Making Pasta from Scratch & Homemade Chicken Parmesan!

Welcome back everyone to another episode of Nikoli's Kitchen! This week on the show I talk about toxic positivity and what my intentions are with the positivity segment on this show. With that comes a simple question- What's your Mirror? Also this week on the show, a full breakdown on making homemade pasta and homemade chicken parmesan, with every single element made from scratch. Thank you all so much for listening- including now on SPOTIFY! Find the link below!

Check out my good friend Gerald's show and vote in the Golden Peas awards before it's too late! You can do so at https://www.twopeasonapod.com/. 

Featured Recipe Timecodes

18:59 - Introduction
20:44 - Homemade Pasta Recipe
27:43 - Homemade Marinara Sauce
30:56 - Panko-Crusted Parmesan Chicken

 

Featured Recipe for this Episode (Sauce updated 08/18/2021; Pasta updated 02/22/2022)

1 c semolina flour
3/4 c all-purpose flour
8 egg yolks
3 T olive oil
1/2 - 3/4 c red wine or water

Mound your semolina and all-purpose flours on the countertop and create a well in the center. The well should be wide enough and tall enough to hold all of your eggs and liquids.
Add the egg yolks, olive oil, and half of the red wine/water (reserving the rest if you need it).
Using a fork, begin stirring the mixture in the center, pulling in flour as you go to incorporate it. Once you reach a point where this becomes too difficult, remove the fork and begin cutting the remaining flour into your dough with your hands. 
Continue working the dough to incorporate all of the flour. If it is too dry or flaky, add the other 1 T of red wine. 
Once the dough has formed, knead it by pressing it out with the heel of your hand for 12-15 minutes or until the dough feels silky smooth.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and rest for 30-60 minutes.
Lightly flour your countertop.
Cut the dough in thirds, keeping the remainder wrapped until you are ready to use it. 
Using a rolling pin, continue working the dough and roll it out into a long rectangular shape. Turn it over and continue working it as necessary. You want the dough to be relatively thin.
Once rolled out to desired thickness, lightly dust the flattened dough with flour and fold it over itself over and over in 3" sections or so.
Using a sharp knife, cut very small strips out of the dough and unwrap them to make your pasta noodles.
Repeat using the remainder of your dough.

Place a large pot of boiling water on the stove and add salt to taste.
Once the water reaches a rolling boil, drop your fresh pasta in. It will only take a couple of minutes to cook, so make sure you stand ready to remove it.
Remove the pasta when it is still slightly al dente and transfer it to a pan with sauce to finish to desired softness.

 

1 90-oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes
4 6-oz cans of tomato paste
2 c red wine
1-1/2 c garlic, crushed and chopped
3 c fresh basil, roughly chopped
2 T fresh oregano, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 c olive oil
Salt, pepper, and sugar to taste

Begin by adding a drizzle of olive oil and your butter to a large Dutch oven at mid heat.
Add your onions and cook for a few minutes, sprinkling some salt to sweat them out a bit. 
Cover and reduce the heat to low and let them saute for 15-20 minutes or so until nicely softened and caramelized.
Remove the cover and return to mid heat. 
Add basil, oregano, and half of your garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring so nothing burns.
Add your tomato paste and stir until well-incorporated, cooking for another minute or so.
Add your red wine and olive oil, again stirring to incorporate everything and cooking it for a minute or two until it starts to bubble again.
Crush your San Marzano tomatoes by hand and add them to the Dutch oven with the rest of your garlic.
Stir sauce together to combine and cook until it starts to bubble; reduce the heat back to low and cover and allow the sauce to slow-cook for at least 30 minutes (I let mine go for at least an hour or two every time). 
At some point during this cooking process, season with salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. I typically do about 1-2 T of salt, 2-3 T of pepper, and just about 1 t of sugar. 

 

6 chicken breasts, trimmed and pounded to 1/2" flat
3 c panko bread crumbs
1 c fresh parmesan cheese, shredded
1-1/2 c all-purpose flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

12 slices fresh mozzarella, about 1/4" thick
1 c fresh parmesan cheese, shredded

Mix the parmesan cheese and panko together.
Add salt and pepper to taste to your flour.
Dredge the chicken breasts, one by one, in flour, then egg, and then your panko/cheese mixture.
Place the chicken breasts aside for 5-10 minutes to rest, allowing the coating to stick to the meat.
Drizzle some olive oil in a large skillet and heat to mid-high.
Once the oil is nice and hot, cook your chicken until nicely browned and flip. Should only need 3-4 minutes per side since they are pounded out.

Once your chicken is done, top with two slices of mozzarella and a generous bit of parmesan cheese.
Place under the broiler for about 1-2 minutes or until the cheese is nicely melted and browning. Be sure to watch it closely as it can and will burn.

To plate-

Place a small portion of pasta flat in the center of the plate.
Add about 1/4 c of sauce.
Place your chicken over the top.
Add another 1/4 c of sauce over the chicken.
Grate some additional fresh parmesan if desired.
Serve immediately!

 

Important Links

(All links open in a new window)

Main Website
Subscribe on Patreon!
Livestream for the Cure
Join my Discord Community!
Podcast RSS Feed
Like my Facebook Page!
Follow me on Twitter!
Follow me on Instagram!
Join my Facebook Group!
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel!
Follow me on Twitch!

 

Listen on

Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Google Podcasts
Pandora
TuneIn Radio
iHeart Radio
Spreaker
PlayerFM
Stitcher
Podchaser

 

Guest Appearances

I had the pleasure of guesting on Two Peas on a Podcast recently to talk about Holiday Foods! Please check it and Gerald out at https://twopeasonpodcast.podbean.com/e/top-5-holiday-foods-134/.

Check me out on Netflix 'n Swill with Dan and Caleb talking about David Fincher's Mank! https://www.netflixnswill.com/nnspodcast/226

Tune in to December 2020's Rabbit Ears TV Podcast with Ashlee and Shawn Ennis as we talk about our love of Parks & Rec! https://www.netflixnswill.com/rabbitears/2020/12/24/parks-and-recreation

 

Credits

"Wrong," and "Ali" by Lucas King. Find this and more amazing music by Lucas and subscribe to him on YouTube by visiting https://www.youtube.com/user/LucasKingPiano!

"Daybreak," and "The Climb" from Music for Makers. Sign up and get a royalty-free song delivered to your inbox every Monday at www.musicformakers.com!