{"id":44325,"date":"2025-12-07T17:51:43","date_gmt":"2025-12-07T16:51:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tortelliniandco.com\/?p=44325"},"modified":"2025-12-08T15:53:01","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T14:53:01","slug":"cheese-anolini-from-piacenza","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tortelliniandco.com\/en\/cheese-anolini-from-piacenza\/","title":{"rendered":"Cheese anolini from the picturesque Val d’Arda (Piacenza)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The recipe for anolini belongs, albeit with differences in shape and filling, to the territories of Parma and Piacenza. This recipe for cheese anolini from Val d’Arda is a variation of the classic anolini recipe from Piacenza and Parma.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Val d’Arda is a picturesque valley in the Piacenza Apennines, crossed by the Arda stream, famous for its medieval villages, geological formations called calanchi, hilly landscapes rich in vineyards, and hiking trails. In addition to a wide and interesting range of food and wine.<\/span><\/p>\n

Carmen Artocchini, one of the most authoritative sources on Piacenza cuisine, mentions cheese anolini in her book <\/span>400 ricette della cucina piacentina<\/span><\/em>, describing them as a gastronomic excellence of the province.<\/span><\/h5>\n

Cheese Anolini<\/h4>\n

They are also called <\/span>anolini di magro (lent anolini)<\/span><\/em> or <\/span>anolini vergini (virgin anolini)<\/span><\/em> because the filling is without meat. Although it is not really true, since the breadcrumbs in the filling are moistened with meat broth. <\/span><\/p>\n

Indeed, unlike the classic anolini from Piacenza, which are made with shreds of braised beef or its sauce, those from Val d’Arda are linked to the history and culture of a region where meat was historically used less frequently than cheese.<\/span><\/p>\n

I like to taste the flavors of the recipes of the Via Emilia that I did not grow up with and that I have discovered through the journey I have undertaken with this blog.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, when making these anolini, after consulting with my source, a true Piacenza native from Val d’Arda, I made a mistake that she rightly pointed out to me. To make the anolini, I used a smooth mold instead of a serrated one. Otherwise, the recipe for the filling and the amount used to stuff the pasta were approved.<\/span><\/p>\n

History of classic anolini from Piacenza and Parma<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

The term anolino derives from its shape and the Latin <\/span>word anulus<\/em>, which means ring.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is a type of stuffed egg pasta typical of the areas of Piacenza (in dialect anv\u00e8in<\/em>) and Parma (in dialect anol\u00e8n<\/em>). <\/span><\/p>\n

In the province of Cremona, there is a variant known as marubini<\/strong> (in dialect, marub\u00e8n<\/em>, a name also heard in old families in the north-eastern plains of Piacenza).<\/span><\/p>\n

Salimbene de Adam, an Italian historian and religious from Parma, wrote about anolini in his Cronica<\/strong><\/em> as early as 1284. This book is a fundamental text for discovering the history, customs, and traditions, including gastronomic ones, of northern Italy in the Middle Ages. Thanks to him, we know that anolini stuffed with meat were a dish for wealthy families. But, it was the Renaissance chef Bartolomeo Scappi who revived the recipe and he left us the first written recipe for anolini.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anolini from Val d’Arda, like cheese cappelletti from Romagna<\/a><\/strong>, were more affordable dishes than the sumptuous meat anolini, cappelletti from Reggio Emilia and Ferrara, and tortellini from Bologna and Modena.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can cook them in a broth:<\/span><\/h5>\n