Ricotta-Spinach Agnolotti
Creamy, 3 cheese agnolotti that ooze onto your plate. These are a lot of work.
Pasta Dough
Egg, beaten (for egg wash)
Filling:
400g Ricotta
200g Mascarpone
100g Parmesan, grated
1-3 eggs
1 package Spinach
Fresh Nutmeg
Sauce:
1 bunch Sage
300g Butter
Prepare the fresh pasta dough first, allowing it to rest while you prepare the filling.
Wilt the spinach in a large pan with a dash of oil and water. Cool in fridge, drain excess moisture, then chop finely.
Mix together: ricotta, mascarpone, parmesan, eggs, spinach, and nutmeg. More eggs will make a harder filling that sticks together in a ball, while less eggs will make it soft and creamy. We opted to use just 1 egg yolk, which resulted in a melted creamy filling. Taste the filling and adjust to taste.
Forming the Agnolotti:
Roll the dough into sheets thin enough to just see your hand through it when holding. Cut the sheet in half lengthwise; the narrower half will be used as the bottom. Brush the bottom with egg wash, mark it with your ravioli stamp (to gauge how many can be made from the sheet), then pipe some of the filling into the centre of these markings. Carefully drape the top half over the bottom, then press the layers together - moving from one side to the other to get rid of air pockets. If a pocket forms, you can pop it with a knife then re-seal it. Finally, use the ravioli stamp to seal and cut the agnolotti. Dust them with fine semolina to keep from sticking. It's best to freeze them on a tray then transfer them to a freezer bag.
Brown some butter in a large pan with sage. Boil the agnolotti 1 minute past when they start floating, then transfer to sage-butter, toss, and serve immediately.
Fried Calamari and Prawns
Simple, but irresistible, with a light coating.
1 lb Shrimp
1 lb Squid
500ml Milk
300g Semolina Flour
Salt
Oil for frying
Lemons, cut in wedges
Peel and devein the prawns. Cut the squid into rings. Soak the squid and prawns in the milk for 5-10 minutes. Drain the milk and toss the seafood in the semolina. Shake off excess flour. Deep fry in hot oil (350F) for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain well, season, and serve immediately.