How to Make Homemade Agnolotti: Step-by-Step Pasta Guide

How to make Homemade Agnolotti from scratch. This delicate filled pasta may look intricate, but it’s straightforward to prepare at home. This step-by-step guide walks you through the whole process, from making the dough to shaping and cooking the agnolotti, with photos and a video to help along the way.

An overhead shot of Agnolotti pasta on a wooden board.

Agnolotti del Plin comes from Piedmont in northern Italy. Traditionally they’re filled with slow-stewed meat and vegetables and served simply with butter or with the braising liquid from the meat—comforting, rich, and satisfying.

They are similar to ravioli but folded differently, which creates a unique shape and reduces the chance of air pockets. Like other handmade filled pastas, agnolotti take time and care, but the results are well worth it for special occasions or family meals.

This version uses a creamy ricotta-and-provolone filling, but the pasta is versatile—use meat ragu, mushrooms, squash, or any filling you prefer. Sauces also vary from a simple butter-and-sage to tomato or creamy cheese sauces. See the full recipe and notes below.

See the recipe below for ingredient notes, step-by-step photos, tips, variations and a video tutorial. Scroll to the recipe box near the bottom for the printable version and full measurements.

Ingredients

Ingredient notes and substitutions

Flour – Italian 00 flour is ideal for pasta because of its fine texture, producing a silky dough.
Eggs – use medium eggs here; an extra yolk adds richness.
Filling – ricotta works beautifully and is easy to flavor with lemon zest, grated provolone or Parmigiano, or herbs. This recipe pairs ricotta with provolone and black pepper.
Sauce – choose a light tomato sauce, butter-and-sage, or a cream-based sauce depending on your filling and taste.

Step by step photos and instructions

Preparation tips

If you plan to use ricotta, strain it for at least an hour to remove excess moisture. Make your sauce ahead of time so it’s ready to warm when the agnolotti are cooked. A butter sauce is best prepared at the last minute.

Make the pasta dough

Pour the flour onto a clean surface and form a large well. Add the eggs and extra yolk into the well and beat them with a fork. Gradually incorporate the flour into the eggs until a shaggy dough forms. Bring the dough together with your hands and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. If the dough is sticky, dust lightly with extra flour.

Four photos in a collage showing how to make pasta dough from scratch to make Agnolotti.

Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. You can refrigerate the dough overnight; bring it back to room temperature before rolling.

To roll out the pasta dough

Divide the dough in half, keeping one piece wrapped. Flatten the active piece so it fits the widest setting of your pasta machine (use a rolling pin if needed). Pass the dough through the widest setting, then fold each end toward the middle, flatten, and repeat this 2–3 times to strengthen the dough.

Roll the dough through progressively narrower settings until you reach a thin sheet (approximately setting 6 on many machines). Trim and halve sheets if they become unwieldy.

Four photos in a collage showing how to roll out pasta in a a pasta machine.

Fill and shape the agnolotti

Lay a pasta sheet on your work surface and pipe or spoon the filling in a single long line down the center, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) free at each end. Fold the sheet over the filling, pressing firmly along the seam to seal and remove any air pockets.

Pinch the sealed edge at roughly 1-inch intervals to form individual pockets. Trim excess dough from the edges, then cut the agnolotti apart with a pasta wheel or knife. Place finished agnolotti on a surface lightly dusted with flour or semolina while you complete the rest.

Four photos in a collage showing how to fill and shape agnolotti pasta.

Filling methods

There are a few ways to fill agnolotti:

Pipe one long line of filling down the middle (best for smooth fillings).
Pipe small individual dollops along the sheet—useful if the filling has texture. Pinch the pasta before sealing to avoid trapped air.
Spoon small mounds of filling along the sheet and proceed to fold and cut.

Four photos in a collage showing how to pipe the filling for Agnolotti in sections.

Cook the Agnolotti

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the agnolotti and cook for about 3 minutes, or until they float and the pasta is tender. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and transfer directly to your warmed sauce. Gently toss to coat and serve immediately.

Sauces and filling ideas

Meat ragu – classic Piedmontese filling uses stewed beef or other braised meats mixed with vegetables.
Ricotta filling – drain ricotta for at least an hour and combine with grated provolone, smoked scamorza, or Parmigiano; add lemon zest for brightness. Use about 2 cups (500 g) ricotta.
Mushroom filling – a savory mushroom and cheese mix works beautifully.
Squash or pumpkin – roasted squash or pumpkin purée with cheese and nutmeg is delicious for autumn menus.
Tomato sauce – a simple sauté of garlic and onion with passata, finished with fresh basil.
Butter and sage – a classic, quick finish for delicate fillings; best added just before serving.
Creamy cheese sauces – Gorgonzola, Parmesan cream, or a mixed cheese cream sauce are all excellent choices.

Recipe tips and FAQs

Weigh your flour – for consistent results use a kitchen scale. Cup measurements vary between cooks; weighing yields reliable dough texture.
Egg size – if using large eggs, omit the extra yolk. Add more flour if the dough feels overly soft.
Sealing – if the dough edge isn’t tacky enough to seal, brush a little water along the edge before folding.
Use flour sparingly – too much extra flour dries the dough; dust lightly only as needed.
Resting – allow the dough to rest at least 30 minutes so the gluten relaxes and the dough becomes easier to roll.

What’s the difference between ravioli and agnolotti?

The main difference is shape and construction. Ravioli are typically two sheets of pasta sealed around a filling with four cut edges, while agnolotti are made from a single sheet folded over the filling and pinched to form individual pockets.

How to freeze fresh Agnolotti

Freezing filled pasta preserves your effort and lets you enjoy homemade meals quickly later. To prevent cracking, blanch the agnolotti briefly before freezing.

Blanching note – filled pasta can become brittle when frozen. Blanching helps set the pasta so it survives freezing and boiling.
How to blanch – boil in salted water until the agnolotti float (about 1–2 minutes), remove with a slotted spoon, and let them dry briefly on a clean towel.
Freeze – arrange blanched agnolotti in a single layer on a tray to freeze. Once solid, transfer to freezer bags to save space. Refrigerate blanched agnolotti up to 3 days if you prefer not to freeze them.

A close up side shot of homemade Agnolotti on a wooden board.

Homemade Agnolotti (step by step guide)

By Emily

Prep: 1 hr

Cook: 5 mins

Resting time: 30 mins

Total: 1 hr 35 mins

Servings: 4 servings (40-50 agnolotti)

A close up cropped image of homemade Agnolotti on a wooden board.

See step by step photos and video above! This guide covers dough, filling, shaping, cooking and freezing so you can make agnolotti confidently at home.

Equipment

Pasta machine or rolling pin
Piping bag (optional)

Ingredients

Pasta dough

3 medium eggs
1 medium egg yolk
300 g Italian 00 flour, plus extra for dusting (about 2 1/4 cups)

Filling (optional)

2 cups ricotta (500 g), strained at least 1 hour
1 cup grated provolone piccante (100 g) or smoked scamorza/Fontina
Pinch of black pepper, to taste