Cracked Black Pepper Pasta

I have literally just finished my last mouthful and run for my camera memory card, uploaded my piccies and started this blog post. That’s how good I thought tonight’s dinner was – I had to share it with y’all right now!

Having iPlayered Lorraine Pascale’s new TV series and been captivated by her cracked black pepper homemade pasta I knew I had to make it myself – I am a total black pepper addict, love, love, love it! So, I threw it on my iPad and got a-making.

The recipe (at the end of this post) makes enough for two hungry people for tea. And me and the Hungry Hubby are hungry people! After the pasta has had a little rest in the fridge, roll it through your pasta machine until you can start to see your hand through the pasta sheet, as Lorraine instructed however, I got down to setting 6 on mine, freaked out and stopped – it was so gossamer fine I was scared it would break! Do watch the video in the link above of Lorraine making this dish so you can see what you’re aiming for. Now here comes the very funky, inventive bit (Lorraine is totally awesome at finding DIY solutions to not having the exact right tools to hand…) – you hang your pasta up to dry on a hanger!!!

Don

OK, Lorraine’s were all the same length but she is a TV star, I’m just a wee home cook so I’m allowed to do “rustic” lol! It won’t affect the flavour bloggees…

Cue the gratuitous close up!

Now, here’s where I really started to deviate (apart from halving the pasta recipe) – I wanted a mushroom sauce which was less about the cream and more about other flavours. Notably, smoked pancetta pieces, normal white and baby chestnut mushrooms, marsala wine, a splosh of cream and a carpet of parsley. Oh! And lest I forget the shaved parmesan!

Italians are more about the pasta than about the sauce and those classy lassies know their pasta

However, I’m a British lass and a northern one at that – and we like carbs with our carbs – i.e. a wedge or two of rosemary, garlic and sea salt focaccia with our pasta!

Sorry Cucina, Lu and NY - I gotta have me some garlic bread with my pasta lol 😀

You may be wondering what such a special dinner is in aid of on a Tuesday night? Well, it is the final of the Great British Bake Off tonight and what more excuse does Jo Blogs need to pull out all the stops but the last in the series of my current favourite TV show! Mary-Anne or Holly to win – I cannae decide which I like more! So y’all have to wait until tomorrow for my sauce recipe as I just have to see how this one pans (ho ho ho!) out!!! I will update the blog when I’ve finished squealing with delight at what the girls bake for one last time!

Mwah XXX

Ok, I’ve finished squealing! Am gutted that Mary Anne didn’t win really, she was so inventive and pushed the boundaries of baking at every turn, I feel very inspired by her in actual fact… So if, like me, your favourite didn’t win – console yourself with a bowlful of loveliness in the form of homemade pasta and mushroom, Marsala and pancetta sauce – yummy, yummy in this girl’s tummy!

Fresh Cracked Black Pepper Pasta with Mushroom Marsala Pancetta Sauce Recipe