Polenta Pasta with Pesto Genovese
By OcadoLife
Published on 09 March 2022
This fun recipe by Matt Williamson proves that making pasta from scratch can be super simple, not to mention delicious.Looking for more pasta recipes? We've got you covered. Time and servings
40 minsTotal time
4Servings
40 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 100 g of polenta
- 1 large bunch of basil, leaves picked
- 1 small garlic clove, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp of pine nuts, lightly toasted
- 6 tbsp of olive oil
- 125 g of pasta flour, plus extra for dusting
- 30 g of parmesan (or a vegetarian alternative if required), plus extra to serve, finely grated
Method
Step 1
To make the pasta dough, mash the cooked polenta in a mixing bowl with the flour, then knead by hand in the bowl until smooth. Alternatively, use a stand mixer with a dough hook. Cover the dough and put it in the fridge while you make the pesto.Step 2
Put the basil in a blender and begin to blitz. Add the garlic and pine nuts, then the oil, bit by bit, until you have a smooth, thick dressing. Stir in the parmesan, season and add more oil if you like.Step 3
When you’re ready to shape the pasta, tip the dough onto a sheet of baking paper dusted with flour. Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out until it’s just 2-3mm thick. Cut into strips about 5cm wide, then cut on the diagonal to create diamonds.Step 4
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, then use a spatula to add the pasta shapes to the water. Give it a gentle stir, then boil fast for 1½-2 mins –the pasta shapes are cooked when they have been floating on the surface of the water for about 30 secs. Drain, reserving a cup of cooking water.Step 5
Put the pasta back into the pan and stir in the pesto, adding a slosh of the cooking water if you need to loosen the mixture a little. Season with black pepper and serve topped with a grating of parmesan.