In many ways, Italian and French food have a lot in common. Often wholesome family recipes are passed down from generation to generation.

Mushroom Agnolotti recipe

Ingredients

For the Filling:

  • 300g white mushrooms (or any edible wild mushroom)
  • 60g grated Parmesan
  • 50g fresh breadcrumbs
  • 1 spring onion
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/2 bunch chives
  • 3 tbsp cream
  • A handful of chopped walnuts
  • Salt and pepper

For the pasta dough:

  • 500g white flour
  • 4 whole eggs
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp olive oil

For the rocket pesto:

  • 1 small garlic clove
  • Pinch of pepper
  • 20g toasted hazelnuts
  • 80g rocket
  • 30g grated Parmesan
  • 125ml extra-virgin olive oil

Method

  1. To begin making the pasta, in a large mixing bowl add the flour, salt, olive oil and beaten eggs. Mix together by hand until you obtain an elastic dough, you might need to add a few tablespoons of water to help kneed properly.
  2. Wrap the dough in cling-film and rest overnight in the fridge.
  3. For the filling, wash and chop 3/4 of the mushrooms. Cut the remaining mushrooms into small cubes and leave aside in a mixing bowl.
  4. Add to this bowl the grated Parmesan, chopped walnuts, breadcrumbs and chopped chives.
  5. Chop the garlic and spring onion as finely as you possibly can before pan frying in olive oil.
  6. Add the chopped mushrooms and season. Once the mushrooms are cooked and have rendered all their water; deglaze with 3 tbsp. of cream.
  7. Mix the cooked mushrooms in a blender until you obtain a smooth purée. Once the purée has cooled down you can mix it into all the other ingredients. Set the filling aside for at least a couple of hours in the fridge before using.
  8. To finish off the pasta, take it out of the fridge and roll out the dough as finely as you possibly can; (it is much easier to use a pasta roller if you have one) the dough will fight you and bounce back but do continue until 2 millimetres thick. Cut out squares of 8 cm using a sharp knife. You are then ready to add 1/2 a tbsp. of filling in the centre of the squares. Brush a bit of water on the outskirts of the pasta sheets and fold over diagonally. You should obtain crossed top agnolotti. (see picture)
  9. Cook in boiling salted water for 4 minutes.
  10. For added flavour as well as making the plate look beautiful take a handful of mushrooms and cook in olive oil on a very heated pan to get some colour on them. After a few minutes reduce the heat and add a tsp of butter and chopped garlic.
  11. In a blender add all the ingredients for the pesto and blitz until smooth.
  12. Scatter the golden mushrooms and dot the pesto across the plate.

I have always loved making fresh pasta – the colour, texture and flavour are simply incomparable to dry pasta. I find fresh pasta is best served with simple, authentic ingredients that are full of flavour; such as mushrooms. You could use any kind of wild mushroom that takes your fancy. However, seeing as cèpes are in season I just can’t resist using them in this recipe.

It is not an easy task to pair bold, earthy mushrooms to wine, but the ones I have chosen are real crowd pleasers. The 2014 Sauvignon de Touraine, Jean-Christophe Mandard is perky enough not to be overpowered by this dish. This is a serious white, yet so affordable.

If you prefer something richer and bolder to suit this “meat-like” dish I suggest a red Burgundy. The 2011 Maranges, from David Moreau has enough texture and length to be paired with this authentic family recipe.

For even more profound depth of flavour a Merlot-dominated wine such as a 2009 Chateau Laroque Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé could elevate this simple dish to gourmet standard.

Wines to drink with Mushroom Agnolotti by Michel Roux Jr.

Jean-Christophe Mandard, Sauvignon de Touraine, 2014 – This expressive white has aromatic flavours of grapefruit and tangy gooseberry. With some grassy notes on the nose, it really compliments the earthiness of the mushrooms.

RRP: £9.19 The Drinks Shop

Marranges, David Moreau, 2011 – A thick textured Burgundy that is perfect for the meatiness of the dish from the mushrooms. There is a warmth and spiciness that is just wonderful on a chillier autumn evening paired with a hearty autumn dish such as this.

RRP £19.50 Berry Brothers and Rudd

Château Laroque Saint-Émilion, Grand Cru Classé, 2009 – This wine has an almost truffly complexity and deep in flavour which works beautifully against the strong and rich flavours of the mushrooms.

RRP: £28.99 Waitrose Cellar

Michel Roux Jr
Michel Roux Jr
Columnist
Michel Roux Jr was born in 1960 in Pembury, Kent, where his father Albert Roux worked as a private chef for the Cazalet family. His earliest food memories are the smells of the Fairlawne kitchen – pastry, sugar caramelizing and stews – where he played under the table while his father and mother Monique prepared the meals. After deciding to follow in his father’s footsteps, he left school at 16 for the first of several challenging apprenticeships at Maître Patissier, Hellegouarche in Paris from 1976 to 1979. He was then Commis de Cuisine at Alain Chapel’s signature restaurant at Mionay near Lyon, Michel’s biggest influence. His military service was spent in the kitchens at the Elysée Palace at the time of Presidents Giscard d’Estaing and François Mitterrand. He also spent time at Boucherie Lamartine and Charcuterie Mothu in Paris, and the Gavers Restaurant in London. After a stint at the Mandarin Hotel in Hong Kong he returned to London and worked at La Tante Claire before joining the family business. He took over running Le Gavroche in 1991, gradually changing the style of cooking to his own – classic French with a lighter, modern twist. Michel opened Roux at Parliament Square in May 2010 with Restaurant Associates, part of the Compass Group UK and Ireland. And in November 2010, he opened Roux at The Landau at London’s prestigious luxury hotel, The Langham. Michel was a judge and presenter on the BBC’s popular prime time show, MasterChef: The Professionals, and presented all series of ‘Great British Food Revival.’  Michel fronted BBC2’s ‘Food and Drink,’ in 2014 and presented a documentary on Escoffier, whose revolutionary approach to fine cuisine has inspired Michel and many others. In the same year, Michel went on a journey to create the perfect chocolate for the Le Gavroche Kitchen.  Filmed by the BBC, in Paris he discovered chocolatiers, Cacao Barry and their Or Noir Lab. In 2013, Michel launched his most recent cookbook, ‘The French Kitchen’.  Focusing on traditional French home cooking, this is the fifth solo cookery book from Michel. He is involved with the Roux Experience courses at the ‘Cactus Kitchens’ cookery school, with the Executive producer of Saturday Kitchen, Amanda Ross. Cactus Kitchens offers people the opportunity to learn to cook within small intimate groups from some of the UK’s finest chefs, on site above the Saturday Kitchen studios. Michel has fronted a brand new four-part Channel 4 series, ‘The Diner’, exploring the hurdles faced by people with disabilities and mental health issues when finding employment. Michel also recently presented a new program on his first ever project with the Disney Channel.  ‘First Class Chefs’ which launched in June 2015, is a show where kids aged 9-11 compete to showcase their restaurant skills.