Agnolotti (ravioli) with ricotta, sage and walnuts (Piedmont)

October 7, 2018

Serves 4:

For the filling:

  • 220 g of fresh ricotta
  • 100-120 g of grated parmesan
  • 1 egg yolk
  • a big bunch of parsley leaves, finely chopped
  • 3-4 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
  • a handful of toasted walnuts, finely chopped
  • a pinch of nutmeg
  • salt
  • pepper

For the pasta:

  • 300g of flour (00 type)
  • 3 medium eggs (organic)
  • 1 egg yolk (organic)
  • *one egg, lightly beaten

For the butter:

  • three tablespoons of butter
  • a couple of walnuts, crushed into 2-3 pieces each
  • a couple of sage leaves 
  • grated parmesan to your liking

Start with the pasta dough. 

Pour the flour onto a work surface into a high hip. Now with your fingers create a well where you will place the eggs including the additional egg yolk (you can beat the eggs first and pour them into the well if you prefer). With a fork start gently with circular movements stirring the eggs into the flour until you obtain a rough dough. Now start kneading it for about 10 minutes, it is a very important part in the  pasta making process.The dough should be fairly elastic at this point.

Now form a bowl, wrap it well in cling film and leave in the fridge to cool for about an hour.

Meanwhile prepare the filling by combining all the filling ingredients together and adjusting the seasoning.

I use a wooden rolling pin to roll out my pasta. Of course you can use a pasta machine if you already have one. 

Take the dough from the fridge, divide it in half and start rolling it out on a floured surface turning it over until you get the pasta thin enough to be able to slightly see through when you lift it.

Wrap the remaining dough with cling film.

I use a generous teaspoon of  the filling for my agnolotti (ravioli) as seen in the picture.

I would recommend to try and make one or two agnolotti first.  The quantity of the filling will depend on the size of the ravioli (agnolotti) you want to achieve. You can use stamps like mine that help to extract the unwanted air and seal the edges without the need to use an egg wash (to glue the pasta sheets together). If you don’t have that kind of stamp or a similar one (with the open top) you can use metal  rings/ moulds or even a water glass. Alternatively cut the pasta into squares and seal the edges with a fork or using your hands. Use the size of a teaspoon as guidance.

Once you have chosen the shape and the size of the ravioli, cut a long rectangular sheet of pasta and start arranging the fillings, make sure you leave about 3-4 cm of space in between.

If you are not using a stamp and want to make sure that the pasta sheets will stick together, beat one egg and brush it around each mound of the filling. Cut out another rectangular pasta sheet of the same size and gently cover the previous one pressing on top and around the filling mounds making sure that there is no air left in your parcel that you are making. Now take the stamp of your choice and cut out the agnolotti.

Repeat the process with the remaining rolled out pasta. Make sure you dust your pasta parcels with the flour to prevent from sticking to the surface and drying out.

Roll out the remaining half of pasta dough and repeat the process.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a generous teaspoon of salt. Drop the agnolotti into the pan, stir gently and cook (without the lid) for about 1-2 minutes until they come to the surface. You can check one of your ravioli if the pasta is cooked enough, if not keep them in the water for another minute or so, otherwise remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon and arrange on a serving dish.

In the meantime melt the butter in a pan, add the sage leaves and walnuts, let the butter foam and stir occasionally. Once the butter becomes lightly golden pour it (with the sage leaves and walnuts) over the agnolotti and sprinkle with grated parmesan. 

Serve immediately.