Silk handkerchief pasta with dill, brown butter and lemon

Method

1. Sift the flour with a good pinch of salt onto a clean work surface in a mound (you’ll lose a few coarse flecks of flour here but that’s okay). Press the base of the sieve into the flour to make a large well in the centre. Crack the eggs into a jug with the oil, whisk to combine, then pour the mixture into the well.

2. With your fingers shaped like a claw, gradually incorporate the flour into the beaten egg mixture. Make circular stirring motions to bring increasing amounts of flour into the egg mixture. When the mixture has come together as a dough it’s ready (you may not need all the flour).

3. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes as if you’re making bread – it needs to be smooth and spring back to the touch. If the dough is too dry and cracks start to appear, add 1-2 tbsp water and knead for a bit longer. If the dough is too wet and sticky, add a little more flour. Form the dough into a ball, flatten into a disc, then wrap well and chill for 30 minutes.

4. Divide the dough into 4 batches, keeping the rest wrapped while not being rolled out. Flatten and shape a portion of the dough into a rectangle (making sure it will fit widthways through the pasta machine rollers). If the dough seems a little wet, lightly dust it with flour. Set the pasta machine to its widest setting, then carefully pass the dough through the rollers and fold in half, end to end. Repeat 2-3 times, folding and passing the dough through the rollers each time. If the dough is sticking, sprinkle the machine and work surface with a little flour. Once the dough has gone through the widest setting 2-3 times, narrow the machine setting by a notch, then continue to wind the pasta through, without folding the dough. The dough will get longer and thinner. Carry on rolling the dough through, narrowing the rollers by a notch each time, until you’ve reached the thinnest setting and have a thin sheet. You can divide the strip in half if it becomes too long and unmanageable.

5. Once you’ve finished rolling out a sheet of pasta, lay it on a lightly floured work surface and use a pizza wheel to cut into rough squares, around 5cm wide (although it doesn’t matter too much). Dust the squares with a little flour and set aside while you make the rest.

6. Melt the butter in a large pan, then continue cooking over a medium heat until it turns nutty and golden. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pan of salted boiling water for 1-2 minutes until just tender. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the water. Add the pasta to the pan of brown butter along with the lemon juice, dill and a glug of the pasta water. Cook, stirring, until coated in the buttery sauce. Season with black pepper and and serve with lemon wedges, if you like.