I love making fresh pasta—an occasional task I now get to share with my three-year-old. It’s like Play-Doh, but edible, and somehow, less of a mess?
I have a pretty standard fresh homemade pasta dough that I’m using as the base of these agnolotti. If you’ve never made fresh pasta before, I would highly encourage you try, at least once. I have some other recipes for homemade potato gnocchi, hand-rolled pinci, or trofie al pesto you might like. And, if you already enjoy making pasta, go all in: make a big batch, spend a few hours getting lost in the process, enjoy some now and then freeze a bunch for later. Trust me, you’ll be happy you did!
These agnolotti are a delicious stuffed pasta, filled with fresh ricotta, Parmesan, and a touch of nutmeg. They’re incredibly tasty, and like most fresh pasta, the effort is well worth the payoff in flavor. I don’t think making fresh pasta is particularly difficult, and I certainly don’t want you to think so either. It’s more of a time-consuming process and can be a bit monotonous—but that’s what I love about it. The repetition—rolling, filling, and shaping each little agnolotti or “pillow”—it’s my version of a moving meditation.
It’s more of a time-consuming process and can be a bit monotonous—but that’s what I love about it. The repetition—rolling, filling, and shaping each little agnolotti or “pillow”—it’s my version of a moving meditation.
Ricotta Agnolotti: A Step-by-Step Guide to Making This Italian Classic
What is Ricotta Agnolotti?
Agnolotti is a delicate, pillow-shaped pasta from the Piedmont region of Italy, traditionally filled with meat, vegetables, or a combo of both. This recipe for homemade agnolotti is filled with a creamy fresh ricotta and Parmesan filling lightly seasoned with fresh nutmeg.
Making agnolotti from scratch may seem intimidating, but with a little practice and this step-by-step guide, you’ll have the technique down pat!
Why You’re Gonna Love This Recipe
- Simple ingredients – Flour and eggs make the basic pasta dough, with a ricotta cheese filling. Super simple ingredients for an absolutely delicious fresh pasta.
- Get Saucy – Toss them in a light butter sauce, a hearty ragu, or a simple tomato sauce. You pick you’re own adventure.
- Make ahead – If you’re going though the effort to make fresh pasta, might as well make a bunch right? Freeze the extras for a quick, delicious pasta anytime you want.
Ingredients for Ricotta Agnolotti
For The Pasta Dough:
- 300g all-purpose or 00 flour – I recommend 00 if you can get it, but all-purpose flour will work just fine
- 3 large eggs
For the Ricotta Filling:
- 2 cups (487g) fresh ricotta cheese – Get a full fat ricotta for this, and preferably one that is not too wet. If you need to, you can strain the ricotta using some cheesecloth, a fine mesh strainer or even a coffee filter to remove any excess liquid. (If you wanted to go all out you could even make your own homemade ricotta cheese. Totally over the top, I know.)
- 1 egg yolk
- 2-3 tbsp (18g) Parmesan cheese – freshly grated
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- Salt and black pepper
How to Make Ricotta Agnolotti
Make the Dough:
- Dump the flour onto a wooden surface or countertop. Make a well in the center with the back of your hand. Crack the eggs into the well and start mixing to scramble them, slowly incorporating the flour as you go.
- Keep mixing until a dough starts to form, then begin kneading with your palms. You’ll need to knead the dough for about 8–10 minutes, until everything is smooth, fully combined, and the dough bounces back when pressed with a fingertip. Cover with an inverted bowl or wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest while you make the filling.
Making the Ricotta Filling:
- In a bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, egg yolk, freshly ground nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth and fully combined. Transfer to a pastry bag or a zip-top bag (to use as a makeshift pastry bag) to help pipe the filling onto the pasta.
Rolling Out the Dough:
- Cut the ball of dough into manageable portions—I usually recommend around four for this amount of dough. Keep the portions you’re not using covered so they don’t dry out. Roll out one portion at a time using a pasta machine, starting at level 1. Fold the dough over on itself a few times until it becomes smooth and elastic. Then, gradually increase the setting one level at a time until you reach about 1mm thickness (for my machine, that’s level 6). You want it thin, but not so thin that it won’t hold the filling.
Shaping the Agnolotti:
- Pipe the filling onto the pasta sheet about 1 inch from the edge. Depending on the width of your sheet (and your confidence level) you may be able to fit two rows of filling per sheet. If you’re unsure, just do one row at a time.
- Take the edge of the pasta and fold it over the filling, pressing to seal. You should have one long tube of filled pasta. Trim off any excess dough and fully seal the edge by cutting with a zig-zag pastry wheel or pasta cutter, leaving a ½–¾ inch border from the filling.
- To form each little “pillow,” start at one end and pinch the tube of filling firmly at regular intervals to create individual agnolotti. You can make them as big or small as you like—I did 1-inch sections here, but you could also make longer 3-inch ones if you prefer.
- Now that you have a long, dimpled rope of filled pasta, cut each section with a zig-zag pasta cutter. This seals them and folds them over on themselves slightly. Give each piece an extra squeeze to ensure they’re fully sealed.
Storing & Cooking:
- Arrange the agnolotti on a lightly floured, clean kitchen towel or sheet tray. You can cook them fresh—they’ll take only a minute or two in salted boiling water.
- Or, freeze any you won’t eat right away. To freeze, place them on a sheet tray in the freezer until solid, then transfer to an airtight container or plastic bag. Cook them directly from frozen—they usually take about 3 minutes. Once they float, they’re just about done.
Serving Suggestions:
Sauce them however you like—pomodoro, short rib ragù, Bolognese, or my current favorite: Brown Butter Sauce with Sage and Walnuts.
Best Sauces for Ricotta Agnolotti
Toss your homemade ricotta agnolotti with one of these delicious sauces:
- Brown Butter Sauce with Sage and Walnuts
- Classic Italian Pomodoro Sauce
- The Best Short Rib Ragù
- Classic Beef Ragù Bolognese
Frequently Asked Questions
What is agnolotti pasta?
Agnolotti is a type of stuffed pasta from Piedmont, Italy, typically stuffed with a meat or vegetable filling and shaped into small “pillows”.
How is agnolotti different from ravioli?
Ravioli are made with two sheets of pasta, one laid over other, while agnolotti are formed from a single folded sheet. Ravioli are also much flatter, where agnolotti have a nice plump, round shape.
Can I make agnolotti without a pasta machine?
Yes! But, it will be quite a bit easer with a pasta machine. The pasta machine helps you get a long, even sheet of dough. You can roll out the dough by hand with a rolling pin if you don’t have a pasta machine.
What’s the best way to store homemade agnolotti?
Fresh: Store in a single layer in the fridge for up to a day. Make sure to flour them well so they don’t stick. They can also get a little wet from the cheese filling if they sit too long, so I would recommend cooking them within a few hours of making them, or freezing right away.
Frozen: Freeze in a single layer to make sure they don’t stick, then transfer to a bag or airtight container. Cook straight from frozen!
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes! Wrap the dough tightly in plastic and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before rolling it out. If you make it too far in advance the egg in the dough can start to oxidize and the dough will take on a bit of a grayish green color, so only make the dough up to a day in advance.
More Homemade Pasta Recipes to Try
Handmade Pasta Guides:
Homemade Pasta
Your ultimate guide to making fresh homemade pasta at home. A step-by-step, start to finish guide with easy to follow instructions for making fresh homemade egg pasta.
Homemade Gnocchi
Learn how to make homemade potato gnocchi from scratch with this foolproof recipe. Just 2 ingredients needed for these light, pillowy Italian dumplings.
Hand-Rolled Pinci Pasta
A recipe for how to make homemade pinci (or pici) pasta. Thick hand-rolled noodles from Montalcino.
Garganelli
Fresh homemade garganelli pasta with an asparagus, grilled lemon, black pepper and parmesan sauce.
Trofie al Pesto
How to make Trofie al Pesto: a classic Ligurian dish featuring hand-rolled pasta tossed in vibrant, homemade basil pesto.
Let’s get Saucy!
Classic Italian Pomodoro Sauce
Gravy. Sugo. Red sauce. Pomodoro. Call it whatever you like, it’s the classic Italian tomato sauce that’s a staple in both Italian and Italian-American kitchens.
Pasta Alla Genovese
Genovese sauce is a traditional beef and onion ragù from Naples. Slowly simmered with white wine, this sauce develops a rich, deep flavor perfect for pairing with pasta.
Short Rib Ragu
The best short rib ragu, a twist on the classic Italian meat sauce, ragu Bolognese. slowly cooked and served over fresh homemade pasta.
Bolognese
Learn how to make classic bolognese sauce with this step-by-step recipe. Packed with so much flavor, this Italian ragù is perfect for pasta or lasagna.
Caramelized Onion Pasta
One of the simplest and most satisfying pasta dishes. Fried caramelized onions get tossed with spaghetti and topped with lots of parmesan cheese.
Want to go over the top and make your own homemade ricotta cheese?
Learn how to make homemade ricotta cheese using just cream, milk, lemon and salt. So simple and so, so delicious!
Did you make this recipe?
Give this ricotta-filled agnolotti recipe a try, and tag me @TheMostHungry on Instagram. I can’t wait to see it!
Ricotta Agnolotti Recipe
Equipment
- Pasta Machine highly recommended, but you could roll out the pasta by hand if you wanted
- Pasta Cutter or a zig-zag pastry cutter
- Pastry Bag or zip-top bag to pipe out filling
Ingredients
For The Pasta Dough:
- 300 g flour 00 flour is recommended, but all-purpose flour works
- 3 eggs
The Ricotta Filling:
- 2 C ricotta cheese (487g), full fat, and strain if very wet
- 1 egg yolk
- 2-3 tbsp parmesan (18g), freshly grated
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
Make the Pasta Dough:
- Dump flour onto a wooden surface or countertop. Make a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well and start mixing the eggs slowly incorporating the flour as you go.
- Knead the dough for about 8–10 minutes, until everything is smooth, fully combined, and the dough bounces back when pressed with a fingertip. Cover and let rest while you make the filling.
Making the Ricotta Filling:
- Combine the ricotta, Parmesan, egg yolk, freshly ground nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth and fully combined. Transfer to a pastry bag or a zip-top bag (to use as a makeshift pastry bag) to pipe the filling onto the pasta.
Rolling Out the Dough:
- Cut dough into 4 portions. Keep unused portions covered so they don’t dry out. Roll out one portion at a time using a pasta machine, starting at level 1. Fold the dough over on itself a few times until it becomes smooth and elastic. Then, gradually increase the settings until you reach about 1mm thickness (for my machine, that’s level 6).
Shaping the Agnolotti:
- Pipe the filling onto the pasta sheet 1 inch from the edge. Depending on the width of your sheet (and your confidence level) you may be able to fit two rows of filling per sheet. If unsure, do one row at a time.
- Take the edge of the pasta and fold it over the filling, pressing to seal. You should have one long tube of filled pasta. Trim off any excess dough and fully seal the edge by cutting with a zig-zag pastry wheel or pasta cutter, leaving a ½–¾ inch border from the filling.
- To form each little “pillow,” start at one end and pinch the tube of filling firmly at regular intervals to create individual agnolotti. You can make them as big or small as you like—I did 1–1.5-inch sections here, but you could also make longer 3-inch ones if you prefer.
- Now that you have a long, dimpled rope of filled pasta, cut each section with a zig-zag pasta cutter. This seals them and folds them over on themselves. Give each piece an extra squeeze on each end to ensure they’re fully sealed.
Storing & Cooking:
- Arrange the agnolotti on a lightly floured, clean kitchen towel or sheet tray. You can cook them fresh—they’ll take only a minute or two in salted boiling water.
- Or, freeze any you won’t eat right away. To freeze, place them on a sheet tray in the freezer until solid, then transfer to an airtight container or plastic bag. Cook them directly from frozen—they usually take about 3 minutes. Once they float, they’re just about done.
Notes
Did You Make This Recipe?
Leave a comment with your thoughts or share your version on Instagram by tagging @TheMostHungry. I’d love to see how you made it your own!
