Hailing from Piedmont in Italy, agnolotti are said to have been conceived at some point in the 14th century. The dish was so revered that it was named after the chef who created it.

Easier to make than its fiddly relatives ravioli and tortellini, agnolotti are small parcels made by piping dots of filling and folding and pinching it to seal. Normally around 3cm in size, miniature versions are also popular and are known as ‘Agnolotti del plin’, meaning ‘pinched’. You will need one recipe’s worth of fresh pasta dough and whichever filling you choose to use. Ricotta and spinach is a popular choice for a vegetarian dish, or you could use a farce made of confit meat.

Agnolotti can have a variety of fillings, ranging from the very traditional such as this Agnolotti with potato, parmesan and black truffle or Luke Holder’s Agnolotti pappa al pomodoro with basil to more interesting fillings such as a purée of jerusalem artichoke or roasted pumpkin. Shellfish such as crab and lobster are also delicious as part of an agnolotti dish, as is confit quail, pheasant or partridge.