Pasta Dough For Agnolotti
Serves: 4
Lelia Marks
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
52
Spice
48
Sweetness
50
Sourness
37
mins
Prep time (avg)
4.1
Difficulty
Ingredients:
Directions:
1
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
2
Make sure that the well is wide enough to hold all the eggs without spilling
3
Pour the egg yolks, egg, oil, and milk into the well
4
Use your fingers to break the eggs up
5
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
6
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
7
Keep moving the eggs while slowly incorporating the flour
8
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
9
The mixture will thicken and eventually get too tight to keep turning with your fingers
10
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
11
When the remaining flour from the sides of the well has been cut into the dough, the dough will still look shaggy
12
Bring the dough together with the palms of your hands and form it into a ball
13
It will look flaky but will hold together
14
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
15
Re-form the dough into a ball and repeat the process several times
16
The dough should feel moist but not sticky
17
Let the dough rest for a few minutes while you clean the work surface
18
Dust the clean work surface with a little flour
19
Knead the dough by pushing against it in a forward motion with the heels of your hands
20
Form the dough into a ball again and knead it again
21
Keep kneading in this forward motion until the dough becomes silky-smooth
22
The dough is ready when you can pull your finger through it and the dough wants to snap back into place
23
The kneading process can take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes
24
Even if you think you are finished kneading, knead it for an extra ten minutes; you cannot overknead this dough
25
It is important to work the dough long enough to pass the pull test; otherwise, when it rests, it will collapse
26
Double-wrap the dough in plastic wrap to ensure that it does not dry out
27
Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before rolling it through a pasta machine
28
The dough can be made a day ahead, wrapped and refrigerated; bring to room temperature before proceeding
29
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
30
Make sure that the well is wide enough to hold all the eggs without spilling
31
Pour the egg yolks, egg, oil, and milk into the well
32
Use your fingers to break the eggs up
33
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
34
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
35
Keep moving the eggs while slowly incorporating the flour
36
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
37
The mixture will thicken and eventually get too tight to keep turning with your fingers
38
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
39
When the remaining flour from the sides of the well has been cut into the dough, the dough will still look shaggy
40
Bring the dough together with the palms of your hands and form it into a ball
41
It will look flaky but will hold together
42
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
43
Re-form the dough into a ball and repeat the process several times
44
The dough should feel moist but not sticky
45
Let the dough rest for a few minutes while you clean the work surface
46
Dust the clean work surface with a little flour
47
Knead the dough by pushing against it in a forward motion with the heels of your hands
48
Form the dough into a ball again and knead it again
49
Keep kneading in this forward motion until the dough becomes silky-smooth
50
The dough is ready when you can pull your finger through it and the dough wants to snap back into place
51
The kneading process can take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes
52
Even if you think you are finished kneading, knead it for an extra ten minutes; you cannot overknead this dough
53
It is important to work the dough long enough to pass the pull test; otherwise, when it rests, it will collapse
54
Double-wrap the dough in plastic wrap to ensure that it does not dry out
55
Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before rolling it through a pasta machine
56
The dough can be made a day ahead, wrapped and refrigerated; bring to room temperature before proceeding
57
To form sheets for agnolotti: Use 1/2 recipe pasta dough, divided into two or three pieces
58
Run the dough through a pasta machine as for ravioli, but make the sheets wider
59
The size will vary according to the pasta machine used, but the sheets should be at least five inches wide
60
It is important that your pasta sheet be thin enough so that you can see your fingers through it, but not so thin that it's translucent
61
Keep the pasta sheets covered, as they dry out quickly, and proceed with filling the agnolotti
62
Use 1/2 recipe pasta dough, divided into two or three pieces
63
Run the dough through a pasta machine as for ravioli, but make the sheets wider
64
The size will vary according to the pasta machine used, but the sheets should be at least five inches wide
65
It is important that your pasta sheet be thin enough so that you can see your fingers through it, but not so thin that it's translucent
66
Keep the pasta sheets covered, as they dry out quickly, and proceed with filling the agnolotti
67
To fill agnolotti: If you are planning on using the agnolotti immediately, have a large pot of lightly salted boiling water ready
68
Work with one sheet of pasta at a time, keeping the remaining sheets covered
69
Work quickly, as fresh pasta will dry out
70
Lay the pasta sheet on a lightly floured surface with a long side facing you
71
Trim the edges so they are straight
72
Place the agnolotti filling in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip
73
Pipe a "tube" of filling across the bottom of the pasta sheet, leaving a 3/4-inch border of pasta along the left, right and bottom edges
74
Pull the bottom edge of the pasta up and over the filling
75
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
76
When it is sealed, there should be about 1/2 inch of excess dough visible along the tube of filling (where you sealed it)
77
Be certain that you are sealing tightly while pressing out any pockets of air
78
Seal the left and right ends of the dough
79
If you are planning on using the agnolotti immediately, have a large pot of lightly salted boiling water ready
80
Work with one sheet of pasta at a time, keeping the remaining sheets covered
81
Work quickly, as fresh pasta will dry out
82
Lay the pasta sheet on a lightly floured surface with a long side facing you
83
Trim the edges so they are straight
84
Place the agnolotti filling in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip
85
Pipe a "tube" of filling across the bottom of the pasta sheet, leaving a 3/4-inch border of pasta along the left, right and bottom edges
86
Pull the bottom edge of the pasta up and over the filling
87
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
88
When it is sealed, there should be about 1/2 inch of excess dough visible along the tube of filling (where you sealed it)
89
Be certain that you are sealing tightly while pressing out any pockets of air
90
Seal the left and right ends of the dough
91
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 3/4 inch of "pinched" are between each pocket of filling
92
It is important to leave this much "pinched" area between the agnolotti, or when the agnolotti are separated, they may come unsealed
93
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
94
Don't cut too close to the filling, or you risk breaking the seal
95
Separate the individual agnolotti by cutting the center of each pinched area, rolling the pastry wheel away from you
96
Working quickly, place the agnolotti on a baking sheet dusted with a thin layer of cornmeal, which will help prevent sticking
97
Don't let the agnolotti touch each other, or they may stick together
98
Repeat the same procedure on the remainder of your pasta sheets
99
Either cook the agnolotti immediately in the boiling water, or place the baking sheet in the freezer
100
Once the agnolotti are frozen, place them in airtight freezer bags and keep them frozen for up to several weeks
101
Cook the agnolotti while still frozen
102
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 3/4 inch of "pinched" are between each pocket of filling
103
It is important to leave this much "pinched" area between the agnolotti, or when the agnolotti are separated, they may come unsealed
104
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
105
Don't cut too close to the filling, or you risk breaking the seal
106
Separate the individual agnolotti by cutting the center of each pinched area, rolling the pastry wheel away from you
107
Working quickly, place the agnolotti on a baking sheet dusted with a thin layer of cornmeal, which will help prevent sticking
108
Don't let the agnolotti touch each other, or they may stick together
109
Repeat the same procedure on the remainder of your pasta sheets
110
Either cook the agnolotti immediately in the boiling water, or place the baking sheet in the freezer
111
Once the agnolotti are frozen, place them in airtight freezer bags and keep them frozen for up to several weeks
112
Cook the agnolotti while still frozen