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Pear and Parsnip Agnolotti with Fried Mint

Pear and Parsnip Agnolotti with Fried Mint

These Pear and Parsnip Agnolotti feature golden parcels of fresh pasta stuffed with a velvety filling accented with mascarpone cheese and adorned with fried mint leaves and crushed hazelnuts.
Prep Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Resting Time for the Pasta Dough 1 hour
Course Main Course
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Pasta maker
  • Pizza, pastry, or pasta wheel
  • Food Processor

Ingredients
  

Homemade Pasta

  • 165g (6oz) semolina flour
  • 165g (6oz) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp water

Pear and Parsnip Filling

  • 2 parsnips peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 ripe bartlett pear diced
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • 1 cup mascarpone cheese
  • 1 egg beaten

To Serve

  • ¼ cup fresh mint leaves
  • ¼ cup neutral oil I used canola
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 2 tbsp hazelnuts coarsely chopped
  • Grana Padano cheese shredded, for sprinkling

Instructions
 

For the Pasta

  • Whisk the semolina, all-purpose flour, and salt together in a bowl. Form a well in the center and add the eggs, yolks, and water. Whisk the eggs together and slowly begin integrating the dry ingredients into the wet.
  • Once the dough begins to form, knead it until it become smooth and silky. The dough will feel quite dense - it's suppose to. Form the dough into a ball and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 1 hour.

For the Filling

  • Once the dough is resting, make the filling. Place the parsnip in a small saucepan and cover with water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling add a generous pinch of salt and continue to boil until the parsnip is fork-tender. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.
  • Place the pear, garlic, parsnip, and salt in a large food processor and blitz until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the mascarpone cheese until well integrated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

To Assemble

  • Divide the pasta dough into eights. Run each piece of dough through a pasta machine until it's thin enough to see your hand through it.** Dust each sheet with semolina and keep covered with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.
  • Transfer the filling to a large piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip.*** Pipe a straight line of filling along one of the long edges of the pasta sheet. Brush the sheet with a little beaten egg to ensure a proper seal. Orient yourself so the edge with the filling is closest to you and roll it away from yourself to enclose it in pasta. Don't continue to roll all the way to the opposite end of the sheet, just roll it enough to form a seal. Trim the excess pasta****
  • Starting from the center of the pasta pipe and working your way towards each end, create a series of divets using your index finger every inch and a half or so. Using a pasta or pizza wheel, slice through each divet to create individual agnolotti. Transfer the finished agnolotti to a baking sheet heavily dusted with additional semolina flour. Repeat with the remaining pasta sheets.
  • When your agnolotti is completed, fry the mint. Pour the neutral oil into a large skillet and place over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the mint a few leaves at a time. The oil should sputter on contact. Working quickly, fish the mint out of the oil once it is crispy and before it begins to brown. Transfer the mint to a plate lined with a paper towel and set aside. Wipe out the skillet and set aside.
  • Put a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Generously salt the water and add the agnolotti. Cook the agnolotti for 3 minutes or until they float to the top.
  • While the agnolotti are cooking, return the skillet to medium heat and add the butter. Cook until frothy. Once the agnolotti are done, transfer them to the skillet and toss them in the butter. Divide the pasta into bowls and garnish with hazelnuts, shredded Grana Padano cheese, and fried mint leaves. Serve immediately.

Notes

** I rolled my pasta to setting #4 on my Kitchen Aid pasta roller.
*** I used an Ateco #808 piping tip.
**** I like to freeze the trimmings and cook them from frozen when I'm in need of a quick pasta fix.
Keyword agnolotti, mint, parsnip, Pasta, pear, stuffed pasta