Plum Tube Pasta with Vanilla Sauce

Ingredients

• 500 g flour
• 0.5 cube fresh yeast (21 g)
• 40 g sugar
• 250 ml lukewarm milk
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 40 g softened butter
• 12 plums
• 250 ml milk
• 250 ml Whipping Cream
• 1 vanilla pod
• 5 egg yolks
• 60 g sugar
• 60 g melted butter
• powdered sugar (for dusting)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Sift the flour into a bowl and form a well in the center. Crumble the yeast into it and mix with 1 tbsp sugar and 3-4 tbsp milk. Cover and let the pre‑starter rise for about 15 minutes. Then add the remaining sugar, remaining milk, egg, lemon zest and butter to the bowl and knead into a smooth, glossy dough that releases from the bowl edges. Cover and let rise for about 45 minutes.

2. 2.

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C (356 °F) with both fan and top heating.

3. 3.

   Wash, pit and pat dry the plums. Butter a baking tin lightly.

4. 4.

   Divide the dough into twelve roughly equal pieces, roll each into a ball, press one plum into the center of each and seal with dough. Arrange side by side in the buttered tin so they fill it tightly. Brush with remaining melted butter, cover and let rise for about 15 minutes. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes until golden brown.

5. 5.

   For the vanilla sauce bring milk and cream to a boil with the split vanilla pod removed. In a bowl whisk egg yolks with sugar until creamy. Slowly pour the warm milk‑cream into the yolk mixture in a thin stream, stirring constantly. Return everything to the pot and cook over low heat while stirring continuously until thickened into a creamy sauce; do not let it boil. Strain through a sieve and spoon onto plates. Arrange the pasta on top and dust with powdered sugar before serving.