Braised Meat Filled Pasta - Agnolotti

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This is one of the most beloved meat-filled pasta recipes in northern Italy—especially in the regions of Piemonte and Lombardy. Agnolotti are squared-shaped pasta, similar to ravioli but about twice as big. Brasato refers to the slowly braised meat filling, which is ideally made from leftovers.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound braised beef or veal
• 1 egg
• 4 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

If you are making your own fresh pasta, start with kneaded dough made (1 pound of flour and 5 eggs). Allow dough to rest for half an hour or more, then roll it out in thin layers with a rolling pin. Work quickly to avoid drying out the dough. You can also use an electric dough kneader.

How to Make Fresh Pasta:  Easy to follow recipe for fresh homemade pasta! Making fresh pasta dough doesn't require much - just eggs & flour.

The Filling
A combination of different roasted and braised meats can be used. The meat should be ground twice, or if you don’t have a meat grinder, you can use a food processor. Combine the meat with 1 egg, half of the Parmigiano and the grated nutmeg. Mis with a wooden spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Agnolotti
To obtain the square-shaped agnolotti, roll out your dough in long rectangular strips about 6 inches wide. (Keep the rest of the dough covered with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel.) Dab a teaspoon of filling at 2 1/2-inch intervals lengthwise down one side of the dough. Now turn the half without the filling on top of the other half. Using a dough-cutter wheel, trim off the dough along the three sides (don’t trim the folded side). Now cut out each agnolotto with the cutter wheel, forming squares. Seal each one well with your fingers. Lay them out on a tray with some semolina flour on the bottom to avoid sticking. Continue this procedure, preparing as many agnolotti as you can.

In a large pot, bring a gallon of water to boil; add a 1/4 cup of salt, and then add the agnolotti slowly and carefully. Stir them very gently and cook for eight minutes. Drain them with a colander or a sieve and then place them in a warm pasta bowl, slowly building up layers of agnolotti topped with the warm meat sauce and top with Parmigiano.

As an alternative, you can season the agnolotti simply with sage and butter. Whichever sauce you choose, be sure to offer more Parmigiano on the side.

Serves 4 Send to friend Printer-friendly version