Ingredients

• 250g/9oz Italian ‘00’ flour
• plus extra for dusting
• 1 free-range egg
• 3 free-range eggs
• yolks only
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• pinch salt
• large bunch of small-leaved basil
• about 50 leaves
• about 10g/¼oz coarse sea salt
• 40g/1½oz pine kernels
• 4 garlic cloves
• 100ml/3½fl oz olive oil
• 80g/3oz parmesan or pecorino (or alternative vegetarian hard cheese)
• freshly grated

Directions

• For the pasta
• place the flour in a bowl or on a work surface
• and make a well in the centre. Add the egg
• yolks
• half the oil and a pinch of salt. Firstly with a fork and then with your hands
• gradually mix the flour with the eggs and oil until you obtain a rough paste. If necessary
• add a splash of water. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for a few minutes until it is smooth
• not sticky. Cover with a cloth and leave to rest for 15–30 minutes.
• Divide the dough into quarters. If you have a pasta machine
• put the dough through the rollers gradually
• starting with the thickest setting
• working down to the thinnest
• until you have silky sheets about 1mm thick
• or less. Cut the sheets of pasta into large squares
• about 15x15cm/6x6in
• and dust with flour to prevent them sticking together.
• For the pesto
• put the basil leaves in a large mortar with the salt
• pine kernels and garlic. Grind down with the pestle until it becomes a fine pulp. Start to add the oil and continue grinding until the mixture is smooth. Add the parmesan and mix well.
• To cook the pasta
• put the pasta sheets one by one into a saucepan with plenty of lightly salted boiling water
• and add the remaining oil. Cook until al dente
• about three minutes or so.
• Put about 3-4 tablespoons of pesto in a large pan and warm up gently with 3-4 tablespoons of cooking water from the pasta pan.
• Remove the pasta sheets from the water using a perforated scoop
• and put them into the sauce. Add the rest of the sauce
• mix well
• and serve with a few extra basil leaves to garnish.