Ingredients
Dough
3/4 lb. flour
2 eggs
1 oz. butter
1/2 pint warm water, or slightly less
Pinch of salt
Chicken filling
1/4 lb. cold boiled chicken, chopped finely
1/4 lb. finely chopped cold cooked veal or pork
1/2 lb. spinach, cooked and pureed
4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons Parmesan
1 egg
1/2 clove crushed garlic, if liked
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of nutmeg
Tossing sauce of one's preference
Either tomato sauce, broth, or butter and grated Parmesan
Directions
"Sift flour and salt together. Place on a board and make a well into which break the eggs. When you have kneaded them into the flour, add the softened butter, and gradually sufficient luck warm water to make a dough. Knead until smooth and easy to handle; cover and allow to stand for ten to fifteen minutes before dividing into two portions and rolling very thin on a lightly floured board, remembering to flour the pasta lightly between each of its several rollings.... But when your pasta has been rolled as thin as possible (remember, thin enough for you to be able to read the newspaper ? or at least the headlines ? through it), instead of rolling it into a roll as you have done when making tagliatelle, keep it in two large, flat sheets, or, supposing your pastry board is on the small size, a greater number of small sheets of thin pasta. As each sheet is rolled to the desired thinness, spread it on a clean cloth, and keep it covered with another cloth, so as to
prevent its going crusty and becoming too breakable to handle. When your pasta is made and the filling you intend using is prepared, spread a sheet of the paste on to a floured pastry board, and dot with the filling at regular intervals, say a teaspoonful of filling at intervals of about 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Cover lightly with the second sheet of pasta, after having brushed the 'walks' between the lines of filling with beaten egg to ensure that the second sheet of paste will close down over the filling.
You may then either use a small round cutter, or, less wastefully, run a pastry wheel between the fillings so that you have a series of little filled envelopes of pasta. Transfer these to a floured dish, being careful not to let them overlap, and cover with a floured cloth or paper until you are ready to cook them. These can be made overnight if wished. To cook, have ready a large pan of boiling salted water and transfer your envelopes of pasta one at a time, until all are in the water, allowing them to cook for four or five minutes or until they rise to the top of the pan. Remove them one at a time with a perforated spoon or slice, place in a heated dish, and serve with a generous helping of melted butter and grated Parmesan, or with any preferred sauce. These little filled envelopes are equally delicious served in a clear consomme, as one more form of pasta in brodo."
Notes
This recipe was taken from "Italian Cooking" by Dorothy Daly. It was published by Spring Books in Great Britain. For the complete copyright-free cookbook see www.archive.org. For a variety of recipes from this cookbook see Italy Revisited/"XXX Italian Cookbook by Antonia Isola"....Photo: Mary Melfi |
