To make the pasta, weigh your flour plus a pinch of salt into a large mixing bowl, and make a well in the middle. Gradually pour in the water and a little of the olive oil, mixing as you go. Form into a ball and knead for roughly 10 minutes. You want a smooth dough which doesn’t crack as you work it. It should be firm, not wet to the touch. If it’s still dry, add a couple more drops of the olive oil.

Form it into a disc, cover, and leave in a cool place for 45 minutes or so.

When you’re ready to make your pasta, flour your work surface with semolina. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, and cut into sheets of a size that you can pass through your pasta machine. (If you don’t have a pasta machine, you can roll it out by hand, it just takes a bit more time and effort.)

You may want to pass it through the first setting on the machine more than once to get it very thin. When it has been passed through this setting, you can fold it in half or into thirds, depending on the length, and pass it through a couple more times. This prevents it tearing, while attaining a silky smooth texture. Pass the dough through the final setting for the type of pasta you want to make (e.g. spaghetti, linguine), and arrange the pasta in nests on a work surface dusted with semolina while you complete the batches.

To cook your pasta, bring a large pan of water to the boil with a pinch of salt and drop in your pasta. It will take approximately 1.5 – 3 minutes to cook, depending on how al dente you like it – keep an eye on it as it cooks very quickly.

Serve with your sauce or toppings of choice.