Silk-Handkerchief Pasta With Mint Pesto

Ingredients

For the pasta:

• 3 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup dry white wine

For the pesto:

• 100 fresh mint leaves (about 1 1/2 lightly packed cups)
• 20 large basil leaves
• 12 sprigs Italian parsley
• 2 tablespoons boiled and finely chopped spinach
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

    918 calories; 40 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 18 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 120 grams carbohydrates; 36 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 27 grams protein; 47 milligrams cholesterol; 899 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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6 to 8 first-course servings

Preparation

1. To make the pasta, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the wine. Using a fork, gradually incorporate the wine into the flour, starting in the center and slowly working out.
2. Gather the dough into a ball. If it seems too dry, add more wine 1 teaspoon at a time; if it seems too wet, add a little more flour. Knead the dough until it feels smooth and very even in consistency, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Following the manufacturer’s instructions for your pasta maker, stretch the dough out, ending with sheets as thin as possible. Using a sharp knife, cut the sheets into 5-inch squares and lay them on cotton dish towels, covering each layer with another dish towel.
4. To make the pesto, combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until fairly smooth. Transfer the sauce to a small bowl and leave at room temperature while you cook the pasta.
5. Bring a large kettle full of salted water to a bowl. Cook the squares, 5 at a time, in the water for 3 minutes. Use a mesh strainer or skimmer to remove the cooked pasta and transfer to a large plate or platter. (A little water adhering to the noodles will keep them from sticking together.) Repeat until all the pasta is cooked.
6. Add 1 cup of the boiling pasta water to the sauce and mix well. Drop 5 pasta squares on each plate so that they resemble dropped handkerchiefs. Top each serving with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the sauce and serve immediately with grated parmesan on the side.

About 30 minutes