Agnolotti del Plin

Name: Agnolotti del Plin
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Ultimate Pasta
Ingredients: 1 batch egg pasta dough; 250 g roast meat; 100 g sausage; 100 g spinach; 40 g Parmigiano-Reggiano; 80 g butter; to finish sage; to taste fine sea salt

25 minutes prep 35 minutes cook Serves 4

Agnolotti del Plin hails from the lush landscapes of Piedmont, a region known for its rich culinary traditions. Traditionally crafted on Sundays, this dish is a staple of leisurely family gatherings, where the delicate pasta parcels are lovingly shaped by hand. Each bundle captures the essence of its surroundings, embodying the comforting warmth of a Piedmontese kitchen.

The taste of Agnolotti del Plin is a harmonious blend of savory roasted meat and sausage, balanced by the freshness of spinach, all enveloped in tender egg pasta. Finished with fragrant sage-infused butter and a dusting of Parmigiano-Reggiano, each bite offers a melt-in-the-mouth experience that lingers, leaving a subtle hint of the region's culinary soul.

Ingredients

1 batchegg pasta dough
250 groast meat
100 gsausage
100 gspinach
40 gParmigiano-Reggiano
80 gbutter
to finishsage
to tastefine sea salt

Method

Start by bringing a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a generous amount of fine sea salt to the water; it should taste like the sea. This salted water will season the Agnolotti del Plin as it cooks, enhancing the overall flavor of the dish.
In a wide pan over medium heat, melt 40 g of butter. Add 250 g of finely chopped roast meat and 100 g of crumbled sausage. Cook until the sausage is browned and the roast meat is heated through, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust for salt, remembering that the filling should be well-seasoned to balance the pasta.
Wilt 100 g of spinach in the same pan with the meat mixture. Stir until the spinach is bright green and tender, which should take just a couple of minutes. Remove the pan from heat and let the mixture cool slightly before transferring it to a mixing bowl.
Grate 40 g of Parmigiano-Reggiano and add it to the cooled meat and spinach mixture. Stir well to combine, ensuring the cheese is evenly distributed throughout the filling. This will add a rich, nutty flavor to the Agnolotti del Plin.
Roll out the egg pasta dough into thin sheets, about the thickness of a coin. Place small spoonfuls of the filling along one edge of the pasta sheet, leaving about an inch between each mound. Fold the dough over the filling and press around each mound to seal, then use a fluted cutter to cut out individual agnolotti.
Add the agnolotti to the boiling salted water. Cook until they float to the surface and are just shy of done, which indicates they are al dente. Reserve a cup of the starchy pasta water before draining the pasta.
In the same wide pan, melt the remaining 40 g of butter over medium heat. Add a few leaves of sage and let them sizzle until fragrant. Add the drained agnolotti to the pan, tossing gently to coat them in the sage-infused butter.
If the sauce seems too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen it, tossing until the agnolotti are well-coated and glossy. Serve the Agnolotti del Plin hot, garnished with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano if desired, allowing the flavors to shine as they do in Piedmont Sundays.