If you’ve never made your own pasta, now is the time to have a go! This recipe is spring on a plate and probably like nothing you’ve ever seen before!
INGREDIENTS
- 230gms 00 flour
- 3 small or 2 large eggs.
- Selection of leaves and flowers – rosemary flowers, dog violets, goose grass, sage leaves, dill.
Method
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Select the flowers and leaves that you will use in the pasta, remove any coarse or hard stems, and keep in the fridge until needed.
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To make dough, sieve the flour on to a smooth work surface, make a well in the centre and break in the eggs.
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With a fork, whisk the eggs and gradually incorporate the flour; as the batter gets thicker, use your fingers to bring it together. Knead the dough for a few minutes, it should be soft but have some resistance. If the dough is sticky, knead in a little more flour. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, to give the gluten in the flour time to relax.
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Remove dough from the cling film and cut into 3 even bits. Keep the dough that you are not using wrapped in cling film to stop it drying out. If you don’t have a pasta machine, use a rolling pin, and plenty of flour. If you have a pasta machine, dust liberally with flour then pass the dough through the widest setting a couple of times, then start to move the setting to a thinner size each time until setting 3 or 4.
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Lay the sheet of pasta on the surface and arrange the flowers and leaves on one half of the sheet, then fold the other half on top to make a sandwich. Gently press together.
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Set the machine back to setting 1 and pass the sheet through the setting again until you reach the desired thickness. Making the pasta thin will distort the flowers and leaves – for the best result stop after setting 4/5.
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Either cut rounds for ravioli or cut into strips for fettuccine.
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Cook in plenty of salted boiling water with a dash of olive oil for 2 – 3 minutes.
