Ricotta Agnolotti Recipe – Easy Filled Pasta Recipe
This post for the ricotta agnolotti recipe was initially published on the 13th of November, 2025.
If you had asked me to make handmade ricotta agnolotti, I would have probably said it was easier to just buy them. But after learning and making homemade fresh pasta for a while and finding this delicious agnolotti recipe from The Burnt Butter Table, I could not have been more wrong!
If you have been around for a while, you know we love making pasta by hand, and it’s a tradition that has been in our family for a while. Whether you want to learn at your own pace or learn from the blog on how to make vegan pasta, we have got you covered! But there’s always space to learn, and these ricotta agnolotti have been an amazing shape to try out!
What is ricotta agnolotti? Where is it from?
Agnolotti (or agnolòt or gnolòt) are a type of filled pasta typical of Piedmont, a region in Northern Italy. Agnolotti trace back to the Middle Ages, and since the beginning, they were a pasta used to use any leftover braised meat, their sauce and vegetables.
Nowadays, you can find plenty of different fillings for this pasta shape as well as different sauces that go with it. For example, they are often served with parmesan, butter and sage or in broth or in the sauce from a roast.
They’re usually made by folding a thin sheet of egg pasta over small mounds of filling, typically meat, vegetables, or ricotta and greens, then sealed and cut into little pillow-shaped parcels
What ingredients do I need to make this agnolotti recipe?
To make these ricotta agnolotti you will need:
- 00 flour: this will be the base of your basta dough to create the sheets and then shape the agnolotti;
- semola rimacinata: we always add some semola in the mix of flour for our pasta because it gives a better texture and helps to hold the sauce better;
- eggs: the ingredient that will bind the flour together and give that typical hue and bite;
- spinach: one of the main ingredients for the filling. You will need cooked spinach and with all the liquid squeezed out (prevents the filling from being too watery);
- butter: adds richness and helps create a silkiness to the ricotta agnolotti filling:
- fresh ricotta cheese: the other main ingredient for the filling, creates creaminess as well as binds together all the rest of the ingredients;
- Parmigiano Reggiano: adds umami and depth to the ricotta agnolotti filling;
- lemon juice: brightens the flavour and brings freshness;
- egg yolk: helps bind the mixture together;
- nutmeg: warm spice that is amazing with the spinach ricotta combo;
- salt and pepper to taste: essential for seasoning and balancing the flavours of this ricotta agnolotti recipe.
How do I make ricotta agnolotti?
To make this ricotta agnolotti recipe, we have to divide the process into different steps: making the filling, making the dough, rolling the dough and shaping the agnolotti. Don’t worry, you will find images showing the whole shaping process in this post.
For the filling of ricotta agnolotti:
In a blender or food processor, blend until smooth and creamy the spinach, ricotta, egg yolk, parmesan, lemon juice, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Blend and scrape the sides until everything is well combined.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Transfer the ricotta filling to a piping bag and set aside for later.
For the homemade pasta dough:
Combine the flours in a bowl and then tip them onto your work surface. Create a well in the centre with the back of the bowl. Crack the eggs into the well and beat them with a fork, gradually incorporating the flour from the sides until the mixture thickens to a scrambled-egg consistency.
Using a bench scraper, fold the dough together, cutting through in an up-and-down motion until it becomes evenly shaggy. Knead for a few minutes until it forms a cohesive ball. If the dough feels dry, lightly wet your hands and keep kneading.
Once it’s slightly dimpled, wrap it in cling film and rest for 10 minutes. Then knead again for 3–4 minutes until smooth; this double rest is key for silky dough. Wrap tightly again and let it rest for at least 30 minutes, ideally 1 hour or up to 3.
To roll the dough for your ricotta agnolotti:
When the dough is done resting, cut one quarter of the dough at a time, keeping the rest wrapped. Flatten your piece with your hand or rolling pin, dust lightly with flour, and pass it through the widest roller setting of your pasta machine, then the next one.
Fold the sheet in half and repeat this process a few times: this strengthens the dough and gives it a smooth texture. Continue rolling through the remaining settings, twice per setting, until you reach your preferred thinness. For filled pasta, the second-to-thinnest setting is ideal.
To shape your ricotta agnolotti recipe:
Roll out one of your pasta sheets and pipe small mounds of filling in a row, leaving a few centimetres between each one. Fold the pasta sheet over the filling and press gently at the end of it to seal it. Then press around each mound to remove air.
Pinch firmly between each dollop of filling to seal each one of them. Then, with a pasta wheel cutter, cut lengthwise and then between each piece to separate each agnolotti.
What sauce works best with this agnolotti pasta recipe?
This ricotta agnolotti recipe would work amazingly with a classic like parmigiano reggiano sage butter sauce. Or you could have them in broth, brown butter or any leftover juice from your roast dinner menu.
To keep the tradition alive, as they were mostly eaten and filled with meat, you could also use a white ragù or nduja ragù.
Do you have more pasta recipes to suggest?
We have so many pasta recipes and even more in the plans that we can’t really get enough! Some of our favourite pasta recipes on top of this agnolotti recipe are:
Handmade pasta shapes
- trofie alla genovese: most delicious hand-rolled pasta with basil pesto;
- ciriole pasta – thicker spaghetti-like pasta with that homemade rustic feel;
- malloreddus – one of the easiest (and in my opinion best) homemade pasta recipes to make from scratch, and perfect to hold that sauce;
- busiate pasta – another one of my favourite shapes with that rustic finish;
Filled Pasta
- ricotta ravioli – these are in my books a pasta that I used to have during big family gatherings, and that says a warm hug is all you need, and nothing beats the taste of them;
- pumpkin ricotta ravioli – if you love pumpkin, this is the pasta recipe for you!
Baked & Sauce Pasta
- pistachio lasagna – the goddess of pasta (after pasta water, because that’s liquid gold!), anything pistachio is a huge yes from us and the perfect way to welcome September!
- pasta alla crudaiola – simple and quick to make, perfect for the summer too;
- rigatoni pomodoro – a classic that never gets old, simple and quick to make;
- pasta alla cipolla – easy and such a delicious pasta recipe to make with a bit of a crunch;
- baked mostaccioli con ricotta – another Italian-American recipe, but a total hit as a pasta bake in our books, and perfect to welcome the colder months like November and December;
- leftover lasagna recipes – not a recipe for lasagna per se, but there’s plenty of ways you can use your leftovers;
- cannelloni alla bolognese – a classic comfort food with an Italian tag;
- pasta alla cipolla – easy, quick and so so delicious!
- scarpariello pasta – simple and with that kick of spice we all need;
- pasta alla sorrentina – think comfort in a plate with juicy tomatoes and scamorza cheese;
- rigatoni alla carbonara – a Roman classic and an authentic recipe, so forget anything about cream and bacon!
- pasta alla cenere – if you love gorgonzola, olives and cream, this is the pasta for you!
Ricotta Agnolotti
Ingredients
For the pasta
- 350 g 00 flour
- 50 g semola rimacinata
- 4 eggs
For the filling
- 300 g spinach cooked and with all the liquid squeezed out
- 2 tbsp butter
- 220 g fresh ricotta cheese
- 20 g Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 g nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- For the filling: Place the spinach, ricotta, parmesan, lemon juice, egg yolk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor.
- Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed to make sure everything is well combined.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl or directly into a piping bag, this will make shaping the agnolotti easier later.
- Set aside while you prepare the pasta.
- For the pasta: Combine the flours in a bowl, then tip them onto your work surface (or keep them in the bowl).
- Create a well in the centre.
- Crack the eggs into the well and beat them with a fork, gradually incorporating the flour from the sides until the mixture thickens to a scrambled-egg consistency.
- Use a bench scraper to fold the dough together, cutting through in an up-and-down motion until it becomes evenly shaggy.
- Bring it into a mound with your hands and knead for a few minutes until it forms a cohesive ball. If the dough feels dry, lightly wet your hands and keep kneading.
- Once it’s slightly dimpled, wrap it in cling film and rest for 10 minutes. Then knead again for 3–4 minutes until smooth — this double rest is key for silky dough.
- Wrap tightly again and let it rest for at least 30 minutes, ideally 1 hour or up to 3.
- Rolling the dough: Work with one quarter of the dough at a time, keeping the rest wrapped.
- Flatten your piece with your hand or rolling pin, dust lightly with flour, and pass it through the widest roller setting, then the next one.
- Fold the sheet in half and repeat this process a few times: this strengthens the dough and gives it a smooth texture.
- Continue rolling through the remaining settings, twice per setting, until you reach your preferred thinness. For filled pasta, the second-to-thinnest setting is ideal.
- Shaping the agnolotti: Roll out a sheet of pasta and pipe small mounds of filling in a row, leaving a few centimetres of space between each.
- Fold the pasta sheet over the filling and gently press around each mound to remove air.
- Pinch firmly between each dollop to seal, pressing the double layer of dough to thin it slightly.
- Cut lengthwise close to the filling with a fluted cutter or knife, then cut between each piece to separate the agnolotti.
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