(Agnolotti Piemontesi, Agnolotti del plin, Ravioli al plin)
A variety of Italian pasta ripiena (lit. filled pasta), agnolotti are tender, bite-sized pillows of dough, plump with a creamy cheese, meat, or vegetable filling. Agnolotti originated in the Piedmont region circa 12th century, and they are often regarded as the first of many stuffed pasta types in northern Italian cuisine.
Unlike ravioli, which are made with two separate pasta sheets and stamped out, agnolotti are made with a single sheet of dough that is folded over the filling and typically cut into little rectangles. However, throughout the region, agnolotti come in various shapes.
Around Langhe and Monferrato, they are sealed with a firm pinch, which gives them their distinctive appearance, and they are called agnolotti al plin, while the town of Asti is known for agnolotti gobbi (lit. hunchbacked) - pasta pockets that are filled so abundantly that they become slightly curved. Read more
Another interesting variety are the half-moon-shaped agnolotti a mezzaluna. They are traditionally filled with a mixture of different leftover meats which are often flavored with wine and herbs, and some of the classic fillings include stracotto - slowly braised beef, roasted rabbit, pork, or even chicken.
Unique to the entire region are agnolotti filled with donkey meat, a specialty of the town of Calliano. Numerous other local variants exist, including the addition of vegetables such as spinach, chard, or even artichokes, and ricotta or fontina cheese.
Agnolotti can either be enjoyed cooked simply in a beef broth or heaped over with juices from the roasted meats. Sometimes, they are served with ragù alla Piemontese or other, more elaborate meat sauces. Burro fuso e salvia (lit. melted butter and sage) is another commonly used sauce; it lends a rich, nutty taste of browned butter and a wonderful herbal aroma to agnolotti, which are traditionally finished with some grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
