Homemade Lemon Basil Pasta

• Zest all three lemons to a fine texture.
• Juice only one of the lemons; you can save the juice and flesh of the other two for another recipe – or perhaps the sauce.

If You Have A Food Processor

• Combine flour, eggs, zest of 3 Limoneira lemons and juice of 1 lemon, finely chopped basil and salt in your processor, and pulse until the mixture is well blended.
• Transfer it to a clean floured surface. Knead for about 5 minutes, to make it a smooth, elastic pastry.
• Gather it into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate for about an hour.

Manual Method

• In a bowl, measure the flour, zest of 3 Limoneira lemons, and salt. Sift together to blend evenly.
• Clean your counter or other flat work surface, and pour the flour mixture into a mound.
• Make a cup-sized nest in the middle of the flour, but leave a bit at the bottom so it forms a kind of cup.
• Add the eggs, olive oil, and juice of 1 lemon to the middle of the mound, and using a fork, gently work the flour inwards to mix with the eggs. Try to keep the flour mound intact until it’s nearly all mixed in.
• Add the finely chopped basil, and work it into the dough as well.
• Once it’s mostly incorporated, you can gather it into a ball, and begin to knead in any flour or other dry ingredients that are left on the surface.
• Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes, until it is thoroughly blended, and smooth in texture.
• If it seems very dry, you can add a little more lemon juice. Conversely, if it seems too sticky, you can knead in a little more flour.
• Gather the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about an hour.

When It's Ready

• Lightly dust two baking sheets with flour.

If You Have A Pasta Roller & Cutter

• Cut the dough into four pieces, and flatten one into an oval with the palm of your hand.
• Run the dough through your pasta roller attachment or pasta maker at the widest setting (so that it incorporates all of it).
• Take the flattened dough, and fold the short ends together, then fold it again. It should form a rectangle.
• Run the dough through the roller again at progressively harder levels, two to three times at each.
• When it’s nicely flattened, lay it on the floured baking sheet, and sprinkle flour on top as well.
• Repeat with the remaining 3 pieces of the original dough ball.
• Run the sheets of pasta through your pasta cutter attachment at the desired width.

Manual Method

• Shape the dough into a long cylinder, and cut into several sections. You’ll work with one at a time, so you want to rewrap and you can also refrigerate the remaining sections until you’re ready.
• Flour a clean flat counter or other workspace, and roll the dough into a long strip.
• Each time you roll to the end, flip it over and redust with a little more flour.
• Continue until the strip is about the thinness of paper, but not so thin that it breaks when you lift it up.
• Use a sharp knife to cut into thin strips.
• Another method is to fold the pasta sheet like an accordion back and forth, and then cut the folded stack into strips.

When It's Cut

• Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness and size of your noodles. The noodles will float to the top of the boiling water when they are al dente.
• It can also be wrapped in plastic wrap, and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.