Pasta With Bacon Thyme Semisun Dried Tomatoes

This delightful pasta dish is quick and simple to make, looks gorgeous in presentation and is even tastier on the palette.

You can choose to create your own fettuccine if you wish, or alternatively, dried or fresh fettuccine is extremely good quality and works perfectly well in its place. If you do have a bit of extra time to create your own fresh pasta though, then why not give it a try as it is very simple to make.

If you do not have a pasta maker then have no fear, you can still make beautiful, fresh tasting pasta. Included in this recipe are two methods, one for making pasta with a pasta maker, and one if you do not have this equipment.

Fettuccine Pasta Dough

Makes Approximately 500g pasta

400g tip 00 flour
3 eggs

Crack the eggs into a small bowl and beat them slightly. Place the flour on a bench and make a well in the centre. Add the eggs to the centre of the flour, and slowly begin to incorporate the flour with the eggs, using your fingers, until the mixture is combined and resembling lumpy dough.

Then firmly knead the mixture for around 5 minutes with your hands, or until it is a smooth, elastic dough consistency and all the floury lumps are removed. When smooth, roll into a ball and cover tightly with clingfilm. Place in the refrigerator for an hour to allow the dough to rest.

With a Pasta Maker

1. After allowing the pasta to rest, divide the pasta into four sections with a sharp knife. Taking one section, roll out with a rolling pin until about an inch thick.
2. Set your pasta maker to the widest setting, and feed your pasta through it. Repeat this process several times on either sides of the pasta until you feel it becoming very smooth, dusting it with a little flour each time to prevent it from sticking together.
3. Then click the pasta maker down a setting and again slowly feed it through. Click the machine to the next narrowest setting and keep repeating this, moving the pasta maker down a notch each time until the pasta has a thickness of about ½ centimetre, making sure you dust with a little flour after each interval.
4. Then feed your pasta through the fettuccine attachment, lightly dust the pasta with flour and lay a dampened cloth over it to prevent the pasta from becoming dry and sticking together.
5. Repeat this process with the three remaining dough balls, until all the dough has been used, and wholah you have created your own pasta.

Without a Pasta Maker

1. After allowing the pasta to rest, divide the pasta into four sections with a sharp knife.
2. Flour the surface of your workbench as well as a rolling pin and taking one of the four sections, roll the dough out. Then form the dough back into a ball, and repeat this process several times, until you feel it becoming very silky.
3. Then roll out your pasta again, out to about ½ centimetre thick. Using a sharp knife, cut the pasta into long thin strips of pasta of about ½ inch wide. If the pasta is very long, cut it in half again. Then lightly dust with flour and lay a dampened clothe over it to prevent the pasta from becoming dry and sticking together.
4. Repeat this process with the three remaining dough balls, until all the dough has been used, and wholah you have created your own pasta.

Fettuccine Pasta with Bacon, Thyme and Semi-sun dried tomatoes

Serves Four

500g fettuccine pasta fresh or dried
½ small bunch thyme leaves picked
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
250g bacon cut into thin strips
2 cloves garlic crushed
One onion finely sliced
½ cup semi-sun dried tomatoes chopped
¼ cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
Freshly cracked salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Put a large saucepan of water to the boil, so the fresh pasta can be added when the onion is ready to be added to the frypan with the bacon, or is using dried pasta cook now as it will take several minutes longer.
2. Place a frypan on medium heat, adding the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter to the pan until the butter begins to melt, and then add the bacon, and cook for two minutes or until beginning to slightly brown.
3. Then add the thyme leaves, garlic and onion and cook for two minutes, or when the onions begin to sweat down and are transparent. If using fresh pasta, add to the saucepan of boiling water now, and allow to cook for approximately 2 to 3 minutes or until al dente.
4. When the pasta is ready, drain it in a colander reserving around ¼ cup of the starchy boiling water, and place both the pasta and the reserved liquid back in the saucepan.
5. Then add the semi-sun dried tomatoes to the frypan and cook for around a minute or until heated through.
6. Add the pasta and the cooking liquid to the frypan, adding the tablespoon of reserved butter and the parmesan cheese and toss quickly through. Add salt and pepper and season to taste.
7. Divide into serving bowls, and garnish with extra parmesan cheese if desired.