Testaroli al pesto

Testaroli are an ancient dish from the Lunigiana region, a valley between Tuscany and Liguria. Simply made of flour and water, they are pancakes that turn into a delicious pasta, dressed with pesto.

Testaroli derive their name from the testo, a cast iron griddle that they are first cooked on, and then cut and boiled in salted water. In my case, I simply use a non-stick frying pan (24 cm). It will do the same job. 

I roughly cut my testaroli into diamond shapes, like the traditional ones.

Tips:

I like to combine two flours in my batter, the plain white and the wholemeal one, to get the right texture and flavour. 

It is essential to leave the batter to rest for 15 minutes before making your testaroli.

Testaroli al pesto 

Italian Pancake Pasta with Pesto 

Testaroli:
125 g plain white flour
125 g wholemeal flour
400 ml tepid water
A pinch of salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin oil
Pesto:
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons pine nuts, sautéed in a pan
Sea salt
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
2 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino Romano
70 g fresh basil leaves
5 tablespoons extra virgin oil

Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Testaroli

1. Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl and add a good pinch of salt. 
2. Make a well in the centre and slowly add the water, whisking continuously (with an electric or any sort of whisk) until you get a smooth batter, the consistency of a thin cream. Add the oil and whisk again. Leave to rest for 15 minutes at room temperature.
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan (24 cm) and brush it with oil. 
4. Add a ladle full of the batter, tipping the pan until the bottom is coated. You must get a kind of thin pancake, thick 2-3mm. Cook for 1 minute each side. Transfer to a plate and repeat until the batter is finished.
5. Arrange testaroli on a chopping board and cut them into 4 cm wide diamonds or into triangles. Set aside.

Pesto

1. In a blender, first crush garlic and pine nuts, and then add basil leaves and oil and blend to a paste. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Stir in Parmesan and pecorino cheese until well mixed together. 
3. Place your pesto on a serving dish.

Testaroli al pesto

1. In a large pan, bring 2 litres of water to the boil. 
2. Add salt and gently drop the testaroli into the water. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and place in the serving dish with pesto. 
3. Toss to coat and serve immediately with a good sprinkle of Parmesan on top.