Sage pappardelle with cacio e pepe

Recipe

Pasta dough
275 g 00 wheat flour
3 egg yolks
2 eggs
10 g olive oil
A bunch of fresh sage
Salt for the cooking water

Sauce

75 g butter
5 garlic cloves
3 tsp crushed black pepper
1.5 dl grated Pecorino cheese

Pile the flour onto the table in a mound and make a well in the center. Add the egg yolks, whole eggs, and olive oil — pre-whisked — into the well. Gradually incorporate the flour into the egg mixture from the edges using a fork. Once the dough starts to come together, knead it by hand for about 10 minutes until you get a firm, smooth ball. Wrap it in cling film and let the dough rest in the fridge for one hour.

Divide the dough into two parts and roll each into a sheet using flour sparingly. Pass each piece several times through the pasta machine on the widest setting (0). Then move to setting 1 and roll the dough through a couple of times. Repeat this for each setting until you’ve rolled the dough twice through setting 5.

Cut each long thin dough sheet into four rectangles. Place sage leaves a few centimeters apart on four of the rectangles. Place the remaining sheets on top to sandwich the sage leaves between them. Press down gently and roll by hand if needed to help the sage stick. Pass the dough sheets through the pasta machine again on settings 4 and 5 to embed the herbs firmly into the pasta.

Using the pappardelle cutter on the pasta machine, cut the sheets into wide ribbons and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. In a sauté pan, melt the butter and crush in the garlic cloves. Add the black pepper and cook for a few minutes over low heat.

Cook the pasta in boiling water for 1.5 to 2 minutes — fresh pasta cooks quickly so stay by the pot. Toss the pasta in the butter and pepper mixture and mix in the grated Pecorino.

Enjoy immediately