Agnolotti with Cauliflower and Thyme
Nothing soothes the soul quite like a large bowl of self-saucing carbohydrates. For those of you feeling bold, these are worth the effort. The process might seem daunting but once you get the hang of it, it’s enjoyable, calming, meditative even ;)
A few things about this recipe: as I mentioned above, it’s slightly involved and requires a pasta sheeter. Making fresh pasta dough and shaping agnolotti can be tricky so be patient with yourself. Also, the coconut milk adds a creaminess and coconut isn’t detectable in the finished filling, but regular cream can be substituted.
Agnolotti with Cauliflower and Thyme
Serves ~4 people
olive oil
1 head cauliflower
1 small yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
leaves from 5-6 sprigs of thyme + more for garnish
1/2 can coconut milk
1/3 cup toasted walnuts
salt and pepper
1 batch fresh pasta dough (I used this recipe)
For the filling:
Remove the green stem from the cauliflower, then roughly chop it into ~1/2 inch pieces. Julienne the onion and roughly chop the garlic.
In a large pot, heat a good splash of olive oil over medium heat until hot. Add in the cauliflower, onion, garlic and a few good pinches of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the veg has softened, 10-15 minutes - reduce the heat slightly if you notice too much browning on the bottom of the pot. Add in coconut milk and thyme and continue to cook until the milk has reduced and the vegetables are completely tender and are falling apart.
Transfer mixture to a high-speed blender and blend until completely smooth. Adjust seasoning, then transfer to a piping bag and place in the fridge.
Shaping the pasta:
Pictures to go along with these instructions are below! Make sure you have rested your dough for a few hours and up to a day in the fridge and have brought it to room temp before rolling out.
Start by flouring your work surface.
Take about a quarter of your dough and use a rolling pin (or bottle) to roll it into a rough rectangle thin and narrow enough to fit into your pasta machine. With the pasta machine, roll out the dough beginning with the widest setting and decreasing the size with each pass through until the second last setting. Trim the edges to form a long rectangle.
Pipe a long, thin line of the filling about 1.5 cm from one of the long edges of the rectangle. Using a pastry brush, brush a line of water just above the filling.
From the long edge towards the middle of the rectangle, fold the pasta over the filling. Gently press to seal.
Using your fingertips, press to form pockets of filling for each individual agnolotti, making sure to press out all filling between them.
Pinch the dough between each one up and over to seal. Then use a pasta or pizza cutter to trim the extra dough from the long size and to cut between each agnolotti. Place the finished pasta on a baking sheet with a generous amount of semolina flour.
Fill a large pot with water and a generous amount of salt (salty like the sea) and bring to a boil. Drop your pasta in and cook for ~7 minutes (or longer depending on your dough) until al dente. Transfer them directly to a serving dish, drizzle with a nice olive oil, sprinkle on 1/4 of the crushed walnuts and garnish with a sprinkle of thyme leaves. Alternatively a simple butter sauce would be great with these.
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