Roll Your Own Pasta With Pesto & Green Bean Salad

Add the pizza base mix (yes this works for pasta too!) to a large bowl and make a well in the middle of it

Pour 100ml [200ml] warm water into the well with 2 tbsp [4 tbsp] olive oil and mix to form a dough

Tip: Add a very small amount more warm water if your dough is looking a little dry and give it a good mix. If your dough is too wet, add a little plain flour. Keep adding more water or flour until your dough is a kneadable texture

Tip the dough onto a clean, dry work surface and knead for 8-10 min, or until it's smooth and soft, but not sticky or dry

Once done, wrap your dough in cling film and set aside to rest for 30 min

After 30 min, unwrap your dough and add it to a very clean, dry work surface

Tip: Don't use any flour as this will make rolling your pici very tricky!

Roll the dough into a rough rectangle, approx. 2 cm thick using a rolling pin

Lightly dust a chopping board with plain flour (but not your work surface!) and set it next to your clean work surface

To make your first pici nest, cut a thin strip from your rectangle of dough and add it to your dry work surface

Put both of your hands in the middle of the dough strip and roll them back and forward, moving your hands outwards as you go

Keep rolling until you are left with a long, thick worm-like spaghetti shape, approx. 5mm thick

Once rolled, add it to the floured chopping board, then continue to cut and roll the dough strips until you have 10 pieces on the chopping board – these are your pici

Tip: Try to aim for a consistent shape so that they cook evenly!

Sprinkle another light dusting of flour over the 10 pici pieces (make sure they're nicely coated so that they don't stick together), then pick the pici up and wrap them neatly around your hand to form a nest

Set the pici nest aside on a separate baking tray or chopping board, then repeat this process for the rest of your pici nests until you've used up all of your dough

Tip: Cooking this for someone special? Get them involved in the fun too!

Once done, set the pici nests aside to dry out slightly

Meanwhile, heat a medium pot over a medium heat and add the pine nuts

Cook for 3-4 min or until lightly toasted, shaking the pot every so often for even colouring

Meanwhile, cut the lemon[s] into quarters

Peel the garlic

Add most of the toasted pine nuts (save some for garnish!) to a food processor and reserve the pot

Add the basil with the grated Italian hard cheese, half [all] of the garlic and a generous pinch of salt

Add 2 tbsp [4 tbsp] olive oil, 2 tbsp [4 tbsp] cold water and the juice of 1 [2] lemon quarter[s]

Blitz until smooth – this is your homemade pesto

Boil a full kettle

Add the green beans to the reserved pot and cover them with boiled water

Bring to the boil and cook for 3-4 min or until tender with a bite, then drain

Meanwhile, chop the cherry tomatoes in half

Peel and finely slice the shallot[s]

Combine the chopped shallot with the juice of 2 [4] lemon quarters, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper – this is your lemon dressing

Add the pici nests to a pot of boiled water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Cook for 3-4 min or until cooked with a slight bite (the timings may vary a little depending on how thick your pici are, so taste them as you go!)

Once done, drain the pici and return it to the pot

Once the pici is cooked, stir through the homemade pesto