Agnolotti with Sweet Corn & Three Cheeses
Agnolotti are happy little pockets of stuffed pasta that hail from the Peidmont region of Italy. It’s a small ravioli-like parcel of dough with one edge twice folded over, creating a wonderful pocket for collecting sauce in each bite. Think of it like a kangaroo pouch for extra sauce, yes? In fact, back in 2015, this was the first pasta shape I ever made. I’ve loved it since I saw Dominick Tesoriero make his Agnolotti Bolognese on Food Network Star many years ago. Marc Vetri’s egg yolk dough is perfect for beginners, sturdy and resilient for all kinds of stuffed pasta shapes.
Agnolotti with Sweet Corn & Three Cheeses
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Filling:
· 4 ears sweet corn
· 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
· ½ cup mascarpone cheese
· ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely shredded
· 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
· 1 heaping teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
· 1-2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
· Kosher salt
Egg Yolk Pasta Dough (makes 1 pound):
· 1-1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
· 7 tablespoons semolina flour, plus more for dusting
· 9 egg yolks
· 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
· 3 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
Basil Butter Sauce:
· 6 tablespoons butter
· ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely shredded
· Handful fresh basil leaves, whole or torn
· Black pepper, for serving
· Homemade breadcrumbs, for serving
1. To make the filling: to a large stockpot add 6 quarts water and bring to a boil. When rolling, add 2 handfuls of kosher salt and ears of corn. Cook about 10 minutes, until corn is bright and tender. Remove cobs with tongs (keep the water to cook pasta in) and when cool enough to handle, lay cobs on their side and use a sharp knife to remove the kernels. Set ½ cup of the kernels aside for tossing into the sauce.
2. In a food processor or blender, add corn, ricotta, mascarpone, parmigiano, olive oil, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Pulse a few times to break up corn and combine—don’t blend it too much. Some pieces of corn are good. Transfer to a small bowl and season with salt (start with ½ teaspoon and go from there). Cover and refrigerate until ready to use—this will help thicken the filling a bit.
3. To make the pasta dough: add both flours to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Stir to combine, then create a small well in the center. Add egg yolks, oil and water— one ingredient at a time. Mix just until the dough comes together in a mass, about 2 minutes. If dough isn’t coming together well, add water 1 tablespoon at a time to help it along.
4. Turn dough out onto a semolina-floured surface and knead it until smooth, about 5 minutes. Use extra semolina to keep it from sticking to the surface and your hands. You’ll know the dough is ready when it’s bouncy and elastic.
5. Shape dough into a disc, wrap in plastic and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to rest. While dough is resting, fill a pastry bag fitted with a ½” round, plain tip and spoon in corn and cheese filling. You can also use a Ziplock bag and snip off one of the tips.
6. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Remove one and keep the other three pieces wrapped (dough will dry out if left exposed). Flatten it as best you can with your hands into a rectangle. Lightly flour the dough on both sides with semolina. Pass the dough through the roller attachment on the widest setting (setting 1 on the KitchenAid roller). Dust again and pass through the next narrowest setting (setting 2). Fold in half and slice off the rounded edge to make straight edges all around. The goal is to create an evenly wide sheet of dough. Pass through setting 2 once more. Continue to pass through setting 3, 4 and 5, dusting lightly with semolina before each pass.
7. Lay sheet of pasta on a generously floured work surface. Fill a small dish with water and keep it nearby. Pipe a continuous line of filling along with length of the dough, starting about 1-1/2” to 2” from the long edge closest to you. Keep 1/2” free of filling on either short end (see photos for clarity on this!)
8. Wet the tip of your finger with water and run around the entire perimeter of the filling. Carefully fold the edge closest to you up and around the filling, leaving about a 1” overlap (you can leave as much room as you like—you just need enough overlap so that it’s a tight seal). Using a pastry wheel, slice off the excess dough (don’t throw it away, you’ll make more pasta with it!) and pinch the roll into 1” to 2” lengths. Press firmly to seal. Use pastry wheel to slice between each section, creating the agnolotti pieces. Place finished pasta on a floured sheet pan. Discard small pieces of scrap dough. Make another line or pasta with the remainder of the first pasta sheet. Continue with the other three sections of dough until all agnolotti are made. They are OK at room temperature until ready to cook (see note about freezing if making ahead).
9. Bring stockpot of water to a boil. Lower to a steady simmer. Carefully drop agnolotti in and give it a gentle stir to break up. Cook 2 minutes, until al dente.
10. In a Dutch oven or sauté pan with high sides, melt butter over medium heat. Add a ladleful of hot pasta water and stir. Drain agnolotti and add to the butter sauce, which should start to thicken. Add reserved ½ cup corn. Fold in parmigiano and toss gently. Add basil and serve with extra parmigiano, black pepper and breadcrumbs.
Note: Flash-freeze pasta on a sheet tray for a few hours until hard—then freeze in smaller portions in air-tight bags. Cook a minute longer in simmering water when cooking from frozen.
Pasta Dough recipe by Mark Vetri, from the book Mastering Pasta.
