Agnolotti del Plin

Ingredients

• 300 g Flour
• 6 Egg yolks
• 1 Egg
• 200 g Pork loin
• 150 g Veal
• 150 g Rabbit meat
• 200 g Spinach
• 80 g Parmigiano reggiano
• 60 g Butter
• 6 leaves Sage
• 1 sprig Rosemary
• 100 ml White wine
• 150 ml Beef stock
• 1 pinch Nutmeg
• 1 to taste Salt
• 1 to taste Black pepper

Steps

1. Make the pasta: mound the 00 flour on a board, make a well, add the egg yolks, whole egg, a pinch of salt and a drizzle of oil.
2. Work into a firm, smooth, golden dough, then wrap and rest 30 minutes at room temperature.
3. Prepare the filling: roast the diced pork loin, veal and rabbit in a little butter with rosemary, sage and a splash of white wine until cooked through and lightly browned, about 25 minutes.
4. Let cool.
5. Wilt the spinach in a pan with a knob of butter, squeeze it bone-dry.
6. Chop it finely with the cooled meats using a knife or food processor until almost a paste.
7. Bind the filling: mix the minced meat and spinach with grated Parmigiano, an egg, a grating of nutmeg, salt and pepper.
8. It should be firm enough to hold a shape; chill 20 minutes.
9. Roll the dough paper-thin into long sheets (setting 1 on a pasta machine).
10. Work one strip at a time, keeping the rest covered so it doesn't dry.
11. Pipe or place small hazelnut-sized dots of filling in a row along the lower half of the strip, leaving about 2 cm between each.
12. Fold the top edge of the pasta over the filling.
13. Press the dough between the mounds to seal out air.
14. Pinch (plin) firmly with thumb and forefinger between each pocket.
15. Run a fluted wheel along the sealed bottom edge and between the pinches to cut the agnolotti loose; they should be small, plump and rectangular.
16. Lay them on a floured cloth.
17. Make the sauce: deglaze the meat roasting pan with a little stock and white wine, scraping up the browned bits, and reduce to a glossy jus.
18. Alternatively melt butter gently with sage leaves.
19. Cook the agnolotti in abundant salted boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, until they float and the pasta is tender.
20. Drain gently and toss in the warm roast jus (or butter and sage), adding a spoonful of pasta water to bind.
21. Serve at once with extra grated Parmigiano.

Tips

• The plin is the soul of this dish — keep each pocket small (a hazelnut of filling) and pinch firmly so no air remains, or they will burst in the water. Authentically the filling uses leftover Sunday roast; combining pork, veal and rabbit gives the rounded flavour. In the Langhe they are eaten 'al tovagliolo', served on a folded napkin with only the roast jus.