Agnolotti del Plin, the best Valentine’s Recipe

Agnolotti del Plin are a traditional dish from Piedmont and one of those recipes that have been passed down through generations in my family. My father’s grandfather was from Piedmont and he was the one who passed the recipe on to my parental grandmother, who in turn passed it on to my father.

You might be wondering what this has to do with Valentine’s Day? Well, this homemade pasta filled with roasted meat spreads love, care and patience. Although it is usually a holiday season, I think it is appropriate for Valentine’s Day – at least for the passion, attention and hard work this recipe requires, which is similar to that in a relationship.

Why you will love this recipe

– It is a masterpiece of Italian culinary tradition.

– It is the perfect meal for meat lovers because the filling is a trio of roasted meats. Read it as the best recipe to cook for a man…a little old fashioned, but here it is.

– Agnolotti del Plin are not easy to make, but the effort is fully rewarded.

– It’s a fun recipe to make with your partner this Valentine’s Day.

What are Agnolotti del Plin?

First of all, let’s learn more about agnolotti. You already know that they come from Piedmont, more specifically from the Langhe and Monferrato area, famous for truffles and Barolo wine.

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Agnolotti del Plin are fresh pasta filled with leftover roasted meat (veal, pork and rabbit). Plin is the name from the local dialect and means to pinch the side of the agnolotti to seal its contents. It is important to understand the concept of using leftovers, a method used in the past with the goal of not wasting food but creating an even juicier recipe. For this reason, there is no single recipe for agnolotti del plin; it all depends on what is left over: while meat is the main ingredient, some families add some cabbage or spinach, while others add cheese. In general, the filling must be very simple, because remember that this recipe is made with what is left over, so there is no sophistication in the choice of ingredients.

While today the agnolotti del plin have a small rectangular shape, in the past they were round and made individually with a metal ring, the agnulot, here the name.

I was lucky enough to inherit the old family tool that my family used to make agnolotti del Plin. When my father and I cook these, we still use that tool. But for this recipe, I used a pastry wheel so I could make more than one piece at a time.

So what is the difference between agnolotti and ravioli? The main difference between agnolotti and ravioli, are 2:

– The method: agnolotti are made with a single sheet of pasta that is folded over. Ravioli, on the other hand, are made with 2 different pasta sheets that are cut into squares and then overlapped to enclose the filling.

– The filling: Agnolotti usually have a meat filling, ravioli are more general and can be meat, fish or cheese and vegetables and depend on the region.

How to make Agnolotti del Plin

This recipe is long, so I’ve broken it down into 4 clear steps that describe all the details you’ll find in the recipe.

STEP 1: Fry the meat

Usually agnolotti del plin are made with pork, veal and rabbit meat, very popular in the North Italy. But you can adjust the meat to your preference, in this case I used beef, veal and pork. The meat is usually roasted in a soffrtto, with the addition of aromatic herbs like sage, rosemary and bay leaf, typical of Norther Italy. I let it sear on all sides and then added some white wine, once it evaporated I added some broth and let it cook until a thermometer inserted in the center showed a temperature of 145°F (65°C). For the pork, I recommend 160°F (70°C).

For the veal, I took a different approach: I opened the veal loin like a book, pounded it flat with a meat mallet, seasoned it with garlic and rosemary, salt and pepper, then rolled it up and tied it. I roasted the meat in garlic and herbs and infused it with white wine and broth. I let it cook until a thermometer inserted into the center of the beef showed a temperature of 145°F (65°C).

Once all 3 meats were cold, I took about 2/3 of them and sliced them thinly. I put the sliced meat, nutmeg, pepper, salt, spinach and parmesan in a food processor and blend until combined. I keep it in the fridge until I’m ready to use it.

STEP 2: Make the dough

The ingredients I used were: 00 flour, some durum wheat and eggs.. I used 4 eggs for 1 1/2 cup as I wanted to get a more elastic dough. The pasta for agnolotti in fact, needs to be fine, almost translucent to really taste the filling.

Form a volcano shape from the flour, crack the eggs.

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Incorporate the eggs into the flour with a fork. Knead it until you get a smooth dough. Cover it with cling film and leave it to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

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Step 3: Filling and shaping the agnolotti

Now you need to roll out the dough. I start with a rolling pin and divide the pasta dough into 5 pieces and work each piece out individually, turning it from the center to the outer edges.

I then use a pasta machine and run the dough through its rollers until I reach a final thickness of 3mm or 1/8 inch. You may need to repeat this step 3 to 4 times for each sheet. This way you get the pasta strips, also called lasagne.

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Once you have your pasta strips, place the filling evenly spaced, about 1 inch apart. Roll the dough over and press vertically on the sides of each filling to remove the air. Cut the dough with a pastry wheel, neither too close nor too far from the filling.

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Now cut on each side of the filling so that you get the classic shape. Place the agnolotti on a floured wooden board.

Step 4: Cooking the dough

Cook the agnolotti in boiling salted water, the agnolotti are ready when they rise to the surface, about 3-4 minutes. You can use a sauce of browned butter with sage or the sauce (sugo) from the roast. Sprinkle them with parmesan cheese.

My tips to make the best Agnolotti del Plin

CHOOSING THE MEAT: Choose meat that has a little fat, this will make the stuffing more moist and tender.

EGGS AND FILLING: Don’t use egg for the filling, it will do as it is and if it doesn’t bind, add a little of its cooking sauce, it will greatly improve the overall taste of the dish.

ROLLING THE DOUGH: Make sure you roll out the dough as thin as 3mm, it’s really important that the pasta is thin, almost translucent.

PINCHING-PLIN: Make sure you place the filling at an equal distance and that when you squeeze it, you squeeze out all the air: this way you prevent the agnolotti from opening when they cook

SAUCE AND TOPPING: The best sauce is actually the sugo (sauce) of the meat. If you prefer something lighter, opt for browned butter with sage. Sprinkle it just with some Parmesan and you are on the way to heaven!

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Agnolotti del Plin variations and substitutions

Although you can find many variations in different restaurants these days, I prefer to eat agnolotti del plin according to the original taste I am used to.

I recommend you try it unless you don’t eat meat. For vegetarians, a filling of ricotta and spinach is great and for vegans any vegan cheese or beans along with vegetables will make you appreciate the special shape of agnolotti del plin.

If you don’t eat pork, you can use whatever type of meat you prefer. Some great combinations are: Beef and veal or veal and chicken.

Serving suggestions

Usually, in Italy we eat agnolotti del plin as primi. In this case, calculate 12 to 15 pieces for each person. You can also serve them as a main course, after an appetizer and followed by dessert. In this case, count 15-20 agnolotti per person.

Great appetizers to go with the Agnolotti del Plin are: Prosciutto Mousse, Olive Ascolane or Bruschetta. For dessert, I would go with Cherry Tiramisu or some Valentine cookies if you are serving the dish on Valentine’s Day.

If you haven’t cooked all the agnolotti, you can freeze them. You can then cook them directly in hot, boiling water. I recommend you eat them fresh as freezing doesn’t always work well for a thin pasta, at least that’s my opinion.

Which wine to pair with Agnolotti del Plin

I made this dish and paired it with an old bottle of Barolo that we bought during our trip to Piedmont. We bought this wine at Manzone Vineyard, a family-run winery nestled in the hills of the Langhe. We’ve had this wine for more than 4 years now, so we decided it deserved a nice Piedmontese meal: nothing could go better with it than Agnolotti del Plin.

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For this recipe, I recommend a Barolo: it’s a full-bodied wine that pairs perfectly with subtle but rich dishes like Agnolotti del Plin. Decant it 2 hours before drinking so you can really taste the complex notes of this wine when paired with such a classic recipe.

Please let me know in the comments how you like Agnolotti del Plin! I would love to hear your feedback if you tried this recipe. I hope this recipe will touch your heart and your soul…Happy Valentine’s Day!

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