nolini is a specialty of the province of Piacenza, where it is called anvėin in the local dialect. It is also a common pasta in the province of Parma, while a variation exists in the province of Cremona that goes by the name marubini.
A very old recipe, anolini has been handed down from generation to generation. Its earliest mention in the historical record appears in 1500. In Piacenza, the tradition calls for anolini to be made by hand on Christmas Eve, by the whole family, and to be served on Christmas Day.
Like many holiday specialties, this is a very rich food that is also highly refined.
According to the Piacenza recipe, the pasta is filled with stewed meats and cooked in broth, possibly capon broth. Today beef is used, but historically the stuffing for anolini was often made with pork or horsemeat. The meat is first fully cooked with vegetables in a stew, and then is finely chopped and combined with grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
