The Agnolotti del Plin Pilgrimage

Thumbnail-sized pasta parcels, each sealed with a single pinch ("plin"), stuffed with roast meat and served with little more than butter, sage, or their own roasting juices. Piedmont showing off quietly.

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Why this dish?

Agnolotti del plin are the pride of Piedmontese pasta: tiny squares of thin egg dough filled with a mix of roasted meats, then sealed with a single pinch of the fingers - "plin" is dialect for that pinch - which gives them their crimped, knotted look. They're traditionally dressed with almost nothing: melted butter and sage, a dusting of Parmigiano, or, most classically, "al sugo d'arrosto," tossed in the pan juices of a roast.

This is restrained, confident cooking - the opposite of saucy excess. The flavour is all in the filling and the egg-rich dough, which is why it's worth eating where the nonnas (and the great Piedmontese restaurants) still make them by hand. Turin is an elegant, under-touristed city of arcades and cafés, and lunch here is a genuine treat.

Our Picks

Tre Galline

Address: Via Bellezia 37, Turin
What to order: Agnolotti del plin al sugo d'arrosto, and a glass of Barbera or Nebbiolo.
Book ahead: Yes - it's a serious, traditional dining room; book.
Pro tip: Save room for a Piedmontese dessert (bonet, a chocolate-amaretti custard) and a coffee - Turin invented a lot of Italy's coffee culture.

Porto di Savona

Piazza Vittorio Veneto 2, Turin

A beloved, characterful trattoria on Piazza Vittorio - lively, affordable and gloriously old-Turin in feel.

What to order: Agnolotti del plin plus a Piedmontese antipasto spread.

Good to know

"Al plin" refers to the pinch that seals them - handmade is the gold standard. Turin is aperitivo's spiritual home; an early-evening vermouth (invented here) with free snacks is a lovely send-off. The grand café culture (and the city's chocolate, gianduiotto) is worth budgeting time for.

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