Trofie al Pesto

Trofie al Pesto

 

 

Ingredients:

For 6

Durum flour 600gr + Extra

Water as much needed

Salt

In a bowl put the 600gr of flour + the salt and keep some water next to you. Start adding slowly the water. Practically what you are looking for is dough like when you make bread, which will be of course harder since you are using the durum flour. So the best way to understand that is to start working your dough on a counter (if you have a wood surface on which you can work even better), you might need to add or more water or more flour. After the 1^st few times you will learn how to dose the water. Not always it is the same amount given by the fact that flour with humidity can absorb more or less water.

On the dough is ready, cut off a ball the size of your nail and on your counter (if wood better) start working it. The movement you wish to do is, the ball under your tip of your little finger roll it up making long about 3cm, then roll back down compressing it a bit and sort of doing an oblique movement. Like that you should be able to create that wiggly surface on the dough as you see on the photo. The more times you try the better you will get at it. Many just roll it out like a sort of worm and leave it like that.

I have 2 wooden surfaces, 1 I use to work the dough the 2^nd to lay them out. Add as much flour you need in order that they don’t stick. In a large pot put water to boil and once it starts boiling add rock salt. Then add your pasta and let it cook until ready. I never give timing for the cooking since not all of us make it the same size or same dimensions.

 

Pesto sauce:

60 leaves of Basil (I calculate 10 leaves per person when I use the large ones)

30gr of pine nuts

Garlic 3 gloves

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Parmigiano 60gr

Salt (if needed)

Wash very well your basil leaves and pat dry them, in a blender put your basil leaves, pine nuts. Parmesan and extra virgin olive oil (as much as you need) blend the ingredients but not too much since over blending can pull out the bitterness from the basil. I really never add salt since Parmesan is already salty on its own. This is the traditional way of making it. Since I am a tomato freak and would put everywhere I do that with my pesto. I chop 1 garlic very finely I add some extra virgin olive oil to a pan, as soon as it starts sizzling I add my cherry tomatoes, which previously I wash and chopped in half. Let it cook for about 5 minutes and you can add it on top of you pesto pasta. You can also freeze the pesto for another meal.