Homemade Pasta - Taleggio Agnolotti in Walnut & Thyme Brown Butter Sauce

Agnolotti in Pan


It's been a while since a pasta post here. Ok! It's really just been a month. But, homemade pasta is something that needs to be talked about... constantly. Before I got my little pasta maker, I was, well, truth be told, ambivalent between fresh (between me and the rolling pin) and dried pasta. But, now, I am strongly in the camp of making pasta from scratch and to your taste.

Ever since watching Iron Chef, I have had the craving for making filled pasta. I would imagine all sorts of exotic and, let me confess, interesting, stuffings. Have you ever heard the sounds of gears turning and locking into place? If you sat next to me then, you would have heard the whir, click, lock sounds as well! :)


Taleggio Agnolotti in Walnut & Thyme Brown Butter Sauce


Anyway, sometime back I made Agnolotti filled with awesome melty smooth taleggio cheese. The pasta by itself was so flavorful and I did not want to drown it in a heavy sauce. So, I kept it simple with a Brown Butter, Walnut and Thyme Sauce. The nuts enhance the nuttiness of the cheese itself and brown butter needs no selling indeed! :)



Taleggio Agnolotti

Taleggio Agnolotti in Walnut & Thyme Brown Butter Sauce

Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 3 min
Total Time: 35 min

1 recipe for pasta dough
6 oz taleggio cheese

Using the pasta maker, roll out the dough into 4 inch wide sheets. Place a teaspoon of taleggio cheese off center from on side of the edge, lengthwise and half an inch away from the other edge. Continue placing the cheese at one inch intervals until one sheet is done. Fold the sheet over the cheese and seal edges with a little water. Cut the agnolotti out and set aside. Repeat with the other sheets

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt generously. Fresh pasta cooks very quickly, in under a couple of minutes. So keep an eye, especially since it will continue cooking while being tossed in the sauce.



Walnut & Thyme Brown Butter Sauce


6 T butter
1 T fresh thyme leaves
2 T chopped walnuts

Over very low heat in a heavy bottomed pan heat and melt the butter. When the milk solids have seperated and butter exudes a nutty flavor, add the thyme and walnuts and toss quickly for about 2 minutes. Now the sauce is ready.

Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss and cook for another couple of minutes. Serve immediately.

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I also wanted to do a shout out for the New York Women's Culinary Alliance charity auction held to promote healthy living. Among the prizes is a lunch with Lee Zalben of Peanut Butter & Co. who also donated a lovely PB&J hamper for the IFBAfJ fundraiser. The auction runs until May 4, so please do put in your bids!