Fresh Tagiatelle with Broccoli and Toasted Almond Pesto

This was really interesting. I mean, in theory, you could make pesto out of almost anything green with some type of nut thrown in. This pesto recipe is out of Marcus Wareing's "One Perfect Ingredient". I decided to make some fresh pasta simply because I had the time and it had been awhile. Oh, and fresh pasta is really gratifying to eat.

3 egg yolks
300 g pasta flour, "tipo 00" if available
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium broccoli
100 g almonds, blanched, then toasted
100 milliliters olive oil
sea salt and pepper

FOR THE PASTA: Combine the egg yolks, flour and olive oil in a stand mixer and mix on medium speed until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a bit more. Wrap in plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or so.

After 30 minutes, pull the dough out and pass it through a pasta machine in batches, keeping any dough you're not working with wrapped up so it doesn't dry out. As the sheets are finished, flour them and set them aside to dry over a broomstick or something (set between two chairs) for at least 15 minutes.

When you've finished making all of the sheets you need, start with the first one you made and make the tagiatelle using the correct attachment. Dry them on the broomstick, as before. When you have worked through all of the sheets, let them hang until ready to use.

OPTION: You can wuss out and just buy some fresh tagiatelle.

FOR THE PESTO: Cut the head of broccoli in half lengthways, down through the stalk. Carefully shave off the very tops of the florets from one half using a sharp knife, to make a small amount of broccoli crumbs. Set the crumbs aside.

Break both halves of the broccoli into florets, then trim off the ends of the stalks. Plunge the florets into a pan of boiling salted water, bring back to the boil, and simmer for 4 minutes until just tender. Drain and plunge into a bowl of ice water. Leave to cool, then drain.

Put the almonds in a blender and chop until they look like coarse breadcrumbs. Add the oil and blanched broccoli florets and pulse until just combined. Remove from the blender and fold in the broccoli crumbs with seasoning to taste.

TO FINISH: Get a large pot of salted water to the bowl. When boiling, drop the pasta in and cook for just a minute or two (fresh pasta cooks quickly!) until al dente. Keep a ladleful of cooked water and drain the rest into a colander. Set aside.

Get a medium to large saute pan hot over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. When hot, add the pesto and pasta cooking water and heat through for a minute or so. Add the cooked pasta and toss through to coat. Taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary, and serve hot with some grated Parmesan cheese.