Homemade agnolotti del plin

The agnolotti del plin they are a typical first course of the Piedmontese tradition, widespread among the citizens and much loved, awarded with the recognition of Italian agri-food product. The word “plin” comes from the Piedmontese dialect e means pinch: refers to the pinch with which the dough is closed around the filling, making it a sort of pocket holds gravy or stock perfectly. The agnolotti del Plin were born as a poor dish, used to consume leftover meat and cooked vegetables, but now it represents a real also gourmet preparation. Each family keeps its recipe and passes it down from generation to generation. In general, there is no real original recipe for agnolotti, as they are thought of as pasta filled with leftover meat: for this reason the filling can vary a lot depending on the meat available. In our version we offer you a filling based on veal and pork loin, carrots, onion and celery, spinach, eggs and Parmigiano Reggiano, boiled and then sautéed in a pan with golden butter and fresh sage.

Ingredients for 1.2 kg of ravioli (6 people)

  • Flour 00: 400 g
  • Medium eggs: 4 + 1 for the filling
  • Pork loin: 200 g
  • Veal: 200 g
  • Fresh spinach or escarole: 250 g
  • Golden onion: 1 small
  • Celery: 1 stalk
  • Carrots: 200g
  • Meat broth: 500ml
  • Grated cheese: 80 g
  • Olive oil: 50ml
  • Butter: 250g
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper as needed
  • Nutmeg: to taste
  • Sage: three sprigs
  • Water: 2.5 litres
  • Preparation: 1 hour
  • Cooking: 1 hour
  • Total: 2 hours
  • Calories: 284 calories/125 g

For pasta

1

Pour the flour into a bowl, leaving a small central well. Add 4 medium eggs and the salt and mix with a fork.

2

You will have to get to obtain a sandy compound. At that point, start working the dough with your hands, until you have a bonded dough.

3

Transfer everything to a work surface, kneading until a compact ball of dough is formed. Wrap it in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

For the stuffing

1

With a sharp knife, cut the pork and veal into pieces, then brown them for about 5 minutes with some olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously.

2

Prepare the vegetables: peel the carrots and cut them into pieces, remove the celery leaves and slice them, peel and cut the golden onion into small pieces.

3

When the meat is well browned, add the pieces of carrot, onion and celery. Season with salt and pepper, pour all the broth and cook over low heat for 45 minutes.

4

In the meantime, wash the spinach thoroughly, eliminating all soil residues. Cook them in a hot pot or pan over low heat, stirring constantly.

5

When everything is well cooked, remove from the heat and let it cool completely.

6

After the cooling time, put the meat in a blender and blend it for a few seconds. Then add the well-squeezed spinach, 1 egg and the grated cheese. Take care to remove all excess water.

7

Once all the ingredients have been added, blend well with the mixer until the mixture is soft and dry.

Making agnolotti

1

When both the pasta and the filling have rested sufficiently, start preparing the agnolotti.

2

Take about 100 g of pasta, taking care to cover the remaining dough with transparent film so that it does not risk drying out during preparation.

3

Flour the work surface and roll out the dough to a thickness of 0.5 mm with the help of a rolling pin, giving a rectangular shape at least 8 cm wide. Alternatively you can use a pasta machine to obtain a very fine sheet (up to size 6)

4

Fill a sac-à-poche with the filling and cut the tip to obtain a hole of about 8 mm.

5

Arrange the filling on the pastry, making tufts of about 5 g, spaced less than 2 cm apart.

6

Fold the dough to join the edges and press carefully first on the filling to eliminate the air, then on the sides of the dough to seal it well.

7

With a notched pasta cutter, remove the excess pasta. Pinch the pastry between the fillings with your fingers, to form a sort of small pocket.

8

Then cut the pasta in order to obtain the agnolotti, continuing in this way until all the pieces are obtained. Place them on floured trays, spaced from each other.

Cooking agnolotti

1

Fill a large saucepan with water and add 1 teaspoon of coarse salt. When the water starts to boil, add the agnolotti: cook them in salted water until they float to the surface.

2

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt the butter seasoned with the sage until it is golden brown.

3

Drain the agnolotti with the help of a slotted spoon, place them directly on a serving plate and season with butter and sage. Serve immediately.

Advice and tips

Agnolotti can be cooked in meat broth and served with a ladle of broth and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

If you want a delicious and elegant dish, try topping them with melted clarified butter and a grated Alba truffle.

You can choose whether to use spinach or escarole in the filling. Alternatively, you can use both, dividing the weight of the vegetables in half (in our case, 125 g of spinach and 125 g of escarole).

Are you looking for a wine to pair with agnolotti del plin? Buy one Barbera d’Asti or a Grignolino of Monferrato! In general, any Barbera-based Monferrato wine will be perfect to accompany this dish.

storage

The agnolotti del plinonce cooked, they can be stored in the refrigerator closed in an airtight container for 2 days.

You can also prepare and freeze them still raw, placing them well spaced on a tray and letting them rest in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes. After that you can pour them into special bags for freezing food.

Once prepared, they must be cooked within the day or frozen immediately, otherwise they will become dark.

History

The agnolotti del plin were born in the mid-nineteenth century in Langhe region as a poor dish popular among farmers to use leftover meat and vegetables. The recipe for agnolotti, in fact, appears in some cookbooks published during the mid 19th century. They then spread particularly between Asti and Monferrato and are now considered one of the most traditional dishes of Piedmont. Some time ago it was customary to serve the agnolotti inside a clean and folded cloth napkin, in order to keep them soft.

Ingredients for 1.2 kg of ravioli (6 people)

  • Flour 00: 400 g
  • Medium eggs: 4 + 1 for the filling
  • Pork loin: 200 g
  • Veal: 200 g
  • Fresh spinach or escarole: 250 g
  • Golden onion: 1 small
  • Celery: 1 stalk
  • Carrots: 200g
  • Meat broth: 500ml
  • Grated cheese: 80 g
  • Olive oil: 50ml
  • Butter: 250 g
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper as needed
  • Nutmeg: to taste
  • Sage: three sprigs
  • Water: 2.5 litres
  • Preparation: 1 hour
  • Cooking: 1 hour
  • Total: 2 hours
  • Calories: 284 calories/125 g
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Philip Owell

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