Casoncelli pasta, additionally referred to as casonsei, is a basic stuffed pasta from Jap Lombardy, Italy. There are a selection of variations of this scrumptious conventional dish. This specific recipe is for casoncelli della Valcamonica, a valley within the Italian Alps. This can be a fabulous genuine Italian pasta recipe for individuals who get pleasure from making home made pasta from scratch!
Historical past of casoncelli pasta.
Casoncelli, additionally referred to as casonsèi within the native dialect, is a typical stuffed pasta from Lombardy, significantly the provinces of Bergamo and Brescia. This pasta is regarded as very historical, even older than the extra well-known tortellini and basic ravioli.
In truth, there are references to casconcelli pasta in manuscripts courting again to the second half of the 1300s! Consequently, some meals historians consider that stuffed pasta might have originated in Jap Lombardy.
There are a selection of several types of casoncelli or casonsèi. Some are fairly rustic and crammed with principally easy elements simply accessible to the poorer rural inhabitants previously. Any such stuffed pasta was presumably created with the intention of avoiding waste. A great way to make use of up leftovers, older greens and off bread.
Then, there are casconcelli recipes with a extra ‘costly’ filling together with numerous cooked meats and fats, together with raisins, sultanas, pears, candied citrus fruit, Marsala and amaretti biscuits! These variations of this pasta had been initially extra generally loved by noble households.
Casoncelli della Valcamonica.
Right now, you possibly can nonetheless discover several types of casoncelli pasta, though a number of the unique elements equivalent to lard and beef marrow, candied citrus fruit and Marsala are not often included. There are additionally variations within the form of the pasta and the elements within the dough.
This casoncelli recipe comes from the Valcamonica (Camonica Valley), one of many largest valleys within the Italian Alps. This valley lies within the Brescia province. It goes from the highest of Lake Iseo to the Tonale Move, a excessive mountain move 1,883 m (6,178 ft) above sea stage which runs from Lombardy to Trentino.
Casoncelli from the Valcamonica historically has a filling containing boiled greens, mortadella (or salami), sausage, grated parmesan, potatoes, breadcrumbs, parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper. The filling recipe I adopted got here from an internet site referred to as BuonLombardia. They embody leeks however omit the nutmeg.
This filling is enclosed in a dough made with flour, eggs and salt, though some variations name for egg yolk to exchange one complete egg or water as a substitute of 1 egg. I used water.
Substances for this casoncelli pasta.
For the dough.
Italian ‘00’ gentle wheat flour: That is the best milled gentle wheat flour right here in Italy. You may as well use all-purpose flour. Some casoncelli recipes use solely gentle wheat flour.
Exhausting wheat semolina flour: The recipe I adopted referred to as for some laborious wheat semolina flour at a ratio of 1:2. (100g semolina flour to 200 g gentle wheat flour). Semolina flour is increased in gluten and helps the pasta preserve its form while you cook dinner it.
Eggs: As a result of there may be some water within the dough, you solely want 2 eggs for 300g flour. I like to make use of free vary natural eggs.
For the filling.
Potatoes: I really used homegrown yellow potatoes for my casconcelli pasta filling. The very best potatoes to make use of are these which are good for gnocchi too, equivalent to Yukon Gold, Maris Piper (UK) or russet potatoes. Mainly, potatoes which are floury and don’t have a number of moisture.
Greens: Italians typically use ‘erbette’ to make the sort of casoncelli. That is an Italian inexperienced often known as Perpetual Spinach. It’s really fairly just like chard, which you should utilize as a substitute. I used spinach.
Italian sausage (salsiccia): You should use any plain pork sausage or one which has been flavoured with fennel. I don’t suggest garlicky or spicy sausage as this can overwhelm the opposite flavours within the filling.
Mortadella: mortadella or Mortadella Bologna IGP is a cured cooked pork meat sausage or luncheon meat. It’s made with finely minced top quality pork blended with cubes of cooked pork fats. This combination is stuffed into a large casing and sluggish cooked for about 24 hours. Italians love mortadella however when you don’t or can’t discover it, you should utilize your favorite Italian salami as a substitute, simply not spicy!
Breadcrumbs: I typically make home made breadcrumbs by toasting some nation bread and grinding it in my meals processor. You are able to do the identical with stale bread, so that you don’t must toast it. Or use ready-made breadcrumbs.
Leeks: I like utilizing leeks rather than onions. They add a candy oniony flavour which is sort of distinctive. Though leeks are conventional on this recipe, you possibly can change them with a candy yellow onion or shallots when you desire.
Cheese: Grana Padano is a generally used grated cheese for pasta recipes in Lombardy as a result of not like Parmigiano, it’s made on this area too. Grana has a milder flavour than Parmigiano. Nonetheless, you should utilize both on your casoncelli pasta filling.
Herbs and spices: Recent parsley is a staple ingredient in lots of casconcelli recipes. Right here in Italy flat leaf Italian parsley is the norm. After all, you should utilize curly leaf parsley as a substitute, but it surely doesn’t have as a lot flavour as flat leaf parsley. Some recipes for casconcelli della Valcamoinca embody nutmeg within the filling. I didn’t use it this time.
Butter: Italian butter is sort of all the time unsalted. If you happen to use salted butter to fry the leeks, greens and parsley, don’t add extra salt to the filling.
For the condiment.
Italians historically serve Casoncelli (casonsei) with both simply browned butter and cheese or with browned butter and sage, Italians say ‘burro e salvia’. Or with pancetta, butter and sage. I served mine with pancetta and we simply cherished the smoky bacon flavour it gave the dish.
Step-by-step directions.
Filling and condiment ingredient prep.
Wash the leeks, take away the outer leaves and reduce them into small items, Take away the casing from the sausages and crumble the meat. Minimize the mortadella into very small items. Minimize the pancetta into small cubes if wanted.
Wash and chop the parsley finely. Wash and cook dinner the moist spinach till it wilts. Peel the potatoes (I don’t do that when utilizing a potato ricer as a result of the peel stays within the ricer while you press the cooked potato via).
Filling cooking
Cook dinner the potatoes in boiling salted water till fork tender. Drain the spinach and squeeze out as a lot liquid as attainable. I typically use a tea towel for this. Chop the cooked spinach finely. Sauté the leeks in butter till gentle, then add the spinach and parsley. Cook dinner for an additional minute or two. Put aside to chill.
Move the cooked potato via a sieve or potato ricer or mash them in addition to attainable with out including any liquid.
Combine filling elements collectively.
Put the breadcrumbs, grated grana, potatoes, spinach, sausage meat, finely chopped mortadella, cooked leeks, spinach and parsley, egg, salt and pepper right into a bowl. Combine the elements effectively and depart the combination to relaxation within the fridge in a single day. You may as well simply use the filling instantly however leaving it within the fridge helps to meld the flavours and makes the filling simpler to type balls with.
Make the dough.
Sift the ‘00’ flour and semolina flour right into a bowl with a pinch of salt and a pair of eggs. Begin to beat the eggs with a fork after which combine every little thing collectively nonetheless utilizing a fork. Now add water a bit of at a time while persevering with to combine with a fork. It’s possible you’ll not want all of the water. Subsequent begin to knead the combination within the bowl together with your arms.
After getting the beginnings of a dough that doesn’t keep on with the perimeters of the bowl, flip the dough out onto a floured work floor, and proceed kneading together with your arms for 5-10 minutes. Roll the dough right into a ball and wrap it in clingfilm (plastic wrap) and let it relaxation for about half-hour.
Make your casoncelli (casonsei).
Whereas the dough is resting, take small items of filling and roll them into cherry sized balls. Place them on a flour dusted floor till prepared to make use of them.
You will have extra filling than you want. So, I’d counsel rolling half into balls and begin making the casoncelli. Then make extra filling balls for the following batch of pasta. In case you have leftover filling, it makes nice patties that you would be able to fry or bake for an additional meal or a snack.
Minimize off about one quarter of the dough. Flatten it with the palms of your arms or a rolling pin. If utilizing a pasta machine move the dough via the widest setting. (That’s 7 on my machine however 1 on others)
Fold the primary dough sheet into thirds and move it once more via the widest setting, shorter edge first. Do that as soon as extra. Then move the dough via the following 2-3 settings. The sheets shouldn’t be too skinny as they should maintain the filling.
Place your prepared sheet on a flour dusted floor and reduce out circles of about 7cm in diameter. You should use a glass for this. Take away the additional dough. You should use it to make extra sheets.
Place a ball of filling within the centre of every circle, fold the pasta over the filling to type half circles. Press the perimeters down together with your fingers. Fold the graceful a part of the stuffed pasta up onto the perimeters so they’re beneath.
Flip the pasta over and press gently within the center the place the perimeters of the half moon are. Subsequent, place your prepared casoncelli onto a flour dusted floor till you might be able to cook dinner them. Proceed with the remainder of the dough and filling.
Make the condiment, cook dinner and serve.
Put a pot of water onto boil for the pasta. Within the meantime, cook dinner the pancetta in butter till it begins to brown. Add some sage leaves and as soon as they begin to darken take away from the warmth.
Add salt to the water for the pasta as soon as it’s boiling. Carry to a boil once more after which cook dinner the prepared casoncelli within the boiling salted water. How lengthy depends upon the scale and weight of your casoncelli. After they rise to the floor, give them one other minute, check style one casoncelli.
When the pasta is prepared, use a slotted spoon to switch it to a big pan with the condiment. Gently combine every little thing collectively over a low warmth after which serve with extra grated grana if required!
What to do with leftovers.
Leftover cooked casoncelli might be saved sealed within the fridge for 1-2 days. You possibly can reheat this stuffed pasta within the microwave or fry them in butter (superb!). Leftover stuffing is scrumptious made into patties and fried or baked.
Raw casoncelli might be frozen. Place the raw pasta on a tray within the freezer, leaving area between them so that they don’t stick collectively. As soon as frozen, you possibly can place the pasta in a freezer bag. Cook dinner from frozen while you desire a second meal of scrumptious casoncelli della Valcamonica!
This fabulous stuffed pasta is unquestionably a labour of affection. It is not a fast weeknight meal. Nonetheless, when you strive it you’ll undertand why it is such an iconic dish.
If you happen to do this casoncelli recipe at house, I would love to listen to the way it seems. Write a remark right here on the weblog or be a part of and publish a remark and picture on my Pastaliciousness Fb group.
Trying ahead to listening to from you!
Buon appetito!
Pin for later.
Different stuffed pasta recipes to strive.
- Fagottini pasta with eggplant and mozzarella.
- Coronary heart formed chocolate ravioli.
- Do-it-yourself fried rye flour ravioli.
- Scarpinocc di Parre.
- Ligurian potato and mint ravioli.
- Pansotti pasta with walnut sauce.
Casoncelli pasta (casonsei) from Lombardy.
This basic stuffed pasta from Lombardy has quite a lot of completely different variations. This recipe from the Camonica Valley is a labour of affection, however an absolute must-try for home made pasta recipes.
Substances
For the casoncelli dough
- 7 ounces Italian ’00’ gentle wheat flour or all-purpose flour
- 3.5 ounces laborious wheat semolina flour
- 2 massive eggs
- 2.5 Fluid ounces water room temp. (chances are you’ll not want all of it)
For the casoncelli filling.
- 14 ounces potatoes Peeled, cooked and riced.
- 14 ounces spinach Cooked, effectively drained and chopped
- 3.5 ounces Italian sausage Casing eliminated and crumbled
- 3.5 ounces mortadella or salami Chopped
- 3.5 ounces breadcrumbs
- 3.5 ounces Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano grated You’ll nedd extra for serving if required.
- 1 massive egg
- 1 leek chopped and fried
- 1 handful recent parsley chopped and fried.
- salt to style
For the condiment.
- 7 ounces pancetta reduce into cubes
- 3.5 ounces butter
- tablespoon recent sage leaves washed
Directions
Make the filling.
-
Wash the leeks, take away the outer leaves and reduce them into small items, Take away the casing from the sausages and crumble the meat. Minimize the mortadella into very small items. Minimize the pancetta into small cubes if wanted.
-
Wash and chop the parsley finely. Wash and cook dinner the moist spinach till it wilts. Peel the potatoes (I don’t do that when utilizing a potato ricer as a result of the peel stays within the ricer while you press the cooked potato via).
-
Cook dinner the potatoes in boiling salted water till fork tender. Drain the spinach and squeeze out as a lot liquid as attainable. I typically use a tea towel for this. Chop the cooked spinach finely. Sauté the leeks in butter till gentle, then add the spinach and parsley. Cook dinner for an additional minute or two. Put aside to chill.
-
Move the cooked potato via a sieve or potato ricer or mash them in addition to attainable with out including any liquid.
-
Put the breadcrumbs, grated grana, potatoes, spinach, leeks, parsley, sausage meat, finely chopped mortadella, egg, salt and pepper right into a bowl. Combine the elements effectively and depart the combination coated in clingfilm to relaxation within the fridge in a single day. You may as well simply use the filling instantly.
Make the pasta dough.
-
Sift the ‘00’ flour and semolina flour right into a bowl with a pinch of salt and a pair of eggs. Begin to beat the eggs with a fork after which combine every little thing collectively nonetheless utilizing a fork. Now add water a bit of at a time while persevering with to combine with a fork. Do not use all of the water if the dough begins to really feel too moist. Add a bit of extra flour if this occurs. Subsequent begin to knead the combination within the bowl together with your arms.
-
After getting the beginnings of a dough that doesn’t keep on with the perimeters of the bowl, flip the dough out onto a floured work floor, and proceed kneading together with your arms for 5-10 minutes. Roll the dough right into a ball and wrap it in clingfilm (plastic wrap) and let it relaxation for about half-hour.
-
Whereas the dough is resting, take small items of filling and roll them into cherry sized balls. Place them on a flour dusted floor till prepared to make use of them. You will have extra filling than you want so I’d counsel rolling half into balls and making the casoncelli. Then make extra filling balls for the following batch of pasta. In case you have leftover filling, it makes nice patties that you would be able to fry or bakefor one other meal or a snack.
-
Minimize off about one quarter of the dough. Flatten it with the palms of your arms or a rolling pin. If utilizing a pasta machine move the dough via the widest setting. (That’s 7 on my machine however 1 on others)
-
Fold the primary dough sheet into thirds and move it once more via the widest setting, shorter edge first. Do that as soon as extra. Then, move the dough via the following 2-3 settings. The sheets shouldn’t be too skinny as they should maintain the filling. You may as well roll the dough out utilizing a rolling pin.
-
Place your prepared sheet on a flour dusted floor and reduce out circles of about 7cm in diameter. Take away the additional dough. You should use it to make extra sheets.
-
Place a ball of filling within the centre of every circle, fold the pasta over the filling to type half circles. Press the perimeters down together with your fingers. Fold the graceful a part of the stuffed pasta onto the perimeters so they’re beneath. Flip the pasta over and press gently within the center the place the perimeters of the half moon are. Place your prepared casoncelli onto a flour dusted floor till you might be able to cook dinner them.
Make the condiment, cook dinner and serve.
-
Put a pot of water onto boil for the pasta. Within the meantime, cook dinner the pancetta in a with the butter. Add some sage leaves and as soon as they begin to darken, put aside.
-
Add salt tothe water for the pasta as soon as it’s boiling. Carry to a boil once more after which cook dinner the prepared casoncelli within the boiling salted water. After they rise to the floor, give them one other minute, check style one casoncelli. Whether it is prepared, use a slotted spoon to switch the pasta to a big pan with the condiment. Gently combine every little thing collectively over a low warmth after which serve with extra grated grana if required!
Forestall your display screen from going darkish
Notes
Raw casoncelli might be frozen for round 3 months. Place the raw pasta on a tray within the freezer, leaving area between them so that they don’t stick collectively. As soon as frozen, you possibly can place the pasta in a freezer bag. Cook dinner from frozen while you desire a second meal of scrumptious casoncelli della Valcamonica!
You should use your casoncelli filling straight away however holding it within the fridge in a single day helps to meld the flavours and makes it simpler to type balls because the consistency turns into a bit of sticky!
Diet
Energy: 786kcalCarbohydrates: 67gProtein: 30gFats: 44gSaturated Fats: 20gPolyunsaturated Fats: 5gMonounsaturated Fats: 16gTrans Fats: 1gLdl cholesterol: 183mgSodium: 1135mgPotassium: 965mgFiber: 5gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 7197IUVitamin C: 35mgCalcium: 343mgIron: 7mg
If you’re fascinated about shopping for some conventional pasta making instruments try my store web page (affliate hyperlinks). Plus whilst you’re there why not order a duplicate of one among my pasta recipe cookbooks? They make nice prezzies for pasta lovers!
Reader Interactions
