Langhe, Piedmont (Cuneo area)
Piedmont's smallest stuffed pasta: agnolotti del plin (plin = pinch in dialect) are tiny pillows of egg pasta filled with a mixture of braised meats — typically veal, pork, and sometimes rabbit — formed by the distinctive double-pinch technique that creates their characteristic ruffled edge. Served 'al sugo del arrosto' (in the drippings of Sunday roast) or simply with butter and sage. The filling is always made from the braised meat of the day before — a recovery dish elevated to art. Each agnolotto is the size of a thumbnail.
Delicate braised meat richness; egg pasta silkiness; butter and sage aromatic; roast dripping depth when dressed traditionally
{"Filling made from slow-braised mixed meats (veal, pork, rabbit), finely minced not blended — texture is key","Incorporate spinach or escarole blanched and squeezed dry into the filling for lightness and colour","Pasta dough must be very thin (almost transparent) — the filling is the star; thick pasta overwhelms","The plin technique: pipe filling, fold dough over, pinch-and-pull every 2cm to create individual pillows and ruffled edge","Sauce: Sunday roast drippings deglazed with a little wine, or simply clarified butter and fresh sage"}
{"The meat braising liquid from making the filling can be reduced to a concentrated jus for the sauce","Rest cut agnolotti on semolina-dusted cloth — semolina prevents sticking without making pasta doughy","Cook in salted water 2 minutes maximum — they're tiny and cook almost immediately","In the Langhe tradition, agnolotti del plin are sometimes eaten by hand, dipped in Barbera d'Asti"}
{"Over-filling — each agnolotto needs only a pea-sized amount of filling; over-filling causes bursting","Pasta too thick — should be 1mm maximum; 0.8mm is ideal","Blending the filling smooth — the traditional texture is fine-minced but with detectable pieces","Serving with heavy cream sauces — the delicate filling is lost under cream"}
La Cucina del Piemonte — Giovanni Goria