Medium
4 people
35 min
Danilo Cortellini
We all know a good pesto recipe nowadays and probably lots of you have encountered already Pappardelle, the larger cousins of tagliatelle, but what’s special about this recipe is the use of wild garlic in the pesto that definitely kicks things up a notch.
Extremely seasonal and also known as ramsons, wild garlic is a must have in my kitchen from March till June every year. Subtle garlicy taste, not as strong or pungent as you would think, is a burst of flavor and when I first found out that is so commonly spread around green areas all over the UK I couldn’t be happier and so I put it to the best use I know, extra virgin olive oil and Grana Padano cheese pesto. Pesto the quintessential Italian dressing for pastas, salads, meats, fishes and basically whatever else you want!
Chef tip: The recipe can be easily adapted with rocket salad if wild garlic is out of season.
Ingredients
- For the yellow pappardelle:
- 2 fresh rich yolk eggs
- 1 ⅓ cup (200 g) of 00 flour
- For the green pappardelle:
- 2 fresh rich yolk eggs
- 1 ⅓ cup (200 g) of 00 flour
- ¼ cup (25 g) of wild garlic leaves (or parsley, spinach)
- For the pesto:
- ¼ cup (25 g) of basil leaves, washed
- ¼ cup (25 g) of wild garlic leaves, washed
- 1/8 cup (40 g) of grated Grana Padano cheese
- 6 tsp (90 ml) of extra virgin olive oil
- 1/8 cup (12 g) of walnuts
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Start by making the pastas in advance.
For the yellow pasta:
knead the egg with the flour until it creates a smooth and elastic dough. You only reach the right consistency if the pasta has been worked hard enough to allows the gluten molecules to break down, the dough’s elasticity is very important for the final result. Wrap in cling film and let it rest for 30 minutes.
For the green pasta:
blanche the wild garlic leaves in salted boiling water. Cool in iced water to retain colour. Now squeeze and blend the cooked leaves with the eggs. Knead the egg mixture with the flour until smooth and elastic. It should have the same consistency as the yellow pasta so you might need a touch more flour than expected depending on how watery the leaves were. Wrap in cling film and let it rest for 30 minutes.
For the pesto:
This is very easy as what you have to do is simply put all the ingredients into a blender or a jug in case you want to use a hand blender and blitz them all together until you have a grainy paste – keep aside in a jar. You can store the pesto in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and it can be used in a variety of other dishes if there is any left.
