These homemade agnolotti del plin are gorgeous pasta pockets filled with a silky spinach ricotta filling and tossed in a light garlic butter sauce. Agnolotti are so fun to make and are incredibly delicious!

Why I love it:

I’ve had a lot of pasta in my day, as I'm sure you have too. A lot of very standard spinach ravioli with stringy bits of spinach, chalky ricotta, and thick squares of dough smooshed together. They’re always good, but I don’t exactly dream of them. Even at fancy restaurants, it’s hard to find a truly delicious pasta dish.

It seems like they just have to be homemade for the real elegance and delicacy to come through.

Once you get a hang of making fresh pasta and stuffing it, the fillings become a whole new playground. I decided to revamp the standard spinach ricotta filling and go for something indulgently smooth and silky.

We use a full pound of baby spinach, blanch it, and blend it up with ricotta and a scoop of creamy mascarpone to get a filling that is unbelievably silky.

Then we pipe that filling in strips on a very thin sheet of egg-rich pasta dough and make agnolotti del plin.

This shape took me a while to nail. The key, really, is rolling up the tube of dough, and then nailing the pinch. Do it over and over to make sure the edges are really well sealed and that there’s enough space to cut. And be SUPER generous with the semolina before and during pinching-- these guys can stick.

The final revelation here is the butter emulsion. We gently cook slivered garlic in some olive oil until golden, then toss in butter cubes to melt. Scoop in starchy pasta water and simmer, swirling constantly, until a glossy sauce forms.

It’s light enough to let the agnolotti shine, yet lusciously smooth and full of flavor. I literally can’t get enough of this one.

Keep reading to get all the tips to make probably the best pasta dish you’ve ever had!

spinach agnolotti ingredients

homemade pasta dough
baby spinach
garlic
mascarpone
ricotta
parmesan cheese
butter
nutmeg
00 flour
semolina flour
olive oil

ingredients_pasta dough, spinach, ricotta, parmesan, mascarpone

how to make agnolotti del plin:

Make homemade pasta dough.
Make spinach filling.
Roll out the dough to a very thin sheet (7 on Kitchen Aid attachment, or second to last on other machines).
Pipe a line of filling down the length of a sheet of pasta, about ½” away from the edge.
Pull the dough over the filling and seal the edge, to create a long tube.
Pinch and seal individual agnolotti.
Use a fluted pasta wheel to trim along the seam of overlapping dough (save the remaining sheet for another line of agnolotti).
Cut in between each pillow and store agnolotti on semolina-dusted sheet pan.
Cook, refrigerate up to 2 hours, or freeze for 2 months.

what makes this the best agnolotti:

Egg-rich pasta dough: Use my homemade pasta dough recipe for best results. It’s high in egg yolks for a rich flavor and unbelievable delicacy. And it’s made with ultra-fine 00 flour for the silkiest texture. Make sure to roll it super thin (7 on the Kitchen Aid attachment) for the perfect balance of tender chew to delicate creamy pop.

Spinach filling: This filling is so silky! Blanch fresh baby spinach and blend it up with ricotta, parmesan, and mascarpone. You’ve never had a stuffed pasta like this.

Perfect shape: It’s hard to find a good tutorial on how to shape agnolotti. I go in depth above to get the perfect agnolotti del plin. The key is a solid pinch and sealing the edges super well! That gives you the perfect little belly and pretty folds.

Butter sauce: This sauce is so light and glossy and full of rich garlicky flavor. It’s simple to make and lets those delicious agnolotti shine!

What's the difference between agnolotti and agnolotti del plin?

agnolotti del plin: "plin" means "pinch", and these shapes are made with a smooth filling that is piped in a line. Then you literally pinch through that filling to separate the pasta pockets, and cut through the pinched seam.

agnolotti: If you have a chunkier filling, like meat, it's better to make standard agnolotti. Literally the only difference is you pipe teaspoon dollops of filling instead of a continuous line. Fold the edge of the sheet over the mounds, and make sure to press out any air bubbles around each pile of filling and seal well. Then roll up the line of filling mounds (just as if it were a long tube), trim along the seam of overlapping dough, and cut in between each agnolotti.

how to make these agnolotti del plin ahead:

You can make the egg pasta dough 1 day ahead, but not more. It turns an awful grey color! The more yolks, the uglier the color. I tend to make it in the morning and chill it until I’m ready.
Make the filling a day or two ahead. I prefer to store it directly in a disposable piping bag for ease of use.
You can shape the agnolotti del plin and freeze them on a sheet pan (generously dusted with semolina!).
- Once frozen solid, transfer to a ziptop bag and keep frozen for up to 2 months. This my favorite way to enjoy fresh pasta! Toss the frozen agnolotti is boiling salted water and cook for an extra minute or so.

more homemade pasta recipes to try:

agnolotti del plin (spinach filling)

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These homemade agnolotti are gorgeous pillows of pasta filled with a silky spinach ricotta filling and tossed in a light garlic butter sauce. Agnolotti del plin are so fun to make and incredibly delicious!

Author: Indi Hampton
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Yield: 4
Category: Pasta
Method: Handmade
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

spinach filling

1 lb fresh baby spinach
½ cup mascarpone
1 cup whole milk ricotta
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
⅛ tsp grated ground nutmeg
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

agnolotti del plin

1 batch egg pasta dough, rolled out to setting 7 on Kitchen Aid (about 1.5 mm)
00 or all-purpose flour, for rolling
semolina flour, for dusting
2 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
5 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed and cold

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Instructions

To make the filling, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water.
Add spinach to boiling water and cook 20 seconds, then plunge into ice water to stop the cooking.
Drain the spinach and squeeze dry. Place it in a food processor or high-speed blender and puree until smooth. Add ricotta and process 30 seconds, until very smooth. Add mascarpone, parmesan, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and pulse until just combined. Transfer to a large piping bag and refrigerate until needed.
Lay out a long sheet of pasta dough on a surface generously dusted with semolina flour. Pipe a ½-inch thick line of spinach filling lengthwise down the pasta, about ½-inch away from the edge.
Pick up the edge of the dough and pull it up and over to cover the filling. Starting at one end of the sheet and working your way to the opposite end, press down where the dough overlaps to remove air and seal the edge against the line of filling.
Roll the tube of filling up 90 degrees, so it stands up. Generously scatter semolina until the tube, to prevent sticking.
Use your fingers to pinch both ends of the long tube. Then, starting at one end, pinch and seal individual agnolotti about the width of your thumb, down the line of filling. Go back and re-pinch a few times to make sure everything is well sealed.
Use a fluted pasta wheel to cut along the seam, as close to the pasta pockets as you can get. Save the pasta sheet for another line of agnolotti.
Use the pasta cutter to cut in between the pillows, directly in the center of the pinched seam. Gently transfer them to a semolina-dusted sheet tray (I love using a bench scraper here). Refrigerate uncovered for 2 hours or freeze for up to 2 months.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add agnolotti and cook for 2- 3 minutes, or until just tender.
Meanwhile, in a skillet large enough to hold the agnolotti, heat olive oil and garlic over medium-low heat. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the butter and a ladleful of pasta cooking water, bring to a simmer and cook, swirling the pan, for about 1 minute to emulsify the sauce.
Use a spider to transfer agnolotti to the skillet along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, swirling and gently turning the agnolotti, until coated in the light and glossy sauce, about a minute.
Divide among serving bowls and serve immediately, spooning extra butter sauce over top.

Notes

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition

Serving Size: ½ serving
Calories: 490
Sugar: 1.2g
Sodium: 476mg
Fat: 34g
Saturated Fat: 18g
Unsaturated Fat: 13.4g
Trans Fat: 0.3g
Carbohydrates: 31g
Fiber: 2.2g
Protein: 15g
Cholesterol: 263mg