Homemade Pesto Pasta with Fresh Pappardelle
Wide ribbons of homemade egg pasta catch a fresh basil pesto made with pine nuts, garlic, olive oil and Parmesan. This pesto pasta has a soft, glossy coating without cream. The dough uses all-purpose flour and eggs, and the sauce comes together while the dough rests, making it a satisfying meal to prepare from scratch.
Ingrédients
- 14 oz all-purpose flour about 3 1/3 cups, plus a little for dusting
- 4 large eggs
- Water only if needed for the dough, added 1 tsp at a time
- 1 1/2 oz fresh basil leaves about 1 cup firmly packed
- 7/8 oz pine nuts about 3 tbsp
- 2 small garlic cloves peeled
- 1 1/2 oz Parmesan finely grated (about 1/2 cup), plus optional extra for serving
- 6 tbsp plus 2 tsp olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste, for the pesto
- 4 quarts water for cooking the pasta
- 1 tbsp fine table salt for the pasta cooking water
- 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water; use only as needed
Instructions
- Make a well in the flour, add the eggs and gradually incorporate the flour with a fork. Gather into a dough.
- Knead 8–10 minutes until smooth and pliable, adding water 1 tsp at a time only if dry crumbs will not come together, or a little flour if sticky. Divide into four pieces, cover tightly and rest at least 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, wash and thoroughly dry the basil, peel the garlic and finely grate the Parmesan. Put basil, pine nuts and garlic in a narrow blending cup.
- Pulse with half the oil, then add the remaining oil gradually until finely chopped and spoonable. Stir in Parmesan and season to taste. Avoid prolonged blending.
- Roll one covered dough portion at a time, starting at the widest machine setting, folding and repeating until even, then gradually narrowing to about 1/32–1/16 inch thick. Keep unused dough covered. A rolling pin also works.
- Lightly flour the sheets, fold loosely and cut into 3/4–1-inch ribbons. Unfold promptly and keep in loose, lightly floured nests.
- Bring 4 quarts water and the cooking salt to a boil. Cook ribbons until tender with a slight bite, generally 2–4 minutes depending on thickness. Reserve 1 cup cooking water before draining. Do not rinse.
- Away from direct heat, loosen the pesto in a large bowl with 2 tbsp cooking water. Add hot drained pasta and toss, adding more water 1 tbsp at a time until glossy. Adjust seasoning and serve immediately.
Vidéo
Notes
Allow an additional 20-minute dough rest; pesto preparation can overlap that rest. Total elapsed time is about 55–65 minutes, longer for first-time hand rolling. The video makes dough with half this flour and egg quantity and uses half its pesto batch. This version doubles the dough and uses the full adjusted pesto batch. Refrigerate homemade pesto and use within four days, or freeze. Refrigerate cooked leftovers within two hours and use within 3–4 days; reheat to 165°F. Nutrition is calculated approximately from the ingredients, excluding extra serving cheese and most discarded cooking salt.