Tagliatelle with Pesto Cream Sauce

Freshly made pasta is always better than dried. If you have a little extra time (it doesn't take that long), I recommend you make some. But, this sauce is still delicious over dried linguini or fettucini, or penne ....whatever you like.

Tagliatelle Pasta

Ingredients

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
5 extra large eggs, room temperature
Pinch of salt

Method
To prepare the pasta dough, place the flour in a mound on a wooden board, and use a fork to make a well in the center. Place the eggs and salt in the well and mix them together with your fork. Then begin to incorporate flour from the inside of the well, pushing the flour under the forming dough so it doesn’t stick to the board. Remove any pieces of dough that stick to the fork and incorporate them. Then gather the dough together and set to one side of the board. Gather all of the unincorporated flour and sprinkle across the board. Knead the dough by pushing with the palm of one hand, and folding the dough over with the other hand. Do not sprinkle the flour over the dough, it will gradually absorb the flour. Continue kneading until the dough is no longer wet, and all but 4-5 tablespoons of the flour is incorporated. If you are stretching the dough by hand, knead the dough for 5 minutes, if stretching by machine, knead for 2-3 minutes. By hand: place a rolling pin in the center of the dough and roll gently back and forth until the dough is thin and elastic. Cut into desired shape.

Boil the fresh pasta in salted water with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil for 3-5 minutes. Reserve some of the pasta water, and then strain the pasta.

If you're using dried - follow the directions on the box.


Basil Pesto

Ingredients
1 bunch fresh basil
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
scant 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesean
1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t freshly ground pepper
1/3-1/2 cup good olive oil (depending on the what thickness you like)

*I don't like garlic in my pesto, but you could add 1 clove if you like

Method
Tear basil into smaller pieces, and put in a food processor with pine nuts, parmesean, salt, and pepper. Pulse until well combined. Then with the machine running, drizzle in your olive oil until you reach your desired consistency.

Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 cup freshly grated parmesean
6 T unsalted butter
2 T good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Method
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat. Add the heavy whipping cream, and slowly bring up the heat. When the cream is hot, whisk in the parmesean. Continue whisking until all the cheese is melted, then season to taste. Turn down the heat, and let the sauce simmer and thicken slightly.

Putting it all together

The pesto should be made first, then get your big stock pot of water going with oil and salt. (Remember that pasta like to have lots of room to move around while boiling) Then start the alfredo, and get your pasta boiling. Whisk the pesto into the cream sauce, and if you find that it's too thick, use some of the reserved pasta water to thin it a little. Dress the pasta immediately with as much or as little sauce as you like, and serve.

* I like these sauces separate or combined.