Homemade Agnolotti Pasta
A recipe for homemade agnolotti pasta! This classic stuffed pasta, recipe adapted lightly from Marcella Hazen, is filled with a delicious swiss chard, ricotta cheese, and prosciutto mixture.
Equipment
- Pastry Cutter
Ingredients
Pasta Dough:
- 3½ cups (420 g) Type “00” flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
- 5 large eggs
Swiss Chard, Ricotta, and Prosciutto Filling:
- 1 lb Swiss chard stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
- 1½ tablespoons (22 g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup finely chopped shallot about 1 medium shallot
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped prosciutto about 2 to 3 slices
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 cup whole-fat ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- freshly ground black pepper
- kosher salt
Assembly:
- semolina flour for dusting
- 1 large egg, beaten for brushing
Instructions
- Prepare Pasta Dough: Place the flour on a clean countertop or large cutting board. Using fingertips, create a large well in center of the flour, so that the countertop is visible. Crack the eggs into the well. Using a fork, slowly begin adding the flour from sides of the well into the egg mixture, whisking as you go, until the egg mixture is no longer runny.
- Using floured hands or a bench bench scraper, continue to incorporate the flour into egg mixture, until you can squeeze the dough with your hand without it sticking. Knead the pasta dough for 10 minutes or until it is very smooth and elastic.
- Divide the dough in half, flatten each piece into a disk using your palm, wrap the discs tightly in plastic wrap, and allow them to rest at room temperature for at least 30 to 45 minutes.
- Prepare Filling: Rinse the torn Swiss chard leaves in a colander until all grit has been removed. Do not dry. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the Swiss chard leaves and blanch for 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Drain well and allow the Swiss chard to cool until it can be handled comfortably. Place the swiss chard in a clean kitchen towel or thick paper towels, and wring out and discard any excess liquid. Chop finely. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the finely chopped shallots and saute until soft and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the proscuitto and continue to cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, then add the chopped, blanched Swiss chard to the pan. Saute the green mixture for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, before removing from heat. Allow to cool until lukewarm.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, egg yolk, lukeward Swiss chard mixture, nutmeg, and cheese until mixed. Season mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a large piping bag fitted with a small round tip.
- Assemble Agnolotti: Once the pasta dough has rested, knead briefly, adding more flour if necessary. Flour will absorb during resting, so sometimes it is necessary to add additional flour to ensure the pasta dough isn't over sticky. Divide each dough ball in half again and using an electric or manual pasta machine, roll the dough disc using the largest-width setting.
- Fold into an envelope by bringing one edge into center, repeating with other side. Continue to roll at the largest-width setting, placing the dough into the machine so the seams face the machine, and repeat at least five times until dough is very smooth and rolls evenly.
- Roll the pasta dough to setting “5” on your pasta machine, or until very thin and almost translucent. Cut into 12-inch long sheets. Allow the rolled dough to dry slightly at room temperature, hanging on a rack, or until no longer tacky. Since you will need to assemble the agnolotti, avoid rolling too much pasta dough discs at once, as it may get too dry otherwise.
- Take one sheet at a time and place on a lightly dusted countertop. Pipe the ricotta filling in a thin straight line (½-inch in diameter) horizontally in the center of the sheet of pasta. Brush the dough adjacent to the filling, on both sides, lightly with egg wash. Fold one side of the dough over the filling, gently pressing the dough to remove any air bubbles around the filling, pressing firmly to seal. Using a fluted wheel pasty cutter, cut the filled pasta away - leaving a ½ to ¾-inch edge - from the rest of the sheet. Discard the trimmings (or cook or use in other ways).
- Using your fingertips, indent the dough into equal-sized sections (roughly 1-inch inch wide), creating a firm seal between each piece. Using your hands, gently roll the dough over to the edge and and using a pastry cutter, quickly cut between each seal to form an agnolotti. Do this step quickly, as it will help create a firm seal. Place the assembled agnolotti on a large baking sheet dusted with semolina flour.
- Repeat with remaining pasta sheets, until all agnolotti have been assembled. Pasta can be stored in the fridge overnight, cooked immediately, or frozen on the sheet tray until solid (before being transferred to a ziploc bag).
- To cook, boil the agnolotti in boiling salted water until al-dente.
Agnolotti filling adapted from Marcella Hazan’s Marcella Cucina.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 864kcal, Carbohydrates: 106g, Protein: 40g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 436mg, Sodium: 1093mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 9g