Keto Pasta
Pasta. It’s what I miss most about my keto diet. Granted, I already couldn’t eat wheat pasta, but there are corn pastas out there that are exceptional -- you’d never know the difference. Alas, corn is not allowed now, so I’m making do with almond flour. Using this recipe as a jumping off point, I’ve tweaked a little to be a great base for my favorite bolognese. I am not a fan of coconut so I incresed the almond flour and added a tiny touch of buckwheat for structure.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE KETO PASTA DOUGH
96 g almond flour
24 g coconut flour
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 egg lightly beaten
2-4 teaspoons water as needed
TO COOK
56 g grass-fed unsalted butter as needed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic slivered, optional (but highly suggested!)
DIRECTIONS
FOR THE KETO PASTA DOUGH
Add almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum and salt to food processor. Pulse until thoroughly combined. Note: you can alternatively whisk everything in a large bowl and use a hand or stand mixer for the following steps.
Pour in apple cider vinegar with the food processor running. Once it has distributed evenly, pour in the egg. Add water teaspoon by teaspoon, as needed, until the dough forms into a ball. The dough should be firm, yet sticky to touch and with no creases (which mean the dough is dry and you need to add a little more water).
If no food processor is at hand, you can also do it by hand (it just takes a little more time and arm muscle!). Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Pour in vinegar and whisk until thoroughly distributed. Pour in egg while whisking vigorously and keep whisking until the dough becomes too stiff to whisk. Using your hands, knead the dough until thoroughly incorporated, adding a teaspoon of water at a time as needed (we use 2)
Wrap dough in cling film and knead it through the plastic for a couple minutes. Think of it a bit like a stress ball. Allow dough to rest for 30 minutes (and up to 5 days) in the fridge.
To SHAPE
Farfalle (i.e. bows) and orecchiette are probably the quickest shapes to make. Though cavatelli might just be my favorite, but you'll need a board (see special equipment for details).
For farfalle: roll out the pasta to its thinnest point using a tortilla press between parchment paper (our favorite) or a pasta machine. You can also use a rolling pin, but it'll take a little longer. Cut into roughly 2x1-inch rectangles. And if you're fuzzy about presentation, use a knife to cut lengthwise and a pastry cutter to cut widthwise.
For orecchiette: cut dough into 4 pieces, roll out into even-sized logs and slice off even-sized pieces. This will ensure evenly-sized pasta. Using your thumb, press each piece against your opposite palm, creating an indentation. Lightly dust with coconut flour as needed. You can either leave them as they are or turn them out (see post for gif images).
For cavatelli: cut dough into 4 pieces, roll out into even-sized logs and slice off even-sized pieces. This will ensure evenly-sized pasta. Lightly dust the board and pasta pieces with coconut flour. Place a piece on the board and using a knife press the dough towards you, angling the knife tip upwards as you press (see post for gif images), making the pasta curl into shape.
Place shaped pasta in the freezer for 15 minutes (and up to a couple months).
TO COOK
Heat up butter and oil in a skillet or pan over low heat. Once warm, add in garlic slivers. When the garlic begins to brown, add in chilled pasta and baste right away.
Cook pasta until it just begins to get some color, we found this gave the most 'al dente' texture (soft but with a bite). Feel free to make a test with one piece.
Serve right away with toppings of choice.