I learned to make agnolotti from the grandmother of a family I stayed with in the Piedmont region of Italy, and they’re close to my heart. They’re the Piedmont version of ravioli; whoever figured them out really had it over whoever invented ravioli. They’re the perfect stuffed pasta, a brilliant design—a kind of self-sealing, self-defining package. They almost stuff themselves, sealing automatically when cut, and there’s never any problem with air pockets. It results in the perfect ratio of pasta to stuffing, there’s almost no wasted dough, and the size is consistent. I love their little pillow shape and the folds of the pasta that catch the sauce. Also, you can make a lot of them really fast. You just roll out a sheet of pasta, pipe out the filling, fold the dough over that cylinder, pinch the tube at one-inch intervals, then cut.
I love touching agnolotti dough, which is packed with egg yolks. You can incorporate thirty yolks into a kilo of flour. I roll the dough ten or fifteen times through the widest setting of the pasta machine so it develops a silkiness, a shine.
The filling can be almost anything as long as you’re able to separate it into individual portions by pinching the dough: It can’t be whole shrimp, but it can be a shrimp mousse. Stuffed agnolotti freeze beautifully, so you could make a whole pound of flour into dough. You prepare a filling—whatever you want—pipe it onto your pasta, and you have enough agnolotti for a month of Sundays. That’s the beautiful thing about it. All you need to do is boil them up, sauce with beurre monté, mushrooms, or maybe tomato, grate some Parmesan on top, and you’re done.
Following are fillings for each season, but once you master the agnolotti shape, you can do just about anything with it.
1¾ cups (8 ounces) all-purpose flour
6 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1½ teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon milk
Mound the flour on a board or other surface and create a well in the center, pushing the flour to all sides to make a ring with sides about 1 inch wide. Make sure that the well is wide enough to hold all the eggs without spilling.
Pour the egg yolks, egg, oil, and milk into the well. Use your fingers to break the eggs up. Still using your fingers, begin turning the eggs in a circular motion, keeping them within the well and not allowing them to spill over the sides. This circular motion allows the eggs to gradually pull in flour from the sides of the well; it is important that the flour not be incorporated too rapidly, or your dough will be lumpy. Keep moving the eggs while slowly incorporating the flour. Using a pastry scraper, occasionally push the flour toward the eggs; the flour should be moved only enough to maintain the gradual incorporation of the flour, and the eggs should continue to be contained within the well. The mixture will thicken and eventually get too tight to keep turning with your fingers.
When the dough begins thickening and starts lifting itself from the board, begin incorporating the remaining flour with the pastry scraper by lifting the flour up and over the dough that’s beginning to form and cutting it into the dough. When the remaining flour from the sides of the well has been cut into the dough, the dough will still look shaggy. Bring the dough together with the palms of your hands and form it into a ball. It will look flaky but will hold together.
Knead the dough by pressing it, bit by bit, in a forward motion with the heels of your hands rather than folding it over on itself as you would with a bread dough. Reform the dough into a ball and repeat the process several times. The dough should feel moist but not sticky. Let the dough rest for a few minutes while you clean the work surface.
Dust the clean work surface with a little flour. Knead the dough by pushing against it in a forward motion with the heels of your hands. Form the dough into a ball again and knead it again. Keep kneading in this forward motion until the dough becomes silky-smooth. The dough is ready when you can pull your finger through it and the dough wants to snap back into place. The kneading process can take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes. Even if you think you are finished kneading, knead it for an extra 10 minutes; you cannot overknead this dough. It is important to work the dough long enough to pass the pull test; otherwise, when it rests, it will collapse.
Double-wrap the dough in plastic wrap to ensure that it does not dry out. Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before rolling it through a pasta machine. The dough can be made a day ahead, wrapped, and refrigerated; bring to room temperature before proceeding.
makes about 14 ounces dough
TO FORM PASTA SHEETS FOR 12 RAVIOLI: Set the rollers of the pasta machine at the widest setting. Take one third of the finished pasta dough, about 5 ounces, and cut it in half (reserve the remaining dough for another use). Keep one half wrapped in plastic warp and run the other piece through the machine. Fold the dough in half, end to end, turn it a quarter turn, and run it through the same setting again. Repeat this procedure two more times, but the last time, fold the pasta sheet lengthwise in half to give you a narrower piece of pasta and run it through the machine.
Set the openings of the rollers down one notch and run the pasta through. Do not fold it over. Decrease the opening another notch and run the dough through again. Continue the process until the sheet of pasta is quite thin (there maybe a recommended setting for your machine: if not, the next-to-the-thinnest setting is usually best). Repeat with the second piece of pasta and proceed with the specific ravioli recipe.
FOR CAPELLINI: Roll out sheets of pasta (using the desired amount of dough) following the instructions for agnolotti. Run the sheets of pasta through the fine cutting blade. If the sheets of pasta stick to the machine, dust them lightly with flour. The pasta can be used immediately, or it can be dried. Lift a small handful of the noodles and drape them in a nest shape onto a tray dusted with cornmeal. Repeat with the remaining pasta, forming many small nests. Allow the pasta to dry completely in a cool, dry area. If it is damp in the kitchen, line the tray with a towel before arranging the pasta on it, and leave the pasta on the towel until it has dried completely, to prevent the formation of mold. The dried pasta can be kept for several weeks.
TO FORM SHEETS FOR AGNOLOTTI: Use ½ recipe pasta dough, divided into two or three pieces. Run the dough through a pasta machine as for ravioli, but make the sheets wider. The size will vary according to the pasta machine used, but the sheets should be at least 5 inches wide. It is important that our pasta sheet be thin enough so that you can see your fingers through it, but not so thin that it’s translucent. Keep the pasta sheets covered, as they dry out quickly, and proceed with filling the agnolotti.
TO FILL AGNOLOTTI: If you are planning on using the agnolotti immediately, have a large pot of lightly salted boiling water ready. Work with one sheet of pasta at a time, keeping the remaining sheets covered. Work quickly, as fresh pasta will dry out.
Lay the pasta sheet on a lightly floured work surface with a long side facing you. Trim the edges so they are straight. Place the agnolotti filling in a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch plain tip. Pipe a “tube” of filling across the bottom of the pasta sheet, leaving a ¾-inch border of pasta along the left, right, and bottom edges.
Pull the bottom edge of the pasta up and over the filling. Seal the agnolotti by carefully molding the pasta over the filling and pressing lightly with your index finger to seal the edge of the dough to the pasta sheet; don’t drag your finger along the dough to seal, or you risk ripping the dough. When it is sealed, there should be about V2 inch of excess dough visible above the tube of filling (where you sealed it). Be certain that you are sealing tightly while pressing out any pockets of air. Seal the left and right ends of the dough.
TO SHAPE AGNOLOTTI: Starting at one end, place the thumb and forefinger of each hand together as if you were going to pinch something and, leaving about 1 inch of space between your hands and holding your fingers vertically, pinch the filling in 1-inch increments, making about ¾ inch of “pinched” area between each pocket of filling. It is important to leave this much “pinched” area between the agnolotti, or when the agnolotti are separated, they may come unsealed.
Run a crimped pastry wheel along the top edge of the folded-over dough, separating the strip of filled pockets from the remainder of the pasta sheet. Don’t cut too close to the filling, or you risk breaking the seal. Separate the individual agnolotti by cutting through the center of each pinched area, rolling the pastry wheel away from you. Working quickly, place the agnolotti on a baking sheet dusted with a thin layer of cornmeal, which will help prevent sticking. Don’t let the agnolotti touch each other, or they may stick together.
Repeat the same procedure on the remainder of your pasta sheets. Either cook the agnolotti immediately in the boiling water, or place the baking sheet in the freezer. Once the agnolotti are frozen, place them in airtight freezer bags and keep them frozen for up to several weeks. Cook the agnolotti while still frozen.
FAVA BEAN FILLING
2 to 3 pounds fava beans
¾ cup fresh bread crumbs
¼ cup plus 1½ teaspoons mascarpone
Kosher salt
½ recipe Pasta Dough
CURRY EMULSION
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 tablespoons chopped scallions
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons Vegetable Stock, Chicken Stock, or water
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup crème fraîche
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Eighteen 1-inch-long pieces ramps or scallions, blanched (see Big-Pot Blanching), chilled in ice water, drained, and dried
Eighteen 1-inch pieces garlic sprouts or garlic chives blanched (see Big-Pot Blanching), chilled in ice water, drained, and dried
Fava beans have a high starch content that results in a dense purée, perfect for filling agnolotti. Favas are so delicately flavored, I serve them with curry—just a light backdrop to accentuate their flavor—in an emulsion (a seamless combination of liquid and fat, here stock, or water, and cream).
FOR THE FAVA BEAN FILLING: Shell the fava beans and peel the skins from the beans (peeling the beans before cooking them prevents gases from being trapped between the bean and the skin that could cause discoloring). Remove the small germ at the side of each bean. You need 1½ cups beans for the filling; reserve any extra beans for another use. Blanch the beans (see Big-Pot Blanching) for about 5 minutes, or until tender, and immediately transfer to ice water to chill. When they are cold, drain the beans and spread on paper towels to drain thoroughly.
Place the beans in a food processor with the bread crumbs. Blend until they come together and form a ball. Add the mascarpone and process again until the mixture is smooth. Season to taste with salt. You will have 1 to 1¼ cups of filling (enough to fill 48 agnolotti). Refrigerate the mixture until it is cool, or for up to 2 days.
Roll out the dough and fill the agnolotti. You should have approximately 48 agnolotti.
TO COMPLETE: For the curry emulsion, toast the curry powder in a small saucepan over medium heat until it is fragrant. Stir in the scallions and heat for another minute. Add the ¾ cup stock, the cream, and crème fraîche, bring to a simmer, and cook until the liquid is reduced to ½ cup. Swirl in the butter. When the butter is melted, transfer the sauce to a blender. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons stock and blend for 30 seconds to emulsify the mixture. Season with salt and pepper and strain into a wide pan.
Meanwhile, cook the agnolotti in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes.
Drain the agnolotti, add the agnolotti and ramps to the curry emulsion, and toss over low heat to coat with sauce. Divide the agnolotti and ramps among six serving dishes and garnish the top of each with 3 garlic sprouts. Serve immediately.
makes 6 servings
SWEET POTATO FILLING
1½ pound sweet potatoes
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter
2 slices bacon, frozen and cut into ¼-inch dice
Pinch of Squab Spice or allspice and nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ recipe Pasta Dough
SAGE CREAM
⅓ cup sage leaves (from about 4 bunches; use the smaller leaves for the fried sage leaf garnish)
1 cup crème fraîche
1 cup Beurre Monté
Pinch of kosher salt, or to taste
Canola oil for deep-frying
48 tiny sage leaves (reserved from above)
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter
4 thin slices prosciutto, cut crosswise into fine julienne
For a fall agnolotti, I like a sweet potato filling; it’s denser than the traditional version made from the more watery pumpkin. With the cream, butter, and prosciutto, this is a very rich and delicious dish.
FOR THE SWEET POTATO FILLING: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Cut the ends off the potatoes and wrap the potatoes individually in aluminum foil, dividing 4 tablespoons of the butter evenly among them. Bake until they are soft, 1 to 2 hours (the time will vary, depending on the size of the potatoes).
Unwrap the cooked potatoes and cut a slit lengthwise in the skin of each. Pull the skin away from the potato and discard. Push the potatoes through a potato ricer while they are hot and place in a saucepan.
Place the diced bacon in a skillet. Cook until it is lightly browned and the fat has been rendered. Transfer the bacon pieces to paper towels to drain briefly, then add them to the potatoes.
Stir the potatoes over low heat, seasoning to taste with the squab spice and salt and pepper. Mix in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. You will have about 1⅔ cups filling (enough to fill 48 agnolotti). Refrigerate the filling until chilled, or for up to 2 days, before filling the agnolotti.
Roll out the dough and fill the agnolotti according to the instructions. You should have approximately 48 agnolotti.
TO COMPLETE: For the sage cream, blanch the sage leaves in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain, cool in cold water, and drain again. Squeeze the leaves dry.
Heat the crème fraîche, beurre monté, and salt over low heat until hot; do not boil. Place the sage in a blender and process to chop it. With the motor running, pour the hot cream mixture through the top and blend thoroughly. Strain the cream into a large skillet. Check the seasoning and set aside.
In a small pot, heat oil for deep-frying to 275°F. Fry the small sage leaves briefly, just until they are crisp (their color should not change), and drain on paper towels.
Place the butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook to a nutty brown color; reduce the heat and keep warm.
Meanwhile, cook the agnolotti in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes.
Drain the cooked agnolotti and mix them gently with the sage cream sauce over low heat. Divide the agnolotti among six serving dishes and drizzle with the browned butter. Scatter some prosciutto over each serving and garnish with the fried sage leaves.
makes 6 servings
CHESTNUT FILLING
1 generous cup peeled roasted fresh chestnuts (see Note) or vacuum-packed unsweetened chestnuts
2 bay leaves
½ cup Vegetable Stock
½ cup water
¼ cup mascarpone
3 tablespoons (1½ ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons white truffle oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ recipe Pasta Dough
SAUCE
½ cup sliced onions
1½ teaspoons chopped garlic
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1⅓ cups peeled, quartered, and sliced celery root
½ cup peeled, quartered, and sliced Yukon Gold potato
2 to 3 cups Vegetable Stock
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup lightly packed shredded creamy Italian Fontina (2½ ounces)
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
½ cup Beurre Monté
1 teaspoon white truffle oil
Chestnut is a luxurious wintertime filling, and a great flavor combination with the Italian Fontina cheese, celery root, and truffle oil.
FOR THE CHESTNUT FILLING: Place the chestnuts, bay leaves, vegetable stock, and water in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, and cook for about 15 minutes, to reduce the liquid by half and soften the chestnuts. Strain and reserve the liquid; discard the bay leaf.
Purée the chestnuts in a food processor. With the motor running, gradually pour enough of the reserved liquid through the feed tube to form a thick purée.
Scrape the purée through a tamis and place it in a bowl. Mix in the mascarpone, butter, and white truffle oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You should have 1 to 1¼ cups of filling (enough for 48 agnolotti). Cover and refrigerate the filling until cold, or for up to 2 days, before using.
Roll out the dough and fill the agnolotti according to the instructions. You should have approximately 48 agnolotti.
FOR THE SAUCE: Gently cook the onions and garlic in the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they have softened. Add the celery root, potatoes, and enough vegetable stock to cover them completely. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, then drain, reserving the liquid.
Scrape the vegetables through a tamis and place the purée in a medium saucepan. Add the cream and simmer for 10 minutes, then whisk in the cheese until it is melted. The sauce can be made up to a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator, but do not add the cheese until ready to serve. Reheat the sauce and, if it seems too thick, whisk in enough stock or water to bring it to the desired consistency. Then whisk in the cheese until melted.
Pass the sauce through a chinois into a large skillet. You can use the back of a small ladle to help the liquid pass through the strainer, but do not force any solids through. Adjust the consistency with the reserved stock and season with salt and pepper.
TO COMPLETE: Cook the agnolotti in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir the beurre monté and truffle oil into the sauce.
Drain the cooked agnolotti and add them to the sauce, stirring gently over low heat. Divide the agnolotti and sauce among six serving bowls and serve immediately.
makes 6 servings
NOTE: To peel fresh chestnuts, preheat the oven to 375°F. With a sharp paring knife, cut a slit all the way around each chestnut. Rub with a thin coating of vegetable oil to keep the shell moist and accelerate the cooking process. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until the shells begin to pull away from the chestnuts. Peel while still warm.
POLENTA
¾ cup Vegetable Stock
¾ cup water
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons polenta
RISOTTO
1 cup Vegetable Stock, or more as needed
About 1½ cups water
¾ cup Arborio rice
½ cup mascarpone, at room temperature
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¼ cups corn juice (from 7 to 8 ears; see Note)
½ recipe Pasta Dough (Note: If making extra agnolotti to freeze, you will need slightly less than 1½ recipes dough)
CORN SAUCE
2 cups corn juice (from about 12 ears; see Note)
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
⅔ cup corn kernels, blanched until tender (see Big-Pot Blanching), chilled in ice water, drained, and dried
2 tablespoons finely minced summer truffle
2 tablespoons finely minced chives
1 teaspoon white truffle oil
Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings
These agnolotti contain a delicious filling that owes much of its impact to the corn juice, which is intensely flavored and also helps to blend the polenta and mascarpone-enriched risotto.
FOR THE POLENTA: Bring the vegetable stock and water to a boil in a saucepan. While whisking the liquid, pour in the polenta in a steady stream and, continuing to whisk, bring to simmer. Place the pot on a diffuser over very low heat. Cook the polenta, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, or until it forms a ball as it is stirred and is fully cooked, with no raw cornmeal taste. Keep it warm over very low heat.
MEANWHILE, FOR THE RISOTTO: Bring the stock and 1½ cups water to a simmer in a saucepan. Spread the rice in one layer in a wide saucepan. Add ½ cup of the hot liquid and stir constantly over medium heat until the liquid has evaporated. Add another ½ cup and continue as above, adding more liquid once the previous addition has evaporated. The rice should be fully cooked for the filling, so if it is not tender after you have used all the liquid, continue to add smaller amounts of hot water or stock until it is fully cooked. When it is cooked, it will form a sticky ball as it is stirred (it should be thicker in consistency than regular risotto when it is served as a dish).
While it is still hot, put the risotto through the fine die of a meat grinder (if you do not own a grinder, you can pass it through a food mill fitted with a fine disk). Repeat the process, so that you have ground it twice.
Place the polenta in a clean saucepan and set it over low heat. Stir in the ground risotto to combine the two mixtures. Remove from the heat and stir in the mascarpone and butter until thoroughly combined.
Place the 1¼ cups corn juice in a saucepan and whisk it constantly over medium heat until it has thickened and reached 180°F. Do not exceed that temperature or it may separate. Remove it from the heat and whisk it into the polenta/rice mixture. You will want to whisk vigorously at first and then beat with a spoon to be sure that all the elements are evenly blended. There should be approximately 3 cups of filling (enough for 10 dozen agnolotti), which can be used immediately or refrigerated for up to 2 days; extra filling can be frozen if you prefer. Roll out the dough and fill the agnolotti according to the directions. You can freeze extra agnolotti, for up to a few weeks.
FOR THE CORN SAUCE: Place the corn juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly until it has thickened and reaches 180°F. Start the blender and pour in the hot corn liquid. With the motor running, add the butter and blend for a few seconds. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into a saucepan.
TO COMPLETE: Cook 48 agnolotti in lightly salted boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, gently reheat the corn sauce (do not boil) and add the corn, truffle, and chives. Just before serving, add the truffle oil.
Drain the agnolotti and divide them among six serving dishes. Top with the sauce and shavings of Parmesan.
makes 6 servings
NOTE ON CORN JUICE: If you have a juicer, cut the kernels from the cob and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. If you do not have a juicer, follow this method.
