Matcha noodles
Prep Time: 10 minutes + resting time
Cook Time: a few minutes
Keywords: boil pasta matcha semolina flour Japanese Italian
Ingredients (Serves 2)
For the pasta(I recommend weighing both flour and water)
- 5 g matcha
- 95 g semolina flour
- 60 ml warm water
- A pinch of salt
For the dressing
- 1/2 tablespoon / 7 g butter
- 50 g / 1 3/4 oz. Crescenza cheese cut into small pieces
- Petals of one calendula flower (optional: it provides a nice color accent)
Instructions
How to make the noodles
Measure the matcha and flour in a bowl and stir them with a metal whisk until the matcha is well dispersed, then add warm water and salt and mix into a dough, first with a fork and then with your hands.
Note: if you have the chasen (bamboo whisk) and like to use it, you can also mix matcha and hot (not boiling) water with it, then, once it is dissolved, add semolina flour and salt and mix into a dough, first with a fork and then with your hands.
Regardless of the method used, knead the dough until it is cohesive, then let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes or so. Knead it some more until smooth. Let it rest, well covered (e.g., wrapped in plastic film), for half an hour or so.
Cut the dough into 2 equal pieces, flatten both with a rolling pin and then roll with a pasta machine until you are down to the last but one notch. Let rest for a few minutes then cut each piece into tagliatelle (1/4-inch / 6 mm wide) with the attachment. Lay out the noodles in such a way that they don’t stick to each other until you are ready to cook them.
How to cook and dress the noodles
Bring a small pot of water to a rolling boil, add some coarse salt, stir and then toss the noodles in it. The time needed to cook it is a bit variable, depending on how dry they are, but it is not long.
In the meantime, melt the butter in a skillet on gentle heat, then add the cheese and stir while it softens. You want to time this so that the cheese is just melted by the time the pasta is ready to join it.
Taste and stop the cooking when the noodles are ready. Pour a glass of cold water in the pot, stir and drain leaving a little bit of the cooking water clinging to the noodles. Drop the pasta into the skillet with the melted cheese. Stir well over medium-low heat for half a minute or so, until the noodles are coated with the cheese. Sprinkle calendula petals, if using and give a final stir. Plate and serve immediately.