Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Dough

Ingredients

  • 4 red bell peppers
  • ¼ - ½ cup water, as needed
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • 4 egg whites

Special Equipment

  • tongs
  • food processor

How-to

Char & Purée Red Peppers

  1. Char peppers over flame atop gas stove, rotating frequently until all sides are completely blackened (or char under the broiler, turning to get all sides)
  2. Remove to a steel bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap, or place in paper bag, and fold down top to seal in steam. Allow peppers to sit and steam, about 10-15 minutes. You will be able to tell when they are ready in the bowl with plastic wrap when the steam clouding the plastic starts to clear, and you can see into the bowl
  3. Cut peppers in half and remove stems and seeds. Rub off skins with a dry cloth, or rub skins off with hands under cool running water
  4. Transfer peppers to food processor and purée. Check purée after a few seconds. Add water, tablespoon by tablespoon if needed. Allow to process until a smooth consistency is reached

Make Pasta Dough

  1. Place flour in a mound atop work surface. Make a well in the center of the flour for the liquids
  2. Add pepper purée and egg whites into the well
  3. Sprinkle a pinch of salt around the flour
  4. With a fork, slowly work the flour around the walls of the well into the liquid until all of the purée and egg whites have been worked into the flour
  5. Start to gather the dough together with hands, working the excess flour in slowly
  6. Knead dough with hands about 10 minutes, or until "smooth as a baby's bum." One test to see if the dough has been kneaded enough is to slice the dough in half with a sharp knife. If the dough does not have air pockets, it is ready to rest
  7. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest in refrigerator at least 30 minutes before use