Sacchetti pasta is a stuffed Italian pasta shaped into small pouches, and its name means “little bags.” Each piece is a round or square of fresh egg pasta with a spoonful of filling, gathered at the top to form a bag. Cheese is the typical filling.
Ricotta, cream cheese and goat cheese are the common fillings. Home cooks can make sacchetti with a basic egg dough and a short boil, and a creamy sauce is the simplest way to serve them.
What Sacchetti Pasta Is
Sacchetti pasta is a stuffed pasta from Italy, named for its small bag shape. Some makers sell the same shape as fagottini, and English-speaking cooks often call it a “beggar’s purse.”
Sacchetti pasta is built the same way as other filled shapes. A sheet of dough holds a small amount of filling, and the edges are brought together at the top. The encyclopedia entry on sacchettoni describes the pasta as small circles or squares filled like ravioli and then fastened at the top like a small bag.
That closing step is what sets sacchetti apart from homemade ravioli and tortellini pasta. Ravioli are pressed flat and sealed around the edges, and tortellini are folded into rings. Sacchetti pasta is gathered into a single pouch, so the seal at the top has to hold the filling inside during cooking. Roll the sheet thin enough that you can just about see your fingers through it, but not so thin that it tears when you gather it. If you are weighing the two filled shapes, the tortellini vs ravioli comparison shows how shape changes the bite.
Because the pouch is open at the top before it is sealed, the shape also gives the sauce a place to sit. Once cooked, sacchetti pasta looks like little purses on the plate, which is part of their appeal for dinner guests.
Common Fillings
Sacchetti pasta is most often filled with soft or mildly flavored cheese. Ricotta, cream cheese and goat cheese are the typical cheese fillings named in published sources, and the sauce should follow the filling. If you buy sacchetti pasta from a shop, the filling is usually named on the package, so you can match it to a sauce before you cook.
- Ricotta gives a light, mild filling. Drain it well before use so the filling does not turn watery.
- Cream cheese makes a smooth, soft filling that is easy to spoon or pipe into the center of each square.
- Goat cheese adds a tangier note, so it suits a simple butter sauce that does not compete with it.
Other fillings exist too, including meat and spinach versions. The Pasta Project drains its ricotta well and squeezes cooked spinach dry in a towel, because extra moisture makes the filling wet and the seal weak.
The filling must be thick enough to stay in place. A runny mixture can ooze out of the top during cooking. Use a small spoonful per piece, about a grape-sized amount in the sample dough recipe, so the edges have room to close. A teaspoon or a round-tip piping bag both work.
How to Make Sacchetti at Home
Homemade sacchetti pasta starts with a sturdy egg dough that rests before it is rolled and cut. The sample recipe kneads the dough until smooth and elastic, about 5 to 10 minutes, then rests it for at least 30 minutes before rolling. It uses 200 g of “00” flour, 100 g of semolina, three large eggs and a pinch of salt.
- Mix the flour, semolina and salt, then add the eggs and knead until smooth. Add a little tepid water, about a tablespoon at a time, only if the dough stays too dry. Our fresh pasta dough recipe covers a basic egg dough in more detail.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. The rest makes the dough easier to roll thin.
- Roll the dough into thin sheets. If you use a pasta machine, pass the dough through the widest setting two or three times, folding it in thirds between passes, then move to narrower settings. Cut squares of about 4 to 5 cm (1.5 to 2 inches), or cut 3-inch circles if you prefer round pieces.
- Place a small grape-sized amount of filling in the center of each piece.
- Fold the opposite corners over the filling, or gather the sides at the top, then pinch the dough together firmly so no air is trapped inside.
The sample method, with dough and filling notes, is in The Pasta Project’s fagottini recipe. Keep the shaped pieces covered with a dry towel until they go into the water, so the edges do not dry out and crack. The same source dusts the tray with semolina so the pieces do not stick.
Cutting the sheets evenly matters as much as the filling. Pieces of similar size cook at the same rate, so a batch with one large piece and several small ones can leave some pouches undercooked or overdone.
How Long to Cook Sacchetti
Boil sacchetti pasta in well-salted water until it floats to the surface and feels firm to the bite. Sources differ: one says to cook about 1 to 2 minutes after the pieces rise, while another gives about 4 to 5 minutes in total, so test one piece before you drain the whole batch.
Cook the pasta in batches so the pieces have room to move. The Pasta Project notes that crowding too many pieces in the pot delays cooking, and a crowded pot can also let pieces stick together. Lift each batch out with a slotted spoon, drain it briefly and move it straight to the sauce.
Move the cooked pouches straight to the sauce rather than letting them sit in the colander, so they do not dry or stick together.
Best Sauces for Sacchetti
Creamy sauces suit sacchetti pasta, and sources name Alfredo and a plain butter sauce as typical pairings. The sauce should support the cheese filling rather than cover it.
- Butter and sage keeps the dish light and lets the filling taste stand out. The Pasta Project crisps 6 to 8 sage leaves in 2 to 4 oz of butter.
- A creamy sauce or Alfredo suits a soft cheese filling and keeps the pouches tender.
- A light broth is another option: the same source serves its fagottini in 6 cups of beef or chicken broth.
Keep toppings simple, such as a little grated Parmesan, and add them at the table so the sauce stays smooth. If you want to see how other stuffed shapes pair with sauces, our guide to agnolotti pasta is a useful comparison.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Most problems with sacchetti pasta come from the filling and the seal rather than the cooking time. Watch for these three issues before you drop the pasta in the pot.
- Overfilling makes the seal hard to close, and filling can ooze out during cooking.
- Damp edges do not stick well, so keep the dough dry and press the seal firmly.
- Crowding the pot can make the pieces stick together or tear.
If a batch opens during cooking, the filling is usually too wet or too full. Drain wet fillings well, use less next time, and freeze extra pieces on a semolina-dusted tray, since filled pasta turns soggy in the fridge after about a day. The Pasta Project cooks frozen pieces with a few extra minutes, and it says cooked pieces keep 2 to 3 days in a sealed container in the fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does sacchetti mean in Italian?
Sacchetti means “little bags” in Italian. The name describes the small pouch shape of this stuffed pasta, with the edges gathered at the top and sealed.
What is the best filling for sacchetti pasta?
Ricotta, cream cheese and goat cheese are the most common fillings. Choose a thick filling that will stay in place, and use only a small spoonful in each piece.
How long do you cook sacchetti pasta?
Boil sacchetti until they float to the surface and feel firm to the bite. Sources give about 1 to 2 minutes after rising, or about 4 to 5 minutes in total, so check one piece before you cook the full batch.
Can you make sacchetti pasta without eggs?
The sample recipes in this guide use eggs. An egg-free dough behaves differently when rolled and sealed, so check a specific recipe before you change the dough.
Sacchetti pasta rewards a little patience. Let the dough rest, keep the filling modest, and serve the pouches with a sauce that matches the cheese you chose.