Agnolotti Piemontesi Del Plin

After a meal at the Italian restaurant, I felt like making this delicious pasta myself. So searched the net and found what you were looking for. The recipe comes from an Italian chef and I implemented it the way I wanted. They got their nickname "del Plin" because their typical appearance is supposed to resemble a belly button ... strange, but that's probably how it is. The plin is the fold between the individual agnolottis (see photo no. 4, right arrow). They are easy to make and you can put a lot of filling into a relatively small amount of dough. This is also typical for Piedmont. But if you want to make your work a little easier, you can make small square dumplings. They are then cycled out in waves after filling.

Cut the meat into small cubes. Peel the onion, roughly dice. Halve the garlic. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and fry the meat with the onions in it. Deglaze with wine and stock, pepper, salt and add garlic and bay leaves. Then with the pot closed, everything over a low flame Let simmer gently for 60 minutes. The meat should be soft and the liquid overcooked to a minimum. Meanwhile, cook the spinach in lightly salted water for about 3 minutes, pour through a sieve and squeeze out a little more. At the same time, cook the risotto rice in lightly salted water. For this you take 1 part rice and 2 parts water, which should be completely overcooked at the end. Then let the spinach and rice cool down a bit and keep them ready. Grate the Parmesan.

Mix both flours and place on the work surface. Make a large well in the middle, add eggs, oil and salt and stir with a fork. Always take some of the edge of the flour with you until nothing can run out and a crumbly mixture has formed. Then knead into a smooth dough with your hands. Wrap it in cling film and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Longer is also 0.k.

When the meat is done, the liquid should be as good as overcooked. Fish out the bay leaf and clove of garlic and put it in a blender, including the onions, the little remaining stock, the spinach and the rice. Then puree everything to a viscous paste. The color does take some getting used to, but it tastes amazing. Finally fold in the grated Parmesan and keep ready. If necessary, season again to taste and season.

Divide the dough into 4 portions (easier to process). When using a pasta machine, sprinkle a little semola on the roller and pull the first portion through 4 - 5 times at level "0". After each pulling through, fold the dough sheet once and sprinkle it with semola in between. Then pull through once from level 1 - 6 each time and spread the sheet of dough out on the work surface. Then place walnut-sized portions with two teaspoons, finger-spaced. You should border the "imaginary center line" on one side of the sheet of dough. When they are all placed on the sheet, brush the dough around them with a little water and fold the other side of the sheet of dough over it. Then press the dough around the filling so that there are no air pockets. Straighten the front, resulting flat edge a little with a knife. Then make the "plin" by rolling up the dough to bring the small flat spaces together with your index finger and thumb and then press. The result is an upright edge, the dough arches around the filling and so you get the look of a belly button ... ;-)) Now you only have to separate with a wavy wheel and then press the two sides together again a little become. This is pretty quick and should also be done by inexperienced cooks. When the first portion of dough is ready, do the same with the others one by one. As I said, it actually goes quickly, you only need a little time with this amount of dough and filling, because there are quite a few. For me there were 36 pieces. Where the main course for an adult is 9 pieces. The already finished Agnolottis are kept on a floured surface. You can also freeze them uncooked, because if you are already at it, then it is advisable to prepare a supply. When preparing without a machine, roll out the individual dough portions with a rolling pin to about 13 cm wide and 1 mm thin. The first few times not quite as thin and also fold and roll out 5 times.

The cooking time in well-salted water is approx. 4 minutes in total. When they have risen, let them steep in the water for another 2 minutes. They are then just drained well and placed on the plate.

For the drizzle (you calculate about 3 tbsp per person) the olive oil is heated in the pan and the slightly chopped sage is roasted in it. There is purposely nothing more, because the agnolottis with their special filling are supposed to work on their own. When the oil and sage have been drizzled over it, sprinkle with some black pepper and grate some Parmesan over it. .... Buon Appetito ............