Agnolotti del
Plin
Piedmontese pinched meat-filled pasta
Small pinched pasta parcels hold a fine filling of braised veal, pork and spinach, dressed simply with butter and sage.
Pinched pasta with a meat-sauce dressingA little pinch,
a Piedmontese pasta tradition.
Agnolotti del plin are small filled pasta parcels from Piedmont, especially the Langhe. Plin refers to the pinch that closes the pasta between each mound of filling. Thin egg dough surrounds finely chopped cooked meat, sometimes with greens and grated cheese.
Fillings vary between households and parts of the region; rabbit can join veal and pork. Roast juices or butter and sage keep the dressing light enough to taste the filling. The home recipe makes a small veal-and-pork braise from scratch, then uses butter and sage. The photograph shows a meat-sauce dressing instead.
Let’s make agnolotti del plin.
Four generous first-course portions, about 100 small parcels. Make the meat filling and egg pasta from scratch; this version uses butter and sage rather than the photographed meat sauce.
About 100 small parcels for four generous first courses; a pasta roller and pastry wheel are useful.
What you’ll need
Pasta
- 250 gtype 00 flour, plus 30 g for rolling and trays
- 2 largeeggs, about 100 g without shells
- 1egg yolk
- up to 25 mlwater, only as needed
Filling
- 150 gboneless veal shoulder, cut into 3 cm pieces
- 150 gboneless pork shoulder, cut into 3 cm pieces
- 150 gfresh spinach, washed with 30 ml water retained for wilting
- 60 gonion, finely chopped
- 50 gcarrot, finely chopped
- 40 gcelery, finely chopped
- 1garlic clove, crushed
- 1 smallrosemary sprig
- 20 mlextra-virgin olive oil
- 75 mldry white wine
- 400 mllow-salt meat stock, plus up to 150 ml more if needed
- 30 gParmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
- 1 pinchground nutmeg
- to tastefine salt and black pepper
To cook and serve
- 60 gunsalted butter
- 6sage leaves
- 4 lwater
- 25 gcoarse salt
The timer includes making the braise, cooling the filling, resting the dough and shaping by hand. Tougher meat can need longer. This filling uses cooked meat and cheese without an added raw egg. Keep the filling refrigerated while working in small batches.
How to make it
- 01
Braise the filling meats
Heat oil in a small heavy lidded pot. Brown veal and pork for 8–10 minutes, then soften onion, carrot and celery for 8 minutes. Add garlic, rosemary and wine; simmer for 3 minutes. Add 400 ml stock. Cover and simmer gently for 90–100 minutes, turning occasionally, until both meats yield easily to a fork. Add extra stock in small amounts if the pan becomes dry.
- 02
Cool and mince
Remove rosemary and garlic. Transfer meat and vegetables to a shallow dish with 2 tbsp pan juices; let steam subside, then refrigerate until cool, allowing about 30 minutes. Meanwhile wilt spinach in a covered pan with the listed 30 ml water for 3–4 minutes. Cool, squeeze very dry and chop. Finely mince meat and vegetables in a processor; mix with spinach, cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until shaping. The filling should hold a mound without wetting the dough.
- 03
Knead and rest the dough
Mix 250 g flour with eggs and yolk. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and firm, adding measured water a teaspoon at a time only if dry crumbs will not join. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
- 04
Roll and pinch
Work with one quarter of the dough at a time, keeping the rest covered. Roll to about 1 mm thick and cut into strips about 6 cm wide. Place small 1 tsp mounds of filling along one long edge, about 3 cm apart. Fold dough over the filling, press out air and seal the long edge. Pinch firmly between mounds, then cut between them with a pastry wheel. Set apart on lightly floured trays; keep chilled while finishing. Allow about an hour to roll and shape.
- 05
Cook and dress
Bring 4 l water to a boil and add coarse salt. Gently simmer pasta in two batches for about 4–5 minutes, until the seams are tender; cut one to check. Melt butter with sage in a wide pan over low heat. Lift pasta into the butter with a slotted spoon, adding 2–3 tbsp cooking water, and turn gently to coat. Serve immediately.
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