Have you started wearing jogging bottoms as a uniform? When was the last time you styled your hair? Is that another bar of chocolate?! Being stuck at home has given us a rare opportunity to spend a lot of time with our partners, but being together 24/7 means it’s easy for the romance to slip.
Luckily, we’re here to help. The Hawkins & Brimble team have had a long hard think, and have put together a series of ‘date night’ challenges to show someone special a little tender loving care. Whether that’s you and your partner, your housemates, your pet or just an opportunity for some self love!
Pasta is a staple in most of our diets, but getting our hands on some has been tricky lately. Coupled with the fact that Italian food oozes romance, there’s nothing that ignites a spark more than a great, home cooked dish and curling up on the sofa with a good film.
Let’s get to it Gents!
Homemade Linguine
You will need:
Heap the flour into a pile on the countertop. Create a large well or crater in the middle and gently pour in the eggs, egg yolk, olive oil and salt. Use a fork to whisk together the wet ingredients inside the well. Continue to whisk slowly and begin to incorporate small amounts of flour from the sides. Try to not break through the sides of your flour ‘bowl’. (If the eggs do break through while mixing, don’t panic. Simply push some flour up against the break through with your hand, or with a bench scraper, and continue mixing).
Continue like this until the dough starts to come together. When the dough looks relatively cohesive, form it into a ball and knead for 10 minutes against the counter. The dough will be rough at first, but it should begin to tighten up and smooth out as you continue kneading. If the dough sticks to your hands, dust the countertop with a little more flour. In the end you should have a soft, elastic dough that feels smooth (like your face after a clean shave), and isn’t sticky. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with a wet tea towel and let it rest on the counter for an hour.
When the dough has finished resting, shape it into a thick log and cut it into 5 or 6 equal sections. Leave one section out, place the others back in the bowl and re-cover with the wet tea towel. Flour your counter well, and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a long strip. With each pass as you roll, lift the dough up, re-dust the counter beneath, and flip it over. When finished, you should have a long thin piece of dough, about the thickness of a sheet of paper, but strong enough to be lifted off of the countertop.
Dust the strip of dough with more flour. Starting with the short end, loosely fold like an accordion or paper fan. Use a very sharp knife to cut the stack across the folds into thin strips, around 4mm in width. Unroll the bundle of noodles and lay them across the counter or table top to dry for 15 minutes.
Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the fresh pasta and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until chewy and al dente. Linguine is a dish best served hot, unlike revenge, so drain and serve with your favourite sauce, whilst you watch your favourite film, with your favourite person. You can thank us later.
If you decide to create this dish, make sure to post a tasty photo and tag us @hawkinsandbrimble #DateNightChallenge!
