Fettuccine al Pesto Genovese por Donato De Santis | PASTALINDA

Basic Dough Ingredients: 1 whole egg 5 egg yolks 300g all-purpose flour Extra virgin olive oil (optional, but recommended as it adds flavor and softens the dough) Fine sea salt Water, only if necessary Kneading: On the counter, form a well with the dry ingredients, that is, the flour or different types of flour. In the center, pour the wet ingredients, already mixed together (egg yolks, eggs, water, olive oil). Using a fork, incorporate the flour from the edge of the well towards the center and work it until everything is combined. When the fork can no longer bind the dough, continue combining it with your fingertips. Once combined, knead with the heels of your palms, alternating hands and using your body weight to add more force to the kneading, until the dough is smooth and compact (it shouldn't stick to the counter or your hands). To achieve this texture, if necessary, you can add semolina flour or extra water during kneading. Finally, form a ball of dough, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for at least an hour. If the dough is too compact or dry while you're forming the ball, don't be tempted to add more liquid. It's okay if it's difficult to knead at first because the flour takes a few minutes to absorb the liquids and for them to become incorporated. I suggest you keep kneading, but if after a few minutes you're still unsure whether you're on the right track, then do the following: take a portion of dough the size of a golf ball and squeeze it firmly. If the dough sticks to your fingers, it needs more flour. Conversely, if it's difficult to bring together, it needs more water. In all cases, you have to learn to listen to the dough and be able to detect when it needs more liquid, but it's always preferable to add less liquid at the beginning and see how the dough works. Trust that with practice, this will become automatic. Kneading and rolling with a Pastalinda machine: Place the rollers in the widest opening of the machine (the dial at number 1). Cut a portion of dough and flatten it until it is 1 or 1.5 cm thick. Pass it through the Pastalinda machine and then fold the resulting strip, overlapping one half over the other. Repeat this operation several times, but always inserting the dough between the machine's rollers from a different side, so that it becomes more resilient. Then, continue passing the dough through the Pastalinda machine, gradually narrowing the roller opening until you obtain the desired thickness. If the dough is sticky, sprinkle it with semolina flour, but always do this on the counter and never on the pasta machine. To prevent the portion of dough you're not rolling out from drying out, cover it with a tea towel or a food-safe bag. Drying - Airing It's important to dry the raw pasta at room temperature so that it maintains its shape and firmness during cooking and doesn't absorb excess water. Servings: Allow 100-120 g of raw dough per person. Genovese Pesto: Utensils needed: 1 marble mortar 1 wooden pestle Ingredients: 100g fresh basil 30g pine nuts 60g freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese 2 garlic cloves 10g coarse salt 80ml olive oil Procedure: 1. The marble mortar and wooden pestle are the traditional utensils used to make pesto. 2. Wash the basil with cold water and dry it by placing it on paper towels without rubbing. 3. Crush the basil leaves, garlic, and pine nuts in the mortar. Add the salt and cheese and continue crushing using a gentle circular motion. Gradually add the extra virgin olive oil and continue crushing until you obtain a smooth, creamy, and very fine sauce. Pesto should not be oily; the amount of oil used should be incorporated into the mixture and not float on the surface. 4. Perform this procedure as quickly as possible to avoid oxidation. Cooking the pasta: Submerge the pasta in boiling salted water. Cook the pasta uncovered until it reaches al dente and drain with a slotted spoon. The cooking time is proportional to the pasta's drying time: the drier it is, the longer it will take to cook; generally, it varies between five and seven minutes, depending also on the size. Finishing: In the case of sheet pasta, it is ideal to drain it before it reaches al dente and finish cooking it over the heat in a pan with the sauce, along with some of the pasta water. When the sauce is not a liquid (for example, sautéed vegetables), this last step allows the ingredients to blend and, in all cases, helps the flavors meld. By Donato De Santis