SILK HANDKERCHIEFS WITH WILD GARLIC PESTO

Pile up your flour on a clean work surface and make a well in the centre. Sprinkle the flour with a pinch of salt, then gently pour 200ml of lukewarm water and the olive oil into the well. Use a fork to gradually incorporate the flour from the sides of the well and into the water, then as the mixture starts to thicken, use your hands to knead in the rest of the flour. Continue to knead the dough for 8-10 minutes, lightly dusting your work surface with flour if needed, until you have a smooth ball of dough, that is springy to the touch. Cover the dough with a bowl and leave to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Divide the pasta into 4 even parts and flatten each one with a rolling pin. Run each flattened section of dough through a pasta machine, starting at the thickest setting and gradually working your way down until your pasta sheets are about 1mm thick, dusting the pasta with extra flour at any point to avoid anything sticking. Chop the pasta into 15cm square-ish sections using a sharp knife.

Warm the pesto in a large frying pan over a low-medium heat. Bring a large pan of generously salted water to the boil, add the silk handkerchiefs and cook for 2-3 minutes, until al dente. Use a spaghetti spoon to quickly remove the pasta from the boiling water and into the pesto, bringing some pasta water with you as you go. Gently stir everything together, using an extra dash of the pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed, until the pasta is coated nicely in the pesto.

Plate up the pasta between bowls and finish with a swirl of olive oil, a good crack of black pepper and a few wild garlic flowers, if you have them.