Silk Handerkerchiefs with Pesto Sauce (fazzoletti di seta al pesto)

Homemade egg pasta rocks!  Two simple ingredients that make boring into amazing.  Making homemade pasta isn't as daunting as one might think and it's actually therapeutic.  Don't worry if you don't have a pasta machine as you can use a rolling pin.  Once you get the hang of making your own pasta, why not experiment with other flavors and colors such as spinach (green pasta), squid ink pasta (black pasta), purple pasta (beet), truffle etc.  Fresh pasta will last up to five days in the refrigerator or one month in the freezer.  Click here to view a video on how to make fresh pasta.

Serves 4
recipe from Jamie's Italy
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pesto recipe
455g (1 lb) fresh egg pasta dough recipe
flour for dusting
a handful of fresh basil leaves, torn up
100g freshly grated pecorino cheese

First make your pesto.  Then make the egg pasta dough and roll it out to 2mm on a pasta machine.  Lay all the long strips ona well-floured worktop.  Using a knife or a pasta wheel, cut the strips into rectangular pieces, roughly the size of beer mats.

Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted wated for about 3 minutes, until just cooked, then drain, reserving a little of the cooking water.  Toss the cooked pasta with the pesto, the torn basil leaves and the pecorino.  Taste and season if necessary, and add a few spoonfuls of the cooking water if you need to loosen up the sauce a bit.  Serve sprinkled with more pecorino and serve immediately.


The Culinary Chase's Note:  Velvety smooth pasta with fresh ingredients make for a perfect meal.  Buon Appetito!