Braised Beef Agnolotti

 

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 100g butter
• 250g flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 extra egg yolk
• Semolina
• Handful of sage leaves
• 40gm roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
• Cavolo Nero
• 150g grated parmesan
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 500g brisket or flank steak would work
• ½ tin of chopped tomatoes (200g)
• 240ml red wine
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar

If you do not have a pasta machine you can try using a rolling pin or just buy Fresh egg pasta sheets and roll these out instead of the homemade pasta

Method

1. Preheat yo oven to 150C. 
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a dutch oven. Casserole dish or any heavy bottomed style pan over low heat 
3. Add onion and garlic.
4. Cook and stir frequently until very soft and sweet, about 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a frying pan over high heat. 
6. Add beef and brown, turning occasionally, until well coloured, about 5-7 minutes. 
7. Transfer to your pot with the chopped tomatoes, wine and vinegar.
8.  Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. 
9. Season to taste, then cover and pop in your preheated oven.
10. Leave it to cook for 3 hours, turning the meat every hour. 
11. Remove meat from sauce. 
12. Shred with two forks, then finely chop.
13.  Remove as much oil from sauce as possible. 
14. Throw it back on a medium high heat and simmer sauce over until reduced by a third.
15. This should take about 15 minutes. 
16. Return meat to sauce.
17. Mix it all well and season to taste. 
18. Cool, then transfer to refrigerator to chill for 2 hours.
19. Meanwhile, for pasta dough, pulse flour and 1 tsp salt in a food processor to combine. 
20. Add eggs, the extra yolk and oil, and blitz until dough comes together. 
21. Add about 1-2 tsp of water if needed to bring together. 
22. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead to a smooth dough, dusting with extra flour if a little sticky. 
23. Wrap in plastic wrap and rest in refrigerator for 1 hour, or until needed.
24. Bring dough to room temperature and divide into 8 pieces, then cover with a tea towel. 
25. Working with a piece at a time, flatten, then roll through pasta machine.
26.  Fold in half, then roll again until smooth. 
27. Continue folding and rolling, reducing settings notch by notch and dusting with flour if necessary, until 1mm-thick. 
28. Lay pasta sheet on a lightly floured surface and cut in half lengthways.
29.  Place mounds of beef filling 2 teaspoons in size along the long edge closest to you, about 4cm apart.
30.  Lightly brush the other side with water, then fold the long edge closest to you over filling, and press down to seal. 
31. With both hands at the same time, pinch dough on either side of filling, sealing the dough and creating pillow shapes. 
32. With a crinkle cutter, trim long edge of pasta sheet near the fold, then cut between each pillow of filling to make individual pieces. 
33. Transfer to a tray dusted with semolina and repeat with remaining dough and filling.
34. Fill a saucepan with cold water and season well with salt.
35. Bring to the boil.
36. Lob in your agnolotti and cook for 4 minutes, until al dente.
37. Drain and set aside in bowls.
38. Meanwhile, grab a separate frying pan.
39. Heat butter in pan over medium-high heat until foaming and nut brown. 
40. Add sage and stir until crisp. 
41. Add hazelnuts. 
42. Stir well. 
43. Spoon over pasta, then add parmesan and serve topped with cavolo nero.