How to make agnolotti

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How to make agnolotti

by Great British Chefs4 March 2016

How to make agnolotti

Hailing from Piedmont in Italy, agnolotti are said to have been conceived at some point in the 14th century. The dish was so revered that it was named after the chef who created it.

Easier to make than its fiddly relatives ravioli and tortellini, agnolotti are small parcels made by piping dots of filling and folding and pinching it to seal. Normally around 3cm in size, miniature versions are also popular and are known as ‘Agnolotti del plin’, meaning ‘pinched’. You will need one recipe’s worth of fresh pasta dough and whichever filling you choose to use. Ricotta and spinach is a popular choice for a vegetarian dish, or you could use a farce made of confit meat.

1
Roll out the pasta into sheets of 2mm thickness and around 30cm in length
2
Pipe ½ tsp dots of your filling in 3cm intervals along the pasta. Ideally you should fit 5 per pasta sheet
3
Carefully fold over the pasta and push down to seal, making a tube. Trim away any excess pasta
4
Use your fingers to pinch between the filling to seal and create pockets
5
Fold the pasta forwards to make a flap then use a pasta wheel for a fluted effect or a sharp knife to separate each pocket
6
To cook the agnolotti, bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil and cook for 2–3 minutes before draining and tossing in olive oil

Serving suggestions

Agnolotti can have a variety of fillings, ranging from the very traditional such as this Agnolotti with potato, parmesan and black truffle or Luke Holder’s Agnolotti pappa al pomodoro with basil to more interesting fillings such as a purée of jerusalem artichoke or roasted pumpkin. Shellfish such as crab and lobster are also delicious as part of an agnolotti dish, as is confit quail, pheasant or partridge.

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