Agnolotti del plin: fresh filled pasta cooking class!

Fresh filled pasta cooking class: Agnolotti del plin:

this is a famous dish of Piemonte region, very popular in Italy.

A bit of history

This dish boasts ancient origins, in fact, we find “agnolotti” in a recipe of 1846, from a Chef living in Turin.

In the past they served the agnolotti “inside a napkin”: once cooked and drained. So that they did not lose softness. They consumed agnolotti without seasoning, to enhance the taste of the filling. Only sometimes they served them with a light broth, separately in a cup, or with red wine.

The name agnolotti

seems to derive from a term of the Piedmontese dialect “anulòt”, indicating a ring-shaped tool used to prepare homemade agnolotti. In fact, once this traditional egg pasta was round and only later took the typical shape.

It is, in fact, the characteristic closure at the origin of the name. Although each family has its own interpretation of the filling, the closure is always the same: the shape is rectangular and you’ve to make a small pinch; that’s exactly the famous PLIN!

How to prepare Agnolotti

It is a rather laborious preparation because it includes processing also for the filling. In fact, once cooked, you’ve to wait some minutes for the filling to cool, then you’ll chop it.

Anyway, it’ll be one of the most delicious Italian fresh filled kinds of pasta that you are going to taste.

Since it’s really appreciated fresh pasta, it’s requested in our cookery courses and when someone calls me for private chef service.

So, if you’re lucky enough to come to Tuscany,

maybe on Summer vacations, you can call me to teach you how to prepare Agnolotti del plin. My company is Cuoche in Vacanza (Italian for Chefs for your vacation) and we come directly to your holiday home to run private cooking classes or dinners.

Well, a fresh filled pasta cooking class is often requested, and I can assure you that you’ll be able to replicate delicious pasta dishes once came back to your country.

The VIDEO below explains very well how to fold and shape agnolotti del plin!

Important Tips

The dough is then prepared, placing the flour in a fountain on a pastry board and adding the eggs.

You can find the RECIPE for fresh pasta by clicking HERE.

Once spread in a thin sheet, proceed to shape the “Plin”, preventing the dough to harden.

Well, now form small stuffing hazelnuts with the fingers and place them on the dough sheet about one centimeter from the edge and at the distance of 1 centimeter from each other. Fold the edge of the sheet on the row of small piles of filling and make it adhere longitudinally, with a slight pressure of the fingers. Therefore, cut the row of Plin with a pasta wheel.

Then cut the dough into a pinch (this is the PLIN), to weld the filling. With the wheel, separate the small “agnolotti” one from the other and leave them to rest for a couple of hours, so that they dry slightly.

A fresh filled pasta cooking class, furthermore for agnolotti, need a lot of time. Who calls me for this, is really motivated to learn something complex.

What about the Sugo d’Arrosto Sauce?

Sugo d’arrosto (Italian for gravy roasted sauce) is the name the here in Italy we give to a wonderful, delicious sauce that you can make with the meat from the filling of agnolotti.

Furthermore, you can use this exquisite sauce to season the agnolotti. That’s why I often cook more meat and make more filling. In fact, you’ve just to take the stuffing (parmesan excluded) already minced and add some broth (max 2 or 3 tbsp) to this. You can also add 1 tbsp of extra virgin oil if you like. You’ll obtain a light-colored sauce.

Well, season the agnolotti with this gravy and be ready to taste one of the most delicious Italian gravy.

Curiosity

Depending on the area, the filling may have some variations; in the Langhe and Monferrato, for example, in addition to veal and pork, the rabbit is added and they put also cabbage or escarole. This is exactly what I usually do…I love the sauce with the 3 kinds of meat.

Perfect Sauces for Agnolotti (apart from Sugo d’Arrosto of course)

The Original Ragu Meat Sauce

Butter and Crispy Sage Sauce

Save and Print the recipe!

Agnolotti del Plin

Recipe by Erika Elia (CuocheinVacanza.com)

Prep time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total time: 3 hours
Serves: 4

Ingredients

8 oz (250 gr) Veal
8 oz (250 gr) Pork
8 oz (250 gr) Rabbit
1 Rosemary sprig
1 carrot
2 sage leaves
1 onion
1 celery stalk
750cl vegetable stock
1/2 glass white wine
to taste butter
2 cloves of garlic
to taste extra virgin olive oil
to taste parmesan
1 small cabbage or a bunch of escaroles
THE DOUGH:
4 eggs
1 lb (400gr) of wheat flour

Instructions

Put the veal in a large saucepan with oil and butter, let it brown for 5-6 minutes;
add the pork and let it brown for 5 minutes,
then add the rabbit and let it brown for 5 minutes.
While the meat browns, peel the onion, wash and clean the celery and escaroles and peel the carrot, then chop everything and put the vegetables in the saucepan of the meat along with 2 sage leaves and 1 sprig of rosemary.
Cook for 7-8 minutes, then blend with the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate.
At this point, season with salt and pepper, pour in vegetable stock, and cook with the lid for at least 1 hour and a half at very low heat.
Once the cooking time has elapsed, chop this filling by adding 3 tablespoons of grated Parmigiano Reggiano and leave it slightly to cool.
THE PASTA DOUGH
Make the dough with four egg yolks and 400 grams of flour and then roll into thin sheets that will not let it dry. From time to time put on the sheet in a row a few stacks of stuffing at a distance of three centimeters from each other, leaving an empty border under the row of piles so that it can then be folded over the small piles of stuffing covering them.
Press your fingers around the piles. Then cut them with a pasta cutter to obtain small squares.
Put the agnolotti to dry on lightly floured napkins.
Boil them in plenty of salted water for a few minutes, drain them well, and season them
ROASTED GRAVY SAUCE (SUGO D’ARROSTO)
Take a bit of filing (before putting parmesan) and mix this with 2 or 3 tbs of broth. You can add also 1 tbsp of extra virgin oil if you like. Taste it, the gravy roasted sauce is ready to season your agnolotti!