Do you have to let the pasta dough rest before using it?

For this recipe, we only rest the dough for the time it takes to make the pesto, which is less than 15 minutes. Usually, you would let the dough rest so it's easier to roll out (letting it rest allows the gluten to relax and the flour to fully hydrate), but because we don't need to roll the dough out, it's not necessary here. You can leave it at room temperature for a couple of hours, though, or pop it into the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Can I prepare this in advance?

You can make the pasta dough up to 24 hours in advance and store it in the fridge (covered), and the pesto will keep well for about 10 days stored in the fridge. You can reheat the cooked pasta if you like, but you'll lose the vibrant green colour of the pesto. You can also cut the pasta strips onto a baking paper-lined tray, then cover it and leave it at room temperature for a couple of hours before cooking, or, you can freeze them. Cook them straight from frozen when you're ready to serve.

Is there a way to make the recipe egg-free and vegan?

Yes! Just replace the egg with 50g of water in the pasta dough, and use a vegan pesto (or just leave the parmesan out of the recipe below).

What other sauces could I use this pasta with?

Really anything you like! Try it with creamy gochujang sauce, spicy harissa sauce , this baked burrata and tomato sauce , 'nduja and burrata pasta sauce , pink beet sauce , super spinach sauce or use it in miso carbonara . Or, use sun-dried tomato pesto , wild garlic pesto or spicy zhoug sauce .

15 Minute Scissor Cut Pesto Pasta

Name: 15 Minute Scissor Cut Pesto Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: italian
Ingredients: 100g plain flour (or 00 flour); 1 egg; 1 cup tightly packed basil leaves; 2 garlic cloves; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese; 1 tablespoon toasted cashew nuts (or use pine nuts, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts or sunflower seeds); 1/4 cup olive oil; A handful of green beans, roughly chopped; Salt

Description

If you think making pasta from scratch is hard, this is the recipe that will change your mind. No rolling, no shaping, no faff. Just mix your 2 ingredient dough, make a quick fresh basil pesto and then use scissors to cut your little pasta strips straight into boiling water.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the pasta -

100g plain flour (or 00 flour)
1 egg

For the pesto sauce -

1 cup tightly packed basil leaves
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon toasted cashew nuts (or use pine nuts, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts or sunflower seeds)
1/4 cup olive oil
A handful of green beans, roughly chopped
Salt

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Instructions

Make the pasta dough. Add 100g of flour and 1 egg to a mixing bowl, then use a fork to mix it together. It’ll start looking like dry breadcrumbs, and at this point, go in with your hands and start to bring the dough together. Knead the dough in the bowl for a minute or two, picking up any excess flour off the bottom as you do. It will still be quite dry at this point, but that’s totally fine. Transfer the dough to a clean surface and knead for another couple of minutes, until it’s looking much smoother. Cover (or wrap in cling film) while you make the pesto. PRO TIP: If the dough really isn’t coming together and is very dry, wet your hands, then continue to knead the dough. This should give it enough moisture to bring it together.
Make the pesto. Add the basil leaves, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1/4 cup of grated parmesan, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of toasted nuts and a pinch of salt to the bowl of a food processor. Blitz for a minute, to combine into a chunky paste. Scrape the edges of the bowl down, then, with the motor running, drizzle in 1/4 cup of olive oil. It should now be a lovely and thick sauce.
Cook the pasta. Set a large pot over high heat and fill it about 3/4 full of water, then add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring the water to a boil. Unwrap your pasta dough, and get your scissors ready. Add the chopped green beans to the boiling water, then use your scissors to slice off thin pieces of the pasta dough directly into the boiling water. Try not to make them too large, as they’ll need longer to cook and might end up a bit tough. PRO TIP: I always just boil my kettle, then add the just boiled water to the pot to speed up the process.
Combine the pasta and pesto. After about 3 or 4 minutes, the pasta should be al dente (cooked, with a little bite to it). Transfer the pasta and the green beans directly from the pot of water to a high-sided pan over low heat, along with a ladleful of pasta cooking water. Add a couple of heaped tablespoons of the pesto, then toss to combine with the pasta, beans and cooking water. A silky, glossy sauce should form as you do this. Toss for another minute to make sure the pasta and beans are coated in the sauce, then transfer to a plate. Serve with more parmesan and basil leaves on top.

Notes

MAKE AHEAD: You can make the pasta dough up to 24 hours in advance – it’s fine at room temperature for a couple of hours, but after that, pop it into the fridge. You can also cut the pasta onto a baking paper-lined tray first, rather than cutting the strips straight into the water. Cover the tray at room temperature for about an hour, or you can freeze the pasta, and then cook it straight from frozen. Just add a minute or two to the cooking time in that case. The pesto will keep well for about 10 days stored in the fridge.

STORAGE SUGGESTIONS: For the best colour and pasta texture, it’s best served right after cooking, but you can keep leftovers in the fridge for 4 days and reheat them in the microwave, or eat cold.

INGREDIENT NOTES: I’m using regular plain flour, but if you have 00 flour you can use that. Swap the homemade pesto for your favourite store-bought brand, or switch it for sun-dried tomato pesto or wild garlic pesto.

SCALING IT UP: This recipe uses the ratio of 100g/3.5oz of flour to 1 whole egg for one portion of pasta, so it’s super easy to scale up.

Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 5
Category: pasta
Method: stove top
Cuisine: italian

Nutrition

Serving Size: 350g
Calories: 571
Sugar: 2.4g
Sodium: 414mg
Fat: 18.7g
Saturated Fat: 3.5g
Unsaturated Fat: 15.2g
Carbohydrates: 81.5g
Fiber: 4.4g
Protein: 18.4g
Cholesterol: 164mg