Smoked Ricotta & Saffron...Smoked Ricotta & Saffron Agnolotti dal Plin with Crispy Guanciale

Delicate hand-folded pasta parcels filled with saffron-infused smoked buffalo ricotta, served in a glossy brown butter sauce with crispy guanciale and fried sage.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Mound the Tipo 00 flour on a clean work surface and create a wide well in the center. Add the egg yolks and a pinch of salt. Gently whisk the eggs with a fork, slowly incorporating flour from the inner walls until a shaggy dough forms.

2. 02

   Knead the dough vigorously for 10 minutes until elastic and silky smooth. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

3. 03

   Combine the smoked ricotta, bloomed saffron with cream, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper in a bowl. Whip until perfectly smooth, then transfer into a piping bag fitted with a round tip.

4. 04

   In a heavy skillet over medium-low heat, render the guanciale until golden brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on paper towels, reserving the rendered fat in the pan.

5. 05

   Roll the pasta dough through a pasta machine to thin sheets (approx. 1mm thick). Pipe small hazelnut-sized mounds of filling along the bottom edge of the sheet, spaced 2cm apart.

6. 06

   Fold the pasta sheet over the filling to cover, press firmly to remove air pockets, and pinch the pasta between each mound to seal (the 'plin'). Cut along the edge with a fluted pasta wheel to release individual agnolotti.

7. 07

   Add butter and fresh sage leaves to the skillet with reserved guanciale fat. Cook over medium heat until the butter bubbles and turns a nutty golden brown color (beurre noisette).

8. 08

   Boil the agnolotti in a large pot of generously salted water for 90 to 120 seconds until they float to the top.

9. 09

   Transfer the pasta directly into the brown butter sauce along with 3 tablespoons of starchy pasta water. Toss gently over low heat to create a glossy, emulsified glaze.

10. 10

    Plate the agnolotti immediately, spooning over the brown butter emulsion. Garnish with crispy guanciale, fried sage leaves, and a fine dusting of fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano.