Trofie al Pesto

Enjoy the meditative process of making your own trofie pasta and then savor the results once cooked and tossed with a bright and herby homemade pesto.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 0.25 cup water, or more to taste
• 2 large eggs
• 1 splash olive oil
• 2 pinches salt
• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 ½ tablespoons pine nuts
• 2 ½ cups lightly packed fresh basil
• 0.5 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pinch salt

Steps

1. Combine flour, 1/4 cup water, eggs, olive oil, and salt for pasta in the bowl of a food processor; pulse a few times until just combined. Pinch dough to see if it sticks together and forms a small clump. If it's dry or crumbly, add more water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, just until the dough forms a ball.
2. Dump dough onto a floured surface. Knead until dough is smooth and bounces back when you poke it. Wrap in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
3. Remove dough from the refrigerator and pull off a small chunk, about 1/2 teaspoon or smaller. Place dough at the bottom of a wooden cutting board and starting with the tips or your fingers, firmly roll up the board, like you are rolling the dough into a tube. Once the dough is at the base of your palm, keep pressure on it and pull it back and down the board, diagonally at a 45-degree angle to create a spiral shape. Repeat until all dough has been shaped.
4. Combine garlic and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor; process until sandy in texture. Add basil and oil and process until smooth. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese until combined. Taste and add salt if needed.
5. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add trofie and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain.
6. Toss cooked trofie with pesto and serve immediately.