Rosemary Garlic Spelt Agnolotti

Agnolotti are a lot like ravioli. They're tender stuffed pasta shells stuffed with deliciousness, except instead of cheese, agnolotti are stuffed with roasted vegetables or meat. These agnolotti are filled with a creamy rosemary garlic and white bean filling and served with a mesclun pesto. They're like a dish from a fancy Italian restaurant, but better, because they're homemade!

ROSEMARY GARLIC SPELT AGNOLOTTI [VEGAN]

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE PASTA DOUGH:

• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed, plus 3 tablespoons warm water
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups spelt flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• A bit more flour, for rolling
• A bit of olive oil, for assembly

FOR THE ROSEMARY GARLIC CANNELLINI FILLING:

• 2 cups cannellini beans, cooked
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced
• 1/2 tablespoons dried chives
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• A pinch of sea salt and pepper

FOR THE MESCLUN PESTO:

• 1 cup arugula
• 1 1/2 cups mesclun greens
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• A pinch of sea salt and pepper

PREPARATION

TO MAKE THE DOUGH:

1. In a small bowl, combine ground flaxseed and warm water. Mix completely and let sit while you prepare the rest of the dough ingredients. By the time you add the flax mixture to the dough, the texture should be sticky and gelatinous. If it’s not, let it rest for a few more minutes.
2. In a larger bowl, combine flour, sea salt, and pepper. Whisk together.
3. Then, add olive oil, giving flour another whisk to mix completely.
4. After the olive oil has been mixed, add in flaxseed mixture and combine.
5. Finally, add in the water and mix.
6. If the dough is too dry, add water in small increments until it is workable but still firm.
7. If you have a stand mixer with a kneading attachment, use that. Otherwise, knead the dough for a good 3-4 minutes. Afterwards, let the dough rest while you prepare the filling.

TO MAKE THE ROSEMARY GARLIC CANNELLINI FILLING:

1. In a food processor, combine beans, minced garlic, minced rosemary, dried chives, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Process until beans are a smooth, creamy texture. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

TO MAKE THE AGNOLOTTI:

1. When you’re ready to make your agnolotti, take the dough and separate it into about four parts. This number doesn’t really matter — you’re just using smaller amounts to help you roll the pasta.
2. If you have a pasta-rolling extension on your stand mixer, go ahead and use it. Otherwise, use a rolling pin.
3. On a clean, well-floured surface, roll your dough out until it is fairly thin.
4. To get the round agnolotti shape, take a standard size mason jar lid or a similarly-sized glass and cut out your shapes. A cookie cutter would probably work too.
5. When you’ve cut as many circles as you can out of the dough you’ve rolled, repeat the process with the remaining dough. Save the dough you have leftover from each repetition, and at the end, add a little water to reconstitute the dough, and roll it out again so nothing is wasted!
6. To make your agnolotti, scoop about a scant 1/2 tablespoon of the filling in the middle of your little pasta circle. Using a clean paintbrush or your finger, dab a little olive oil around the circumference of the circle.
7. Fold circle in half over the filling. Using a fork, press the tips of the fork down on the edges of the half-circle, to “seal” the agnolotti.

TO COOK THE AGNOLOTTI:

1. To cook the agnolotti, bring a pot of well-salted water to boil.
2. Taking about 8-10 agnolotti at a time, place in boiling water. They are done cooking when they float to the surface.
3. Repeat for as many agnolotti as you’d like to serve.
4. This step is optional but recommended. Bring a pan and a little olive oil to medium heat. When pan is hot, add a few agnolotti and cook until browned on each side, about 2-3 minutes. This really adds a lot to the texture.

TO MAKE THE MESCLUN PESTO:

1. In a food processor, combine all pesto ingredients and pulse until desired consistency is reached. Adjust seasonings if needed.

TO SERVE:

1. To serve, take agnolotti hot from the pan and drizzle with pesto. Serve with chopped herbs or extra chopped mesclun greens, if desired.

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/rosemary-garlic-spelt-agnolotti/