@owilliams This is because you no longer “install” plugins – plugins are now “saved” instead of “installed”
You can hit the “remove from saved plugins” and it will remove them from your “saved” list. However, this won’t remove them from the “recents” list – that list is dynamic, and changes as you use other plugins (similar to other “recent” lists you may have seen in other places).
This was recently changed, so the topic you commented on is now outdated. I’d recommend you check out the help page with these changes here: https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/360042532714#Save_plugins
Since most of the info here is now outdated, I’m going to close this topic. Feel free to start a new one if you have additional feedback or questions on how the plugin system works ☺️