Method

• 1.
  To make the spaghetti, place wine, chilli, garlic, peppercorns and 1.5L (6 cups) water in a large saucepan. Season with salt. Place over medium-high heat and bring to the boil. Add 100g nettle leaves and cook for 2 minutes or until wilted.
• 2.
  Drain, reserving 3/4 cup (185ml) cooking liquid. Place the nettle and reserved liquid in a small food processor and whiz until smooth. Using the back of a spoon, press through a fine sieve, pushing through as much nettle puree as possible. Discard solids. Measure out 100ml nettle puree and set aside.
• 3.
  Sift flour and 1/2 tsp salt into a large bowl. Add nettle puree and 1 tbs olive oil and stir to combine. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic (add a little warm water if dough seems too dry). Enclose in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
• 4.
  Divide dough into 4 equal pieces, then enclose 3 portions in plastic wrap and set aside. Start on the thickest setting of your pasta machine. Run dough through 2-3 times, folding it in half each time, until elastic. Keep rolling the dough through the settings, reducing the thickness each time, until 2mm thick.
• 5.
  Pass through the spaghetti cutter on the pasta machine, then place pasta in a single layer on a semolina-dusted tray and cover with a clean tea towel while you roll and cut remaining pieces. (Alternatively, fold pasta sheets onto themselves lengthways and thinly slice to create fettuccine.) Return to tray.
• 6.
  Place a large saucepan of salted water over high heat and bring to the boil. Add the nettle pasta and cook for 1-2 minutes until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/3 cup (80ml) cooking liquid. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tbs oil in a large frypan over medium heat.
• 7.
  Add the remaining 20g nettle leaves and cook for 30 seconds or until crisp. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Add the guanciale to the pan and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes until crisp. Remove frypan from heat and add the drained pasta to the pan.
• 8.
  Toss to coat with guanciale and oil. Season with pepper and stir in the butter and 1 cup (80g) pecorino. Add reserved cooking liquid and toss until creamy, adding a little more water if pasta seems too dry.
• 9.
  Divide pasta among serving plates and top with crispy nettle leaves and remaining pecorino to serve.