(Serves 4) 

Ingredients

For the filling:

200ml extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
500g tinned plum tomatoes, whole
40g garlic, chopped
50g basil, chopped
1 pinch of chilli powder
200g sourdough bread
Salt and pepper

For the tomato oil:

1.2kg cherry tomatoes on the vine, halved
200ml extra virgin olive oil

To serve:

60g pecorino, Toscano
Basil leaves

 

Method

  1. For the filling, add 100ml of olive oil to a large saucepan and place over a medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and sweat for 4–5 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the tinned tomatoes and cook at a gentle simmer for 1–1.5 hours or until it’s reduced by half.
  2. Heat the remaining 100ml of olive oil in a small pan until it reaches 85c (or until hot but not smoking). Add the garlic, basil and chilli and remove from the heat. Leave to infuse for 1 hour, then strain and set aside.
  3. For the tomato oil, preheat the oven to 90c. Place the halved tomatoes on a baking tray and into the oven for 1.5 hours.
  4. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and blitz in a blender with the oil for a few minutes until smooth. This will form the sauce for the final dish. Set aside until required.
  5. Make the pasta dough – check out our pasta dough recipe!
  6. Next, add the sourdough bread to the filling mixture you made earlier. Stir through to thicken and reduce the heat to low. Vigorously whisk the infused oil into the tomato and bread mixture, season to taste and allow to cool. Refrigerate until required.
  7. To roll the pasta, remove the dough from the fridge 30 minutes before using. Roll the dough through a pasta machine, starting on the widest setting and gradually going down through the settings until you get to between 0 and 1.
  8. Repeat the rolling process on the last setting to ensure there is a consistent finish to the thickness of the dough. The pasta should be dry but with no cracks and slightly elastic. Use small amounts of flour to dust the pasta sheets as you work to stop them sticking.
  9. To make the agnolotti, cut the sheets of rolled pasta into 50cm x 12cm rectangles, removing any uneven edges. Remove the papa al pomodoro filling from the fridge and place in a large piping bag. Pipe down the middle of each pasta sheet from end to end in a long sausage shape. Make an egg wash and use a pastry brush to apply a thin but even coating along the inner edge of each pasta sheet, along the length of the filling.
  10. Carefully take the opposite side of the pasta sheet and fold it over the filling along the entire length of each sheet. Run your thumb and fingers along the top to ensure the filling is thoroughly sealed, removing any air pockets as you go. Repeat with the other sheets. Use your forefinger and thumb to push firmly into the pasta every 2-3cm down the filling ridge to form little parcels (use your other hand to hold the filling in place). Repeat with the other sheets.
  11. Using a fluted pasta wheel, trim the edge where the folds come together from each sheet approximately ½ cm below the filling for a decorative finish. Seal off the ends in the same way, then use the same pasta wheel to cut out each agnolotti, cutting towards you each time to give a consistent finish to each parcel.
  12. Carefully lift each agnolotti off the work surface and place on a tray dusted with semolina. Once ready to cook, drop the agnolotti into a large pan of boiling water for 2 minutes.
  13. Gently warm the tomato oil, stain the pasta and combine. Divide between bowls and serve with freshly grated pecorino Toscano cheese and basil leaves.