← Nouns Cooking · Italian

Ingredients

• 300 g plain flour
• 420 ml cold water
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil, for the pan
• 60 g basil leaves
• 1 clove Garlic
• 1 tbsp Pine nuts
• 50 g Parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve
• 100 ml extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Whisk the flour, salt and water into a smooth batter, a little thicker than for crêpes. Leave it for 10 min.
2. Heat a 26–28 cm non-stick or cast-iron frying pan over medium heat and wipe it with oil. Pour in enough batter to make a layer about 3 mm thick, cover with a lid and cook for 3–4 min, until set and dotted with holes. Flip and cook for 1 minute more. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
3. Cool the discs, then cut them into 4 cm diamonds.
4. For the pesto, pound or blitz the garlic, pine nuts and a pinch of salt, add the basil and grind to a paste, then work in the Parmesan and oil.
5. Bring a big pot of salted water to the boil, then turn off the heat. Drop in the testaroli and leave them for 2–3 min, until soft and hot.
6. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and toss with the pesto and a splash of the hot water. Serve with extra Parmesan.

Tips

• Never boil testaroli: just steep them in hot water or they turn mushy.
• The cooked discs keep in the fridge for 2 days.
• Parmesan is made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian hard cheese if that matters to you.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Great Italian Chefs GialloZafferano