Agnolotti with Roast Meat and Spinach Stuffing - batch

Method

• Mix the pasta dough in advance, following the instructions in the preceding recipe.
• Refrigerate or freeze the dough.
• Return it to room temperature before rolling.
• Several hours in advance, roast the meats, to allow them to cool at room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 425 .
• Pour the tablespoon olive oil in the bottom of a small roasting pan.
• Cut the pork, veal, or beef chunk in 1-inch pieces, and put the pieces in the pan with the chicken (or rabbit) pieces, onion chunks, garlic, and rosemary.
• Pour in the stock, and season with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.
• Cover the pan with aluminum foil, roast for about 1/2 hour, and remove the foil.
• Continue roasting, turning the pieces occasionally, until all are tender and caramelized and theres only a small amount of liquid left in the pan.
• Remove from the oven, and let the meat cool completely in the roasting juices.
• Rinse and drain the spinach leaves, and slice into thin shreds.
• Melt the tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until foaming, add the spinach, season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and stir to wilt the shreds.
• Cover the pan and cook for a minute or so, until the spinach releases its liquid, then cook uncovered over medium heat until the liquid has all cooked off and the spinach is tender.
• Turn the spinach into a colander set over a bowl, spreading it out to drain and cool quickly.
• Do not squeeze it.
• When the meats are cool, pour off and strain the pan juices.
• Pull the chicken or rabbit meat off the bones; remove and discard all fat, gristle, and skin.
• Shred the meat chunks, then chop into very fine bits with a sharp knife.
• Finely chop the onions and mix into the chopped meat, along with the pan juices.
• When the spinach is cool, blend with the meat in a mixing bowl.
• Beat the egg, and stir it into the filling along with the final 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, gratings of nutmeg and black pepper, and the 1/3 cup of grated cheese.
• Chill the filling for several hours or overnight.
• When ready to make the agnolotti, cut the pasta dough in quarters.
• Roll each piece through a pasta machine at progressively narrower settings into strips 4 to 5 inches wide and at least 24 inches long.
• Lay the long strips flat on a floured surface and keep covered.
• Fill and form agnolotti one strip at a time.
• With the dough running left to right in front of you, drop a scant tablespoon of filling in a mound, about 1 inch in from the end of the strip, then drop more mounds at 2-inch intervals along its entire length.
• You should have at least a dozen mounds in a straight line.
• Dip the pastry brush in water, and moisten the long edges of the dough strips, above and below the row of mounds.
• Pick up the top long edge of each strip, fold it over the filling mounds, align it with the bottom edge of dough, and press the moistened edges together.
• To seal the agnolotti, pinch the dough on either side of every filling mound, bringing the top and bottom edges of the folded strip together, with your forefinger and thumb.
• Finally, run the pastry wheel up and down through the pinched dough, separating individual plump agnolotti.
• Lay them, spaced apart, in a single layer on a floured tray.
• Repeat the entire process with the remaining long strips of dough.
• Cook the agnolotti right away, or refrigerate for a few hours, on the tray, sealed with plastic wrap.
• For longer storage, freeze them solid on the tray, then pack in freezer bags.
• Fill the big pot with at least 6 quarts of water, with 1 tablespoon salt, and bring to the boil.
• Meanwhile, put the butter in the saute pan or skillet, set it over low heat to melt, then toss in the sage leaves.
• Keep the sauce warmbut not cookingso the sage leaves infuse the melted butter.
• Cook only two dozen or so agnolotti at a time.
• When the water is at a rolling boil, shake excess flour from the agnolotti and drop them into the pot.
• Stir well, and return to the boil rapidly.
• The agnolotti will drop to the bottom, then rise to the surface; keep moving and stirring them so they cook evenly and dont stick.
• Cook for about 4 minutes, and check for doneness, biting into the thickest edge of dough.
• When they are fully cooked, lift out the agnolotti with a spider, drain briefly, and spill them into the warm butter in the pan, gently stirring and tumbling so all are coated.
• Meanwhile, return the water to the rolling boil and cook the remaining agnolotti.
• Drain and drop them in the pan, on top of the first batch.
• Raise the heat slightly, and turn and tumble the agnolotti until all are hot and coated with sage butter.
• Turn off the heat and sprinkle half of the grated cheese on top.
• Spoon portions of agnolotti onto warm plates, drizzle a bit of the hot sage butter left in the pan over each portion, and serve right away.
• Pass more cheese at the table.