Easy Italian Recipes

 MAKES 6 servings

For the filling
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped shallot
- 1/2 Ib (250 g) shrimp (prawns), peeled and deveined
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 Ib (250 g) cooked lobster meat, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon plain fine dried bread crumbs, or as needed
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
- 1 large egg white
- 1 Ib fresh egg pasta dough
- 2 1/2 cups (20 fI oz/625 ml) tornato cream sauce

According to legend, agnolotti, the typical ravioli of Piedmont, were created centuries ago by a chef named Angelotu (little angel), who lived in the town Monferrato. The most common agnolotti are stuffed with a filling of mixed meats and served with a meat and tornato sauce or sometimes with browned butter and sage. But here a luxurious combination of lobster and shrimp is used is to fili the small half-moons, which are then topped with a creamy tornato sauce.

To make the filling, in a large frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot and sauté until tender and golden, 2-3 minutes. Add the shrimp, teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and sauté until the shrimp are just opaque when cut into at the thickest part, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Scrape the shrimp mixture into a food processor, add the lobster, and pulse just until the shrimp and lobster are coarsely chopped. Add the 1 tablespoon bread crumbs and pulse just to blend. If the mixture seems wet and soft, pulse in another 1 tablespoon bread crumbs. Add the parsley and egg white and pulse until evenly mixed. Scrape the mixture into a bowl. Cover and chili the filling for at least 1 hour or for up to overnight.
Make the pasta dough, then divide and roll out each piece into a sheet 1/16 inch (2 mm). Lightly flour a rimmed baking sheet. Trim each pasta sheet into long strips that will fit on the baking sheet. Layer the strips fiat on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them so they don't touch and separating each layer with a lightly floured kitchen towel.
To make the agnolotti, piace one pasta strip on a floured work surface. Use a 2-inch (5-cm) round pastry cutter to make pasta circles. Place 1/2 teaspoon filling in the center of each circle. Lightly brush a little water around the filling, fold in half, and press the edges to seal. Place in a single layer on another lightly floured rimmed baking sheet, separating each layer with a lightly floured kitchen towel. Keep the top layer covered with a kitchen towel as you prepare the agnolotti. Repeat with the remaining strips. They will keep, refrigerated, for up to 3 hours before cooking.
In a wide saucepan, gently warm the tornato cream sauce over low heat. Keep it warm while you cook the agnolotti.
Bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a rolling boil. Add about
2 tablespoons salt, and then add the agnolotti and stir gently. Cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat so the water simmers gently, until the agnolotti rise to the surface and are al dente, 3-4 minutes.
Using a large slotted spoon, transfer the agnolotti to the sauce in the pan and toss gently to coat. Divide among warmed plates and serve at once.

Buon appetito !