Filling:

• In a large bowl mix the meat and poultry ingredients and add a few pinches of salt
• Allow to rest for 30 minutes
• Heat the canola oil over high heat and when hot add the contents of bowl.
• Stir when necessary and attain deep browning by cooking in this way for 5 minutes
• Remove to a plate and set aside to cool
• To the same pan, now add oilve oil, onions and cook for approximately 4-5 minutes or until onion is well carmelized
• Add red wine and cook until it has almost evaporated
• Add spinach and cook for about 1 minute or until it just wilted
• Remove to a bowl and allow to cool completely
• When cool, combine all ingredients, mix well
• Put this collection of mixed ingredients through a grinder set at medium grind. A food processor will work if a grinder is not available
• Once ground, add sherry vinegar, eggs, cream, cheese, nutmeg and season with salt and pepper

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‍Preparing the Agnolotti:

• When filling is ready and with an assistant prepared to fill and pinch the individual agnelotti, dust surface of counter with flour and have ready a second baking sheet and towel to collect finished agnolotti. The second person working in tandem can speed up the process and ensure pasta does not dry out
• Follow instructions for pasta dough for stuffed pasta
• Taking one sheet of kneaded pasta at a time crank/roll each one through each successive setting until the right thickness/thinness is reached--just short of translucent. On our KitchenAid pasta machine, we use 5 as our final setting for filled pasta (out of a total of 8 settings). Different machines have more or less gradations. The goal is to make malleable sheets of approximately 10-14 inches in length, 3 inch width and just translucent. If transparent you have rolled your pasta one gradation too much

• The assistant lays each sheet out on the counter and rolls and places 1.5 tsp filling portions at approx 2 inch intervals just above the midline of this 3 inch wide sheet
• Using a small brush and a small bowl of water, brush along the lowest edge facing him along its 10-14 inch length, he/she will also do the same on the left and right margin and between each portion of filling. This will insure the agneootti holds together
• Fold the top edge over the filling line and and press down as close to bottom edge as possible while leaving 1/4 inch of bottom edge uncovered

• Trim the now folded bottom edge with a pasta trimmer or any fluted edge trimmer to obtain uniform a line along entire 10-14 inch length leaving a bit of space between cut edge and filling

• Leaving the left and right edges for last so that air can escape and working left to right,pinch each space between fillings with your thumb and index finger until they are snug, the pasta between each filling is upright and any trapped air has been passed along to adjacent 'space". This forming is important to making consistent shapes that will bear up under boiling water, so take some time until you have mastered this process.

• The result of this phase of preparation is a line of stuffed pasta with  "pinched in" segments that have not been cut from each other
• To cut, start above the sheet with a pasta cutter and roll down between each segment . In the process of this rolling and cutting, each piece will roll over naturally and exchibit the pocket unique to this type of pasta.

• Place the baking tray with the agnolotti into the freezer as they accumulate and leave them there for 15 minutes before boiling. If not using all the agnolotti they can remain in the freezer until you find a suitable container to protect them after they have frozen. They can be frozen safely for up to three weeks.

Note:Best way to comprehend this subtlety is to imagine the opposite of pinching in this way. That would be the case with ravioli where you have also laid out a filling line, but where you lay an additional sheet on top rather than fold over the single sheet. With ravioli then you press the margins of these flat rather than pinch them between your fingers.

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SAUCE:

• Fry sage leaves carefully and set to dry on paper towel
• Get water in pasta pot to a simmer
• Add stock and butter to cold 12 inch saute pan. Turn the mixture to high and get it also to a simmer. Add fresh sage leaves.
• Cook agnolotti in pasta water until 80% done or after 2-3 minutes and then transfer to simmering butter and stock saute pan
• Turn heat to high and stirring gently and constantly finish cooking the agnolotti
• Should take about three minutes
• Break up crispy sage leaves and add to the sauce
• Swirl pan vigorously at the end to create an emulsion that should coat the back of a spoon.
• Plate and finish with Parmigiano Reggiano

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