Ingredients
- For the pasta dough:
- 170g washed baby spinach leaves
- 1 large egg, plus one yolk
- 1 large egg yolk, for assembling
- 255g '00' flour
- 15ml olive oil
- Pinch fine salt
- For the cheese filling:
- 200g Cashel Blue cheese
- 50ml cream
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- Salt and pepper
- For the cheese crisp:
- 100g finely grated hard cheese (Parmesan/Pecorino)
- 10g plain flour
- For the onion broth:
- 3 large onions, peeled and sliced
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 head of celery washed and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 sprigs thyme
- 1ltr chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you want to keep it vegetarian)
1. For the pasta dough: Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the spinach. After 30 seconds, drain the spinach and cool under cold water.
2. In a food processor, blend the spinach, one egg and egg yolk, olive oil and salt. Once mixed, add to a bowl with the flour. Mix the ingredients until a dough is formed.
3. Knead the dough by hand (using the palm of your hand to roll the dough back and forth) for 10 minutes. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. For the cheese filling and assembling the pasta: Blend the cheese, cream, egg yolk, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper together using either a food processor or a whisk. Transfer into a piping bag (or you can spoon the mix in).
5. Using either a pasta machine or a rolling pin, roll the pasta to the thinnest setting on the machine, if using. Roll the dough gradually from the thickest setting to the thinnest one, dusting with flour in between so it doesn’t stick, in a long rectangle.
6. Pipe the cheese mix in the centre of the rectangular dough in a long line and brush egg yolk along the edge of the dough.
7. Fold the dough over the cheese mix so that the cheese is completely covered. Pinch the dough three finger widths apart the whole length of the dough and cut off the excess pasta. Using a pasta cutter (or a knife), cut the pasta into pieces. Allow to slightly dry out for a few minutes while you prepare the rest of the dish.
8. For the cheese crisp. Mix the cheese and flour together and bake on baking parchment in the oven for 30 minutes at 185 degreed Celsius until golden brown and crispy. Allow to cool.
9. For the onion broth: In a pan, melt the butter. Add all the vegetables and herbs and cook out for 10 minutes gently until caramelised.
10. Add the stock and continue to cook for 30 minutes (on a gentle simmer).
11. Strain out the veg and reduce the broth by a third. Season with salt and pepper.
12. To assemble: Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and add the agnolotti. Cook for two minutes and lift from the boiling water into a serving bowl. Break the cheese crisp on top and pour your hot onion broth in.
