Pesto Pasta with Romanesco and Black Olives

Romanesco is one of our favorite vegetables. We like the color, the shapes and the flavors. It was particularly nice on the fresh pasta and light garlic sauce.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

for the pasta:

• 1 cup semolina flour
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 Tbs. pesto
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup water, perhaps a bit more

for the meal:

• 1 romanesco broccoli, cut into spirals and steamed
• 12 pitted black olives, quartered
• toasted sunflower seeds or pine nuts
• 4 Tbs. fine olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp. pesto
• salt
• 1/4 cut sunflower seeds of pine nuts, toasted

• 

• 

• 

Directions:

1. Make the pasta dough using a food processor of a mixer.
2. First blend the 2 flours together.
3. Add the salt and then the pesto.
4. Carefully add the water as you mix. If the mixture is still crumbly add a bit more water one tablespoon at a time.
5. If the mixture is too wet, add a bit of semolina flour.
6. If you have a pasta machine, then continue by using the machine to roll and cut the pasta.
7. If you do not, then take a small handful of dough, and roll it out on a floured surface.
8. Roll it as thin as possible.
9. Next dust the top with four so that it doesn’t stick together, roll it up into a log, and cut the desired width of pasta.
10. Hang the pasta up to dry, I have wooden 2 dowel rods, that can be placed between 2 chairs, or hung from the ceiling with a string. It is best of you allow the pasta to dry a bit (1/2 hour to 1 hour) before cooking, as sometime the really fresh pasta can become mushy if cooked too soon.
11. Meanwhile, cut the spirals off the romanesco.
12. Steam the romaneco, and cut the olives into quarters.
13. In a small sauce pan, place the olive oil, 2 teaspoons of pesto, a pinch of salt and the garlic slices.
14. Heat the oil on a low temperature, as you want it warm, but you do not want to over cook the garlic.
15. In a small frying pan, lightly toast the nuts.
16. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil, place your fresh pasta in the water and cook for 3-4 minutes, until it begins to float.
17. Drain the pasta and serve with the romanesco, black olive pieces and drizzle some of the garlic olive oil over the meal.
18. Garnish with the toasted nuts.