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Fresh Pasta

Agnolini (Mantuan Stuffed Pasta in Broth)

Agnolini are a traditional dish from Mantua: fresh egg pasta stuffed with meat, usually served in broth during the holidays.
Recipe Agnolini (Mantuan Stuffed Pasta in Broth)
  • Difficulty Medium
  • Preparation 1 hour
  • Cooking 2 hours and30 minutes
  • Servings for 4 people

Agnolini are a traditional dish of Mantuan cuisine: they are the king of soups in this area and are always made at home for holidays and important occasions. A Christmas Day classic is to eat them in their cooking broth or as a starter in the form of “Sorbir d’Agnoli” (a cup of boiling broth, cooled slightly with dry Lambrusco, with a few agnolini added).

What sets them apart from Emilian Tortellini (similar in shape too, but don’t call them that) is essentially the filling: every family jealously and proudly guards its own recipe for it. After gathering and testing several recipes, today we are sharing our own version, which you can use as a guide for making them.

If you love traditional recipes from Mantua, don’t miss the Torta Sbrisolona, the Bussolano, and the Mantuan Tagliatelle Cake. And now here is the original recipe for Mantuan Agnolini.

Ingredients for 4 people

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Method

  1. To make the Agnolini, it is best to start with the filling and prepare it a day ahead. Put the meats (beef, chicken breast, and sausage) in a pan with the garlic clove to cook, moistening everything with some white wine. Cover with a lid and let cook for a few hours.
  2. When the meats are cooked, chop them and put them in a large bowl to mix with the egg, the breadcrumbs, the Grana Padano, and a sprinkling of nutmeg. Let the filling rest for a few hours (a whole day is even better).
  3. To make the pasta dough: on a pastry board, make a well with the flour and add the four eggs to the center. Mix until you get a smooth, elastic dough (at first you can help yourself with a fork, if you like).
  4. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes. After this time, start rolling it out very thin, forming strips of pasta 12-13 cm wide.
  5. Place two rows of small balls of filling on the pasta, spacing them at least 3 or 4 cm apart. Fold the edges of the pasta toward the center to cover the filling well. Then cut out small rectangles with a smooth or fluted pastry wheel.
  6. Take your filled rectangles, gently wrap them around your index finger, and seal them by pressing the pasta lightly with your fingers. The shape will then look very much like that of classic Bolognese tortellini.
  7. Place the Agnolini on trays lined with cloth napkins and cook them in a good broth (tradition calls for capon broth). They are ready once they float to the surface. Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!

Storage

Agnolini can also be stored in the freezer; when you are ready to eat them, just cook them straight from frozen, without thawing.

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