Agnolotti del Plin with Roast Filling, Parmigiano Broth & Sage

Plin is the sound of the pinch. In the Langhe, Sunday roast never went to waste — it was chopped fine, folded into egg-rich dough, and sealed with a thumb-and-finger squeeze that gave the shape its name. Here the parcels sit in a clear broth drawn from Parmigiano rinds, glossed with sage brown butter: about 70–80 agnolotti, four elegant main portions or six tasting portions.

1. 1

   Prepare the Parmigiano broth

   75 min

   Combine the chicken stock, Parmigiano rinds, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf and peppercorns in a saucepan. Bring just to a gentle simmer — never a hard boil, or the broth turns cloudy and oversalted. Cook uncovered over low heat for 60–75 minutes, rest off the heat 15 minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth. Taste before adding any salt and keep warm without boiling.

   Chef's note · Parmigiano rinds season the broth on their own — salt last, if at all.

2. 2

   Make the pasta dough

   45 min

   Mound the "00" flour and make a wide well. Add the eggs, yolks, olive oil and salt, beating with a fork and drawing flour in from the walls. Knead 8–10 minutes until smooth, firm and elastic — slightly firmer than tagliatelle dough. Wrap tightly and rest at room temperature at least 45 minutes.

   Chef's note · Chef Rigatoni's test: press with one finger — it should spring back slowly without cracking. Dough, like people, behaves better after a rest.

3. 3

   Roast the meat

   90 min

   Heat the oven to 165°C/325°F. Season the veal and pork generously and sear in olive oil in batches until deeply browned; don't crowd the pan. Remove the meat, lower the heat, and cook the onion, carrot and celery 6–8 minutes, scraping up the browned bits. Add garlic, rosemary and sage for 30 seconds. Return the meat, add the wine and reduce by half, then add the stock — it should come a third of the way up the meat, not cover it. Cover and roast 75–90 minutes until fork-tender. Strain and reserve the liquid; discard the rosemary stem and garlic but keep the vegetables.

4. 4

   Prepare the filling

   30 min

   Wilt the spinach in a dry pan, cool, squeeze bone-dry and chop finely. Chop the roast meat by hand or pulse briefly — never to a paste. Combine the meat, roasted vegetables, spinach, Parmigiano, egg, nutmeg and optional lemon zest, then add 1–3 tablespoons of the reserved roasting liquid until it just holds together. Season, transfer to a piping bag with a 1 cm opening and chill at least 30 minutes.

5. 5

   Roll the pasta

   Divide the dough into four, keeping the rest covered. Pass one piece through the widest setting, fold into thirds and repeat two or three times, then roll down to about 0.7–0.8 mm — usually the second-thinnest setting. You should see the shadow of your hand through the sheet, yet it should still hold filling. Work on a lightly floured surface and move quickly.

6. 6

   Shape the agnolotti del plin

   Pipe a continuous 1.5 cm line of filling about 2 cm from the long edge. Brush the exposed pasta beside it with water, fold the edge over and press firmly to expel air and seal. Pinch the filled tube every 2.5 cm with thumb and index finger — that pinch is the plin. Trim with a fluted wheel parallel to the filling, then cut between each pinch. Dust a tray with semolina and cover loosely with a towel.

   Chef's note · Keep the filling cold and the pasta covered. Warm filling softens dough; dry dough refuses to seal.

7. 7

   Make the sage brown butter

   5 min

   Melt the butter over medium heat, add the sage leaves and cook 3–5 minutes until the milk solids are golden and smell nutty. Lift out the crisp sage and drain on paper towels. Off the heat, carefully add the lemon juice and keep warm.

8. 8

   Cook the agnolotti

   3 min

   Bring a wide pot of well-salted water to a gentle boil and cook in batches 2–3 minutes — chilled pasta may need another 30 seconds. Move them straight into a wide sauté pan with 2–3 tablespoons sage brown butter, 60 ml Parmigiano broth and a splash of pasta water. Swirl gently 30–45 seconds until glossy, never heavily sauced.

9. 9

   Plate

   Warm four wide shallow bowls. Arrange 12–15 agnolotti in a loose circle rather than a pile. Spoon 80–100 ml hot Parmigiano broth around — not over — the pasta. Finish each plate with a teaspoon of brown butter, two or three crisp sage leaves, grated Parmigiano, black pepper, three or four tiny drops of aged balsamic and micro sage. Serve immediately.

   Chef's note · The broth is part of the picture: keep it clear, the bowl warm and the garnish restrained.