This recipe is not only delicious but a clever way to use up copious amounts of curly kale, particularly in those Winter months when fresh basil is less available.
INGREDIENTS
*Note: you will need to roll the pasta thinly or use a machine to create sheets ready for cutting. You can purchase fettucine attachments for machines to create uniform strips, or alternatively use a pasta cutter or sharp knife to cut your own.
PASTA DOUGH
170g super Fine 00 Grade Pasta Flour
90g semolina flour
3 eggs + 1/2 extra yolk
1/2 tsp of olive oil
1/2 tsp of salt
*You can also purchase dried fettucine pasta from supermarkets and Italian delicatessens
PESTO
140g torn kale (no stems)
65ml olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
juice of one lemon
30g raw walnuts
40g grated Parmesan or Pecorino
salt and pepper (to taste)
METHOD
PASTA
*If using dried fettucine or similar, ignore below steps and cook according to packet instructions
Place the flour on a board or in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and crack the eggs into it. Beat the eggs with a fork until smooth.
Using the tips of your fingers, mix the eggs with the flour, incorporating a little at a time, until everything is combined.
Knead the pieces of dough together until you're left with a smooth lump of dough. Knead and work it with your hands to develop the gluten in the flour for 8-10 minutes until the pasta starts to feel smooth and silky instead of rough and floury. You'll also feel that the dough springs back, or that there's some resistance when pushing down on it.
Wrap the dough in cling film and put it in the fridge to rest for at least half an hour before you use it. Make sure the cling film covers it well or it will dry out and go crusty round the edges.
Cut off 1/3 of the dough. Wrap the remaining dough in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out and place back in the fridge. Flatten dough with your hands and roll to the correct thinness. If using a pasta machine, pass through the largest setting of your pasta machine. Fold in half, rub with more flour, and pass through the pasta machine again. Keep passing though the machine until you reach an even rectangular sheet of smooth, not sticky, consistency. Pass the dough through the middle setting of your machine and then through the second-to-last to make a long and thin sheet.
If using a fettuccine attachment, gently pass the sheets through until cut into shape. If doing this by hand, gently slice into medium-width strips of similar proportions, sprinkle with flour and leave aside ready for cooking.
When ready, cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes until ready.
PESTO
Put the walnuts, cheese, garlic, oil, kale and lemon juice in a food processor and whizz to a paste. Season to taste. Stir through hot pasta to serve, topping with extra Parmesan and olive oil, if you like.
Store any extra in a container in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for a rainy day.