Recipe - Trofie and Orecchiette Pasta with a Rocket and Walnut Pesto or Classic Basil Pesto

Thank you for booking on to my pasta class, it is a personal favourite, I hope you enjoy it as much as i do! Please find the ingredients and equipment list, along with the methodology. Any questions, just drop me a message.

The pesto sauce allows for two servings, if cooking together in a household you can make one between two, or make one each, it will be nice to have some left over in the fridge! The pasta is two small servings, or one large, you can increase the quantities, but you might need to carry on “shaping” after the class.

EQUIPMENT -

  • clean work surface to knead and make on

  • Blender (optional)

  • Sharp knife and chopping board

  • Dough scraper or dinner knife

  • Large pestle and mortar, …If you are using the blender you don’t need this, or a zip lock bag and rolling pin.

  • Tray for placing your pasta on 

  • Large pot to cook the pasta in

  • Colander to drain the pasta

  • Ladle

  • cup

  • Wooden chopping board

INGREDIENTS

Pesto -Rocket (arugula) and Walnut (option 1)

  • 100g, (5 cups),  fresh rocket, (aka arugula) (if it is a 90g bag this is fine)

  • 50g (2oz)     freshly grated parmesan, Or grana padana

  • 60g ( 2 ½ oz)    walnuts, shelled

  • ½ garlic clove

  • 90+/-ml ( ½ cup)  extra virgin oil 

  • 50 ml ( ¼ cup)   walnut oil, Extra virgin olive oil is ok too.  

  • Juice of ½ lemon

Pesto - Basil and Pinenuts - classic (option 2)

  • 70g fresh basil (1 and half cups)

  • 40g pine nuts (1/4 cup)

  • 40g freshly grated parmesan (or grant padana) 1/4 cup

  • 140 ml Extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 clove of garlic

  • Sea Salt and black pepper to taste

Pasta – Orecchiette, trofie - per person.

  • 100g ( ½ cup)  Semolina, Plus extra, might also be called durum wheat flour  

  • 50ml ( ¼  cup) hot water 

  • Salt for cooking water

METHOD

Pasta Dough

Semolina and make a well, add water and knead until a smooth ball. 

Cover and rest ½ hour.

Make your shapes and dust with flour after shaped, and place on floured surface.

To cook

Boiling salted water for approximate 5 minutes. 

Save some pasta water aside for the pesto.

Pesto

 Chop/blend/bash up the ingredients together, and slowly add the olive oil

When making the pasta to serve mix in some of the pasta water to make it into a cream sauce. 

Storing fresh pasta

Allow to dry overnight, 

Fridge maximum 2 days – in air-tight container, like in a sealed tuperware box. 

But best eaten straight away! ;-)