Celebration Dinner Agnolotti

This year, I made some angolotti for our celebration dinner. For variety, I did two kinds: a mixed mushroom version and winter squash version. The advantage of angolotti over ravioli in my mind is that 1) They are easier to make, and 2) They can hold more filling w/o the risk of falling apart.

For the dough,  Vegan Dad's recipe is my newly found go-to fresh pasta recipe. (thanks, Vegan  Dad!).

When the dough comes together, remove from blender, knead  into a ball, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 1/2 hour. The dough should not be at all sticky at this point.

After the dough has rested, cut the dough in half (less dough is easier to roll out) and, preferably using a pastry board, roll the dough out to about 1/16 of an inch thick. Use semolina flour to coat the pastry board and prevent sticking. When the dough is rolled out to desired thickness, use biscuit cutters to cut out rounds...mine were about 4 inches in diameter.

Now, all that is left is to fill them. Place the filling in the center of the dough and fold the dough to make a half moon. Use a mixture of flour and water as the 'glue', brushing it around the edges before folding the dough. Once the dough is folded, press the dough together firmly with your fingers.

When I had all the agnolotti filled and folded, I arranged them on a tray and froze them. This made them easier to work with the next day.  Alternately, you could cook them right after making them, or let them air dry a little.

To cook them, I just dumped the frozen agnolotti into gently boiling salted water. When they rise to the top they should be done, ~ 5- 6 minutes.

 

Squash Filling (enough for 24-36 agnolotti, depending on size)

I didn't write down the exact measurements, but here's my approximation of what I put into the squash filling:

2 cups roasted squash mash (I used a combo of Butternut and Delicata)
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/8 cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon melted Earth Balance ( or more for richer flavor)
1/2 cup ground hazelnuts (lightly toasted before grinding)
1 cup fresh sprouted grain bread crumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh, chopped  marjoram (or to taste)

Blend all ingredients together well and use for filling.

Mushroom Filling (enough for 24 - 36 agnolotti)
Again, this is an approximation:
1 pound mixed mushrooms, chopped fine ( I used crimini, shitake, and king oyster)
1 cup fresh sprouted grain bread crumbs
1/2 cup ground walnuts ( lightly toasted before grinding)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium - large shallot, very finely diced
1/2 tablespoon walnut oil
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
good handful of fresh chopped parsely
white wine
salt and pepper to taste
fresh tarragon (optional)

Saute the garlic and shallot in the walnut and olive oil until tender, toss in the chopped mushrooms and saute for 1 more minute, deglaze with about 1/4  cup white wine. Toss in a good handful of chopped parsley, and some chopped fresh tarragon (optional, omit if you're not fond of tarragon). Combine the mushroom/garlic mixture with the bread crumbs/chopped nut mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.

We ate the angolotti with mom's homemade red sauce...any sauce that suits your fancy would be good.

Bon Appétit!