Thought you couldn't make fresh pasta? Try this simplest of recipes which celebrates imperfection

This Summer herb malfatti with a herb-butter sauce is the simplest of summer pasta recipes. Malfatti, somewhat reassuringly, means ‘badly made’, are ragged handkerchiefs of pasta, which here we've rolled out with delicate herb sprigs for flavor and beautiful effect.

The cooked pasta only needs a simple sauce of nut-brown butter, lemon juice, and a handful of extra fresh herbs. It's a celebration of freshness, and the charm of the imperfect.

Ingredients

• Serves 6-8 – makes 35 oz fresh pasta
• 19.4 oz tipo 00 pasta flour, plus extra for for dusting and rolling
• 6 medium eggs
• A pinch of salt
• 2 handfuls pretty, fresh and delicate herb sprigs, such as dill, parsley, chervil, coriander, plus extra sprigs and leaves to serve
• 3.5 oz unsalted butter
• 1 small lemon, juice only
• 2.1 oz mature pecorino, finely grated (optional)
• Edible flowers, to serve (optional)

The Homes & Gardens Method

• To make the dough by hand, tip the flour out onto a work surface in a pile. Make a ‘hollow’ in the centre so that the flour forms a ‘doughnut’ shape. Crack the eggs into the centre, add the salt and beat the mixture with a fork, gradually incorporating the flour to form a soft, smooth dough.
• Knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Alternatively, combine the flour, eggs and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a dough hook. Once combined, knead on a low speed for 5-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Form into a disc and wrap in clingfilm. Set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
• To use a pasta machine (the ideal method), attach the machine to a sturdy work surface. Divide the dough into six equal pieces. Working with the machine on its widest setting, pass the dough through the lightly floured rollers 2-3 times. Fold in thirds, turn 90 degrees and pass through again. It is normal for the surface to look dimply at first.
• Repeat this rolling and folding 8-10 times until smooth, dusting lightly with flour if the dough becomes sticky. Decrease the width of the rollers and pass the unfolded pasta through, decreasing the rollers after passing the dough through until it is at the thinnest setting. Try not to overly flour the dough as it needs a little tackiness for the herbs to stick.
• To roll the pasta out by hand, divide the dough into six even pieces. Working with two pieces at a time (keep the other pieces covered in clingfilm to prevent them drying out), roll the dough out on a lightly-floured surface (use extra flour or fine semolina), rotating each round regularly until each piece forms an even, 0.1 inches thick circle (try to mainly flour the underside of the dough, leaving the top as tacky as possible).
• Top one sheet with herbs, cover with the second sheet, floured surface upwards, and continue to roll the dough out until it is thin enough to just see the herbs showing through. Rest the finished sheet on a dry tea towel or hang from a clean broom handle or pasta dryer while rolling out the remaining dough.
• Cover the rolled sheet and set aside while you repeat with a second sheet. Top the first sheet evenly with herb sprigs, cover with the second sheet and, widening the rollers by three notches, pass through the machine again, putting the rollers up by a notch each time, stopping at the second-thinnest roller setting (any thinner and the pasta may break around the herbs). Lay the finished sheet out on a tea towel or hang from a clean broom handle or pasta dryer. Repeat three times to use the remaining pasta dough and herbs.
• To make malfatti, cut the herb-filled pasta sheets into misshapen, palm-sized squares, not being too exact. Raggedy is good.
• Melt the butter in a large frying pan set over a medium heat, until foaming and then golden-brown. Remove the pan from the heat, season well and add the lemon juice and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper.
• To cook the pasta, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and add two generous pinches of salt. Add the pasta and cook for 3-4 minutes, until soft, but still with a little bite. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain in a colander. Immediately add to the butter pan, tossing to mix gently. Serve with grated pecorino, if liked, and extra herb sprigs, torn herbs and edible flowers.

Perfect for beginners and seasoned cooks alike, upgrade your kitchen setup with a pasta-making tools kit, such as this one from Walmart – it's everything you need to master malfatti and more.