Handmade Agnolotti

Recipe by Phil Iannucilli, Executive Chef at Greenwich Country Club, Greenwich, CT, USA

Chef Note: Quite often, I like to imagine the best qualities of several dishes and combine them to create a new one. Here, I started with the classic brown butter sage (Cappellacci di Zucca). I added walnuts (Pansotti alle Noci). Then I finished it with cream (Fettuccine Alfredo – although originally without cream) and the black pepper from Carbonara fame (Coal Miner’s Pasta). The spinach and nutmeg are perfect team players in this scenario.

Ingredients

Handmade Agnolotti
(Yield - 1 Serving)

• 2  ounces Brown Butter Cream (see recipe)
• 6  Agnolotti (see recipe)
• 1/2 cup Spinach (sautéed)
• 5 Walnut Halves (toasted)
• 2 Fried Sage Leaves
• 1 touch Cracked Pepper
• Drizzling of Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 touch Grated Nutmeg

Fresh Pasta Dough
(Yield - 1 1/2  lbs.)

• 200 grams Durum Wheat Flour
• 1 pinch Fine Sea Salt
• 2 Whole Eggs
• 2 ounces Warm Water
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

The Filling
(Yield - 2 Cups)

• 2 cups Ricotta Impastata
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Fresh Grated Nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground White Pepper
• 2 teaspoons Fine Sea Salt
• 1 Whole Egg (beaten for egg wash)

Brown Butter Cream
(Yield - 2 Cups)

• 3 Tablespoons Sweet Butter
• 5 Walnut Halves
• 3 Whole Sage Leaves
• 1-3/4 cups Heavy Cream
• 1/4 cup Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1 pinch Fine Sea Salt

Preparation

Fresh Pasta Dough 
Start the dough in a mixer with the dough hook attachment. Blend the flour and salt. Then add all the wet ingredients. Mix for 5-10 minutes until a strong dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Finish kneading by hand, while incorporating flour until very stiff. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. 

The Filling
Mix all ingredients with the paddle attachment until fully incorporated. Roll the pasta dough through a machine, progressively thinner, until almost translucent. Line Tablespoons of filling along the middle of the pasta, approximately 1-1/2 inches apart. Brush the edges and between the filling with a touch of egg wash. Fold the pasta over the filling longways. Roll and cut the agnolotti with a fluted pastry wheel. Set aside for cooking.

Brown Butter Cream
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Swirl the butter until it slowly and evenly starts to brown. Add the walnuts and then the sage. Add the cream and lower the heat. Simmer gently for 3-4 minutes. Add the cheese and salt, whisking until just melted. Quickly remove from the heat. 

Assembly

Spoon the sauce onto the plate. Arrange the cooked agnolotti in a circle on top of the sauce. Pile the spinach high in the center. Carefully place the walnuts around. Garnish with the fried sage leaves and finish with cracked pepper, olive oil and freshly grated nutmeg. 

Wine Match

Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay, Sonoma County, California 2016.

~ Jessica Terry, Food and Beverage Manager.

The 18 green overlooking the back of the clubhouse.
Image by Henry Cardenas.