dough. Divide the dough in half, add the squid ink to one half and knead together thoroughly. To the remaining dough, slowly add the puréed carrots while kneading until the colour is rich and vibrant throughout. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out the differently coloured halves until thin on a semolina-dusted surface using a pasta machine or rolling pin.

Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out pasta shapes and, leaving the frames intact, cook the pasta until al dente. (Cook the differently coloured pastas separately to prevent the colours from running into each other.) Place a small saucepan on a low heat, add the olive oil and chopped red chillies and simmer gently for a few minutes until the oil begins to change colour and infuse with the chilli flavour. Blitz until creamy. Serve the squid-ink pasta hearts underneath the carrot hearts for a dramatic effect, and drizzle the chilli oil over the pasta.

Chocolate pasta biscuits with vanilla-encrusted salt and olive oil 

SERVES: 6
PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes
COOKING TIME: 5 minutes

500 g cake flour
4 free-range eggs
6 free-range egg yolks
5 ml (1 t) Maldon sea salt
100 g dark chocolate, melted
45 ml (3 T) cocoa
extra cocoa, for rolling
15 ml (1 T) butter
5 ml (1 t) vanilla extract
1 vanilla pod, seeds removed
15 ml (1 T) intact Maldon sea salt crystals
organic olive oil, to drizzle

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Place the flour in a bowl, make a well and add the eggs, egg yolks and salt. Combine to form a soft dough. Add the melted dark chocolate and cocoa. Knead the dough until everything is thoroughly combined and the colour is rich and dark throughout, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove the dough from the fridge and, using a pasta machine or rolling pin, roll it out until thin on a cocoa-powder-dusted surface. Use a flower-shaped cookie cutter to cut out shapes.

Place the butter in a hot pan and, when melted, add the chocolate pasta flowers. Turn the flowers after 1 minute and drain them on kitchen towel. Carefully rub the vanilla extract and seeds into the Maldon sea salt crystals and then place on a baking tray in the oven for 5 minutes. Finally, sprinkle the vanilla salt over the chocolate pasta biscuits and add a drizzle of organic olive oil.

Magenta beetroot pasta folds with coconut and porcini mushroom cubes

SERVES: 4-6
PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes
COOKING TIME: 15 minutes

500 g cake flour
4 free-range eggs
6 free-range egg yolks
5 ml (1 t) Maldon sea salt
8 beetroots, cooked and peeled semolina, for rolling
30 ml (2 T) olive oil
6 fresh porcini mushrooms, diced
250 ml (1 cup) cream
¼ fresh coconut, opened and cleaned

Place the flour in a mixing bowl, make a well in the centre and add the eggs, egg yolks and salt. Combine to form a soft dough. Mash or purée the beetroot. Reserve half and then add a little at a time to the pasta dough, kneading until thoroughly combined and the colour is rich and vibrant. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove the dough from the fridge and, using a rolling pin or pasta machine, roll it out until thin on a semolina-dusted surface.

Place a non-stick pan over a medium to high heat, add the olive oil and, once warm, add the mushrooms and cook until golden. Place a small saucepan on a medium to low heat, add the reserved puréed beetroot and cream and warm through. Boil the long strips of beetroot pasta until al dente. Use a grater or sharp knife to create thin strands of fresh coconut. Toss the pasta in the beetroot cream and top it with the golden porcini mushrooms and coconut strands.