Agnolotti del Plin: The Braised-Meat Stuffed Pasta of the Langhe

Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over high heat. Season the veal and pork chunks with salt, then brown on all sides in batches — about 4 min per batch. Return all meat to the pan.

Add rosemary, 4 sage leaves, and bay leaves. Pour in the white wine and let it bubble for 1 min. Add 200ml water, reduce heat to low, cover, and braise for 90 min until the meat is fall-apart tender. Strain and reserve the braising juices for the sauce.

While the meat braises, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spinach for 2 min. Drain, cool under cold water, then squeeze out as much moisture as possible with your hands or a clean cloth. Chop finely and set aside.

Mound the 00 flour on a clean work surface and make a wide well in the center. Crack in the 3 eggs. Using a fork, gradually incorporate flour from the inner walls until a shaggy dough forms, then switch to your hands. Knead for 8–10 min until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic and rest at room temperature for 30 min.

When the meat has cooled, pass it through a meat grinder or pulse in a food processor until finely minced — you want texture, not a paste. Combine with the squeezed spinach, Parmigiano, the whole egg, and nutmeg. Mix well and season with salt. The filling should hold its shape when scooped.

Cut the rested dough into thirds; keep unused pieces covered. Using a pasta machine, roll each piece from the widest setting down to setting 5 or 6 (about 1.5mm thick). The sheet should be nearly translucent but not tearing.

Lay one pasta sheet on a lightly floured board. Brush egg white in a thin strip along the lower half of the sheet. Spoon or pipe filling in small mounds — about 1 tsp (8–10g) each — at 3cm intervals along the egg-washed strip.

Fold the upper half of the sheet down over the row of filling. Press gently around each mound, working from the base outward, to expel air pockets. Air left inside will burst the pasta during cooking.

Pinch vertically between each mound with a firm downward motion between thumb and forefinger — this is the plin. The motion should be perpendicular to the pasta row, not along it. Each pinch creates a sealed neck with a ruffled ridge. Use a fluted pastry wheel or knife to cut along the top edge and between each pinch to separate the agnolotti.

Place finished agnolotti on a semolina-dusted tray. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Cook immediately or freeze in a single layer.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Warm the reserved braising juices in a wide pan over medium heat, or melt the butter with 8 sage leaves until golden and the sage crisps, about 2 min. Cook agnolotti in batches for 3–4 min until they float and the pasta feels tender at the pinch. Lift out with a slotted spoon, toss briefly in the sauce, and serve immediately with extra Parmigiano.