Homemade whole-wheat pasta with pesto

Homemade whole-wheat pasta with pesto

7
Points®
Total Time
1 hr 10 min
Prep
35 min
Cook
5 min
Serves
6
Difficulty
Moderate
This whole-wheat pasta is surprisingly delicate in taste and texture because it uses whole wheat flour, not stone ground flour, which will make it too grainy and tough. We encourage you to roll out the pasta yourself with a rolling pin; it’s incredibly rewarding, and can be fun to get the kids involved. However, you can cut 5 to 10 minutes off of prep time if you would prefer to use a machine. The pesto ban be made in a blender or a food processor. It may taste a bit salty on its own, but once tossed with the cooked pasta, it’s perfect.

Ingredients

Whole wheat flour (for pasta only)

1¾ cup(s), not stone-ground

Table salt

¼ tsp

Egg

3 large egg(s), lightly beaten

Garlic

2 clove(s)

Fresh basil

2 cup(s), loosely packed leaves

Grated Parmesan cheese

cup(s)

Low sodium vegetable broth

¼ cup(s)

Pine nuts

3 Tbsp, toasted

Extra virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp

Table salt

tsp

All-purpose flour

¼ cup(s)

Instructions

  1. In medium wide bowl, using fork, stir whole-wheat flour and 1⁄4 tsp salt. Make well in center of flour and pour in eggs. Using fork, gently stir eggs and gradually incorporate flour into eggs until firm dough forms. Turn dough out onto work surface and knead until smooth and no longer sticky, 4 to 5 minutes. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in blender or food processor, place garlic and pulse until finely chopped, about 5 times. Add basil, cheese, broth, nuts, oil, and remaining 3⁄8 tsp salt and blend on high speed until smooth, about 30 seconds.
  3. Unwrap dough and divide into 4 equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time (cover remaining dough to keep it from drying out), roll dough between long sheets of plastic wrap to as thin as possible, adding a little all-purpose flour as needed to prevent sticking. Take your time rolling and peel dough away from plastic wrap occasionally to help it roll out thinner. Roll each portion into roughly 22-by-5-inch oblong. Peel off top sheet of plastic wrap and loosen dough from bottom sheet. Using pizza cutter, cut dough into 1⁄2- to 1-inch-wide strips, then cut in half crosswise. (Or roll out dough using pasta machine, stopping at thickness level of 4 or 5.)
  4. Bring large pot of water to boil. Add pasta to pot, a little at a time so strands don’t stick together, and stir gently to separate strands. Cook pasta until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta and return to pot. Mix in pesto.
  5. Serving size: about 1 cup

Notes

Whole-wheat flour is not a ZeroPoint™ ingredient, but pasta made from it can be a ZeroPoint food for some.