Roll Your Own Pasta With Sausage Ragú

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, boil half a kettle

Peel and finely dice the brown onion[s]

Peel and finely slice the garlic

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of olive oil over a medium heat

Once hot, add the diced onion and cook for 3-4 min

Dissolve the chicken stock mix, tomato paste and half of the balsamic vinegar (save the rest for later!) in 100ml [150ml] boiled water – this is your tomato stock

Once the onion has softened, increase the heat to medium-high and squeeze the sausage meat out of the skins and into the pan

Break the sausage meat up into small pieces with a wooden spoon and cook for 3-4 min or until starting to brown all over

Once browned, add the sliced garlic and chilli flakes (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) and cook for 30 secs

Add the tomato stock and chopped tomatoes, stir everything together and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 6-8 min or until the sausage is cooked through and the sauce has thickened – this is your sausage ragú

Chop the basil finely, including the stalks and add most of the chopped basil (save the rest for garnish!) to the ragú as it thickens

Peel the Italian hard cheese until you end up with a pile of cheese shavings

Grate the remaining Italian hard cheese

Reboil a full kettle

Combine the remaining balsamic vinegar with 2 tbsp [4 tbsp] olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper and set aside for serving – this is your balsamic dressing

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

Cook the pici 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, reserving a cup of the starchy pasta water

Once the ragú is done, add the pici to the pan and gently stir it into the sauce

Tip: Add a splash of starchy pasta water if your sauce is looking a little dry!