Agnolotti

One of my favorite dishes to prepare and enjoy is Agnolotti. Often mispronounced (say: Ahn-yo-loh-tee), these delectable crescent-shaped dumplings are similar to Ravioli, and the terms are somewhat interchangeable. In both cases, a thin, delicate pasta dough encases a delightful, savory filling, usually a soft paste of cheese, roasted meats, or puréed vegetables. After cooking the plump, pasta-wrapped pillows in boiling, salted water, they are then tossed in melted butter and served with a succulent sauce, seductively draped over the ephemeral morsels.

An interesting theory regarding the nomenclature and origin of the recipe is that these delicacies were initially developed by chopping leftover roasted meats and vegetables, blending them with egg and cheese to bind the ingredients, and then encasing them in paper-thin pasta dough. According to Marcella Hazan, the word “Ravioli” is very close to a Ligurian dialectal word for leftovers or scraps, lending further credence to the story. I gravitate toward these simple, hearty dishes of country-style cooking as they arise from frugality of the farm and kitchen, eventually elevating themselves to the tables of kings. The peasantry have such a talent for transforming their source of nutrition and comfort in this way. The castaway ingredients of kings (offal being a primary example) are glorified in the kitchen of the commoner (pâté) and then discovered by the nobility, who demand them at the tables of princes and lords, diminishing the very source of the once contemptible ingredient!

I often joke that my culinary style is “Grandma Cooking,” rooted in the simplicity of country-cookery. It is that hearty, robust, and frugal economy of the farm where nothing is wasted. My own grandmother was an avid gardener and cook. I remember very little that she prepared that did not come from her prolific kitchen garden or from her deeply stocked larder of preserved, canned, or frozen stockpiles. An oft-repeated phrase from her was, “Oh, something like that don’t get old.” She would proceed to transform the particular languishing ingredient into a fabulous dessert, hot dish (or "hot deesh" in Grandma dialect), or casserole. Such is the heritage I carry forward in our small, intimate French-country restaurant in Portland. Dining with us is like dining in our home. We are eager to elevate our humble ingredients from the farm and markets and place them on the table for you, our royal guests.

This week’s menu features agnolotti, stuffed with ricotta cheese that Rose made from milk sourced a few miles from here. I will be saucing these delights with a seductive sauce of summery tomatoes, butter, sweet onions, and cream. For more menu items and to book a table, tap the button below:

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We look forward to serving you tableside.

XOXO, George, Rose & Family