Silk Handkerchiefs with Pesto (Mandilli di Saea)

Silk handkerchiefs are delicate beauties, a classic Ligurian pasta served on special occasions. The pasta sheets are rolled so thin they are transparent, then cut into five inch squares to resemble a handkerchief. To serve, place a spoonful of pesto on the plate, lay one pasta sheet on top, then add another spoonful of pesto and then another pasta sheet, alternating until you have four or five sheets of pasta in the dish. Then, press the corners of the pasta towards the center, ruffling them as if they were fine swaths of silk. The delicate folds mingle with the light, allowing the pesto to glisten on the peaks, while casting shadows deep in the valleys. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate a special occasion!

To begin, add flour to the bowl of your stand mixer. Make a well in the middle and add the eggs, salt and olive oil. Then, using a fork, break the egg yolks and begin to mix. Add water in small increments until the dough comes together. Depending on the size of your eggs, the dough may need more or less water, so start slow. Continue to add water until the dough is no longer shaggy. Then, attach the dough hook to your stand mixer and knead on medium-low speed for five to six minutes.

Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and let it rest for thirty minutes. Meanwhile, set up your drying racks and your pasta machine. Set the rollers of the pasta machine to its widest setting.

Using a pastry cutter, or knife, cut off an egg sized chunk of dough and cover the remaining dough so it doesn’t dry out. Dust the dough with flour so it doesn’t stick to the pasta machine, flatten it with your hands and run it through the widest setting on the roller.

Change the setting to the next widest setting and repeat. If the dough sticks to the rollers, or it looks pitted as it comes out the bottom or the roller, dust with flour. Continue this process until the dough is about 1/16″ thick. On my kitchen aid attachment, it’s number 4.

Lay the pasta sheet on a flat surface and cut it into squares about 5″ each and then lay them on a well floured surface. Continue rolling and cutting until you have used all the dough. At this point, the pasta can either be cooked immediately, or left to dry

To make the pesto, add the basil, salt, garlic, pine nuts, ricotta and yogurt to a food processor and pulse until ingredients are combined.

Stream in the olive oil and blitz until well blended.

To prepare the pasta, set a large pot of water to boil and salt it generously. Boil, the pasta sheets, 2 or 3 at a time, for about a minute, then remove them from the water using a slotted spoon or kitchen spider and set aside.

To serve, smear pesto on the bottom of a plate, place a sheet of pasta on top, and continue layering pasta sheet and pesto until you have a fair sized portion and finish the last sheet off with a spoonful of pesto. Add a pinch of grated Parmigiano Reggiano and then press the sides of the pasta sheets, creating a bump in the pasta so the pesto runs down the sides of the ‘handkerchief.’ Serve immediately.