Ricotta Agnolotti Recipe

Instructions

1. 1

   **Make the Pasta Dough:** Dump flour onto a wooden surface or countertop. Make a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well and start mixing the eggs slowly incorporating the flour as you go.

2. 2

   Knead the dough for about 8–10 minutes, until everything is smooth, fully combined, and the dough bounces back when pressed with a fingertip. Cover and let rest while you make the filling.

3. 3

   **Making the Ricotta Filling:** Combine the ricotta, Parmesan, egg yolk, freshly ground nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth and fully combined. Transfer to a pastry bag or a zip-top bag (to use as a makeshift pastry bag) to pipe the filling onto the pasta.

4. 4

   **Rolling Out the Dough:** Cut dough into 4 portions. Keep unused portions covered so they don’t dry out. Roll out one portion at a time using a pasta machine, starting at level 1. Fold the dough over on itself a few times until it becomes smooth and elastic. Then, gradually increase the settings until you reach about 1mm thickness (for my machine, that’s level 6).

5. 5

   **Shaping the Agnolotti:** Pipe the filling onto the pasta sheet 1 inch from the edge. Depending on the width of your sheet (and your confidence level) you may be able to fit two rows of filling per sheet. If unsure, do one row at a time.

6. 6

   Take the edge of the pasta and fold it over the filling, pressing to seal. You should have one long tube of filled pasta. Trim off any excess dough and fully seal the edge by cutting with a zig-zag pastry wheel or pasta cutter, leaving a ½–¾ inch border from the filling.

7. 7

   To form each little “pillow,” start at one end and pinch the tube of filling firmly at regular intervals to create individual agnolotti. You can make them as big or small as you like—I did 1–1.5-inch sections here, but you could also make longer 3-inch ones if you prefer.

8. 8

   Now that you have a long, dimpled rope of filled pasta, cut each section with a zig-zag pasta cutter. This seals them and folds them over on themselves. Give each piece an extra squeeze on each end to ensure they’re fully sealed.

9. 9

   **Storing & Cooking:** Arrange the agnolotti on a lightly floured, clean kitchen towel or sheet tray. You can cook them fresh—they’ll take only a minute or two in salted boiling water.

10. 10

    Or, freeze any you won’t eat right away. To freeze, place them on a sheet tray in the freezer until solid, then transfer to an airtight container or plastic bag. Cook them directly from frozen—they usually take about 3 minutes. Once they float, they’re just about done.