**Overview of Agnolotti with Roast Meat and Spinach Stuffing**
Agnolotti with roast meat and spinach stuffing is a classic Italian dish that combines rich flavors and textures to create a hearty and comforting meal. This article presents three variations of this dish: the Traditional Agnolotti, the Agnolotti in Brodo (agnolotti in broth), and the Agnolotti al Forno (baked agnolotti). Each recipe offers a unique take on this timeless dish, highlighting the versatility and creativity that Italian cuisine is known for.
**Traditional Agnolotti**
The Traditional Agnolotti is the quintessential version of this dish, featuring a savory filling of braised beef, pork, and veal, along with sautéed spinach, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and aromatic herbs. These delicate pasta parcels are cooked in boiling water until they float to the surface, then tossed in a simple sauce made from butter, sage, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
**Agnolotti in Brodo**
The Agnolotti in Brodo takes the traditional recipe a step further by simmering the agnolotti in a rich broth made from roasted meat, vegetables, and herbs. This comforting soup is perfect for a cold winter day, as the flavorful broth and tender agnolotti warm the body and soul.
**Agnolotti al Forno**
The Agnolotti al Forno is a baked version of this dish, where the agnolotti are arranged in a baking dish, topped with a creamy béchamel sauce, and then baked until golden brown. This hearty and flavorful casserole is a perfect main course for a family meal or a special occasion.
AGNOLOTTI WITH ROAST MEAT AND SPINACH STUFFING
Steps:
- Mix the pasta dough in advance, following the instructions in the preceding recipe. Refrigerate or freeze the dough. Return it to room temperature before rolling.
- Several hours in advance, roast the meats, to allow them to cool at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 425˚. Pour the tablespoon olive oil in the bottom of a small roasting pan. Cut the pork, veal, or beef chunk in 1-inch pieces, and put the pieces in the pan with the chicken (or rabbit) pieces, onion chunks, garlic, and rosemary. Pour in the stock, and season with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, roast for about 1/2 hour, and remove the foil. Continue roasting, turning the pieces occasionally, until all are tender and caramelized and there's only a small amount of liquid left in the pan. Remove from the oven, and let the meat cool completely in the roasting juices.
- Rinse and drain the spinach leaves, and slice into thin shreds. Melt the tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until foaming, add the spinach, season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and stir to wilt the shreds. Cover the pan and cook for a minute or so, until the spinach releases its liquid, then cook uncovered over medium heat until the liquid has all cooked off and the spinach is tender. Turn the spinach into a colander set over a bowl, spreading it out to drain and cool quickly. Do not squeeze it.
- When the meats are cool, pour off and strain the pan juices. Pull the chicken or rabbit meat off the bones; remove and discard all fat, gristle, and skin. Shred the meat chunks, then chop into very fine bits with a sharp knife. Finely chop the onions and mix into the chopped meat, along with the pan juices. When the spinach is cool, blend with the meat in a mixing bowl. Beat the egg, and stir it into the filling along with the final 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, gratings of nutmeg and black pepper, and the 1/3 cup of grated cheese. Chill the filling for several hours or overnight.
- When ready to make the agnolotti, cut the pasta dough in quarters. Roll each piece through a pasta machine at progressively narrower settings into strips 4 to 5 inches wide and at least 24 inches long. Lay the long strips flat on a floured surface and keep covered.
- Fill and form agnolotti one strip at a time. With the dough running left to right in front of you, drop a scant tablespoon of filling in a mound, about 1 inch in from the end of the strip, then drop more mounds at 2-inch intervals along its entire length. You should have at least a dozen mounds in a straight line.
- Dip the pastry brush in water, and moisten the long edges of the dough strips, above and below the row of mounds. Pick up the top long edge of each strip, fold it over the filling mounds, align it with the bottom edge of dough, and press the moistened edges together.
- To seal the agnolotti, pinch the dough on either side of every filling mound, bringing the top and bottom edges of the folded strip together, with your forefinger and thumb. Finally, run the pastry wheel up and down through the pinched dough, separating individual plump agnolotti. Lay them, spaced apart, in a single layer on a floured tray. Repeat the entire process with the remaining long strips of dough.
- Cook the agnolotti right away, or refrigerate for a few hours, on the tray, sealed with plastic wrap. For longer storage, freeze them solid on the tray, then pack in freezer bags.
- Fill the big pot with at least 6 quarts of water, with 1 tablespoon salt, and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, put the butter in the sauté pan or skillet, set it over low heat to melt, then toss in the sage leaves. Keep the sauce warm-but not cooking-so the sage leaves infuse the melted butter.
- Cook only two dozen or so agnolotti at a time. When the water is at a rolling boil, shake excess flour from the agnolotti and drop them into the pot. Stir well, and return to the boil rapidly. The agnolotti will drop to the bottom, then rise to the surface; keep moving and stirring them so they cook evenly and don't stick. Cook for about 4 minutes, and check for doneness, biting into the thickest edge of dough.
- When they are fully cooked, lift out the agnolotti with a spider, drain briefly, and spill them into the warm butter in the pan, gently stirring and tumbling so all are coated. Meanwhile, return the water to the rolling boil and cook the remaining agnolotti. Drain and drop them in the pan, on top of the first batch. Raise the heat slightly, and turn and tumble the agnolotti until all are hot and coated with sage butter.
- Turn off the heat and sprinkle half of the grated cheese on top. Spoon portions of agnolotti onto warm plates, drizzle a bit of the hot sage butter left in the pan over each portion, and serve right away. Pass more cheese at the table.
AGNOLOTTI WITH MEAT AND SPINACH FILLING
Yield Makes 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 23
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine first 8 ingredients on rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Roast until all meats are cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot; sauté 3 minutes. Working in batches, add spinach to skillet and toss until wilted before adding more, about 5 minutes total. Remove from heat and cool.
- Remove skin and bones from chicken thigh and discard. Coarsely dice chicken, veal, and pork; transfer to processor. Add meat pan juices, spinach, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Process until meats and spinach are finely chopped, stopping often to scrape down sides of bowl. Transfer mixture to bowl. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
- Blend 1 3/4 cups flour and salt in processor. Add whole eggs and yolks and blend until dough forms, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if too wet. Turn out dough on lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, sprinkling with flour if needed to prevent sticking, about 8 minutes. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
- Cut dough into 4 equal pieces. Turn pasta machine to widest setting. Flatten 1 dough piece into rectangle. Cover remaining dough pieces with plastic wrap. Run dough through machine 4 times. Adjust machine to next narrower setting. Run dough through machine 4 times. Repeat running dough strip through machine 4 times on each narrower setting, cutting dough strip in half crosswise for easier handling when strip becomes very long and dusting dough with flour as needed to prevent sticking. Continue rolling until pasta strips are 22 to 24 inches long, dusting lightly with flour as needed. Repeat rolling with remaining 3 dough pieces. Let dough strips dry slightly on work surface until no longer sticky to touch for easier handling, about 10 minutes.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; dust lightly with flour. Cut each dough strip into 3-inch squares (about 7 to 8 per strip). Place 1 generous teaspoon filling in center of each square. Brush 2 adjacent dough edges with water. Fold 1 long side over filling, enclosing filling and pressing to seal, forming rectangle. Transfer to prepared baking sheets, arranging in single layer. Do ahead Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover with towel and let stand at room temperature.
- Melt butter with chopped sage in large skillet over medium-high heat; remove from heat. Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add half of agnolotti to pot and cook just until tender, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon transfer agnolotti to sieve to drain, then add to skillet with melted butter. Repeat with remaining agnolotti. Toss over medium-high heat until coated and heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Divide agnolotti among 8 bowls; sprinkle with Parmesan shavings and serve.
ITALIAN SPINACH STUFFING
This is an Italian-American turkey stuffing that was invented in New Jersey by Pietronilla Conte, who emigrated from the Italian region of Molise in the early 20th century. Ms. Conte's granddaughter Lisa shared the recipe (which her mother, Carmela, also prepares) with us. "She must have used a stuffing that she knew in Italy," Lisa Conte said of her grandmother. "And she just looked at the turkey as a larger thing to stuff." The gizzards give the stuffing its depth of flavor (like giblet gravy), but you could leave them out, or substitute an equal amount of livers, or 6 ounces of pancetta or bacon.
Provided by Julia Moskin
Categories stuffing and dressing, side dish
Time 1h45m
Yield 12 to 14 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, spinach and mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until well mixed and heated through, about 5 minutes. Season mixture to taste with salt and pepper; set aside.
- Finely mince chicken gizzards. (You can do this by hand or in a food processor, but be careful not to overprocess.) Season gizzards all over with salt. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add gizzards and sauté, stirring often, until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain off any drippings, then stir gizzards into spinach mixture. Let cool to room temperature.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. When spinach mixture is cool, add eggs, cheese, bread crumbs and parsley and stir until well combined. Transfer stuffing to a 3-quart casserole dish and bake, covered, 1 hour.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 248, UnsaturatedFat 7 grams, Carbohydrate 13 grams, Fat 12 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 22 grams, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Sodium 532 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams
Tips:
- Choose the right meat for roasting. Beef, pork, and lamb are all good choices, but you can also use chicken or turkey. Just make sure the meat is boneless and skinless, and that it is cut into small pieces so that it cooks evenly.
- Roast the meat at a high temperature. This will help to create a crispy outer layer and a juicy interior.
- Let the meat rest before slicing. This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making it more tender and flavorful.
- Make sure the spinach is well-drained before adding it to the stuffing. This will help to prevent the stuffing from becoming watery.
- Season the stuffing to taste. You can use salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and other herbs and spices to create a flavorful stuffing.
- Fill the agnolotti wrappers with the stuffing and seal them tightly. You can use a fork to crimp the edges of the wrappers to make sure they are sealed securely.
- Cook the agnolotti in boiling salted water until they float to the top. This will usually take about 3-5 minutes.
- Serve the agnolotti with your favorite sauce. You can use a simple tomato sauce, a creamy Alfredo sauce, or a pesto sauce.
Conclusion:
Agnolotti with roast meat and spinach stuffing is a delicious and hearty dish that is perfect for a special occasion. The crispy roasted meat and the creamy spinach stuffing are a perfect combination, and the agnolotti wrappers are cooked to perfection. This dish is sure to impress your guests, and it is also a great way to use up leftover meat.
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