Often called scarpinocc di Parre this meatless crammed pasta is a singular conventional dish from an historical mountain village in Lombardy. Scarpinocc is a really rustic pasta created with largely easy substances that had been obtainable to the farming households of the previous. Wealthy in milk, butter, cheese and eggs this can be a do-it-yourself pasta you’ll want to strive!
Historical past and origins.
Scarpinocc is a singular crammed pasta from a small village within the Bergamo province of Lombardy, known as Parre. This village of simply 3,000 inhabitants lies within the Seriana valley on the slopes of the Trevasco and Alino mountains, 25 kilometres from Bergamo and about 70 kilometres from Milan.
This pasta is an emblem of the culinary traditions of Parre, the place it’s a conventional a part of vacation meals and celebrations. Actually, the villagers maintain a scarpinocc competition yearly in August and historically make this pasta on June 29th, the village patron saint’s day, St Peter.
The identify scarpinocc displays the pasta’s uncommon shoe form. Scarpa means shoe in Italian and this pasta is alleged to resemble handmade fabric sneakers worn by the villagers up till the center of the final century.
Parre is an historical pastoral village wherein milk, butter and cheese have lengthy been staples within the native weight loss program. Scarpinocc include milk and melted butter in each the filling and the dough and cheese within the filling. So, this fairly a wealthy crammed pasta despite the fact that it’s meatless, paying homage to occasions when not everybody might afford meat.
The substances for the pasta dough.
As talked about above the dough for scarpinocc di Parre is kind of wealthy. It incorporates a mixture of comfortable wheat flour and semolina flour, milk, eggs, a pinch of salt and a few melted butter.
The flour: Some scarpinocc recipes use solely comfortable wheat flour. Right here in Italy, that’s often what Italians name ‘00’ flour, which is the best milled white flour. You may also use all-purpose flour.
The recipe I adopted known as for some exhausting wheat semolina flour at a ratio of 1:4. (100g semolina flour to 400 g comfortable wheat flour). Semolina flour is increased in gluten and helps the pasta hold its form when cooked.
Milk: Use complete milk for a richer creamier flavour.
Eggs: As a result of there may be different liquid within the dough, you solely want 1-2 eggs. I like to make use of free vary natural eggs.
Butter: Italian butter is sort of all the time unsalted. For those who use salted butter don’t add extra salt to the dough.
Elements for the filling.
The filling for scarpinocc isn’t cooked. What you want is breadcrumbs, grated Grana or Parmigiano, butter, eggs, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and milk.
Breadcrumbs: I made my very own breadcrumbs by toasting some nation bread and mixing 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. Nevertheless, the latter are usually very superb and bigger breadcrumbs are higher to get the best filling consistency.
The cheese: Apparently prior to now, the inhabitants of Parre used a robust native mountain cheese known as ‘motel’. These days, scarpinocc often incorporates Grana or Parmigiano. Nevertheless, these cheeses aren’t vegetarian as they include animal rennet. Vegetarians might want to use a tough cheese made with plant primarily based or microbial rennet.
Milk and eggs: As with the dough, complete milk and free vary eggs are finest. The quanties of each are nearly the identical as for the dough, 1-2 eggs and 200ml milk (about ¾ of a cup). You might not want all of the milk.
Spices: The filling for scarpinocc is flavoured with spices, most often cinnamon, nutmeg and crushed cloves. Some recipes additionally included finely chopped parsley and garlic.
For the condiment.
Scarpinocc are historically served with both simply browned butter and cheese or with browned butter and sage, Italians say ‘burro e salvia’. This can be a quite common method to gown crammed pasta. I used butter and sage and added slightly grated cheese earlier than consuming.
Tips on how to make the scarpinocc dough.
To make scarpinocc, first soften the butter used for the pasta dough. Let it cool. Then place the ‘00’ flour and semolina flour right into a bowl with salt and eggs. Now add the cooled melted butter. Begin to combine every thing collectively utilizing a fork while including the milk slightly at a time. Knead the dough within the bowl utilizing your palms.
Upon getting the beginnings of a shapeable dough that doesn’t keep on with the edges of the bowl, flip it out onto a floured work floor and proceed kneading along with your palms 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 the filling.
Whereas the dough is resting make the filling. Soften some extra butter and make the breadcrumbs if utilizing do-it-yourself. Put the cheese, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves in a bowl.
Add the cooled melted butter and eggs and pour within the milk. Combine every thing collectively beginning with a spoon or fork after which along with your palms till you may have fairly a strong paste. You might not want all of the milk.
Make and form your scarpinocc di Parre.
As soon as the dough has rested, lower off a chunk. Roll it right into a thick rope. Utilizing a dough scraper or knife, lower the rope into gnocchi-like items. Use a rolling pin to make the dough items into skinny circles of pasta about 6cm in diameter, ensuring you’re constantly turning the dough, so you find yourself with a circle, and never an extended oval.
Place one small ball of filling in every circle. Fold and seal to create a half-moon form. Then fold the half with the filling up and over the surface curved edge, to make the scarpinocc barely get up. Press within the heart along with your index finger to acquire the everyday Scarpinocc form.
Place the prepared scarpinocc on a floured tray and repeat with the remainder of the dough. To see the way to form this pasta try this video from Pasta Grannies.
Serving your scarpinocc.
Soften butter in a pan that’s massive sufficient to carry the pasta too. Add torn sage leaves and permit them to crisp. Put aside.
Boil the scarpinocc in salted water till the dough is cooked by way of and the insides are additionally warmed by way of – this takes a bit longer than regular for recent pasta, however nonetheless solely round 5-7 minutes, relying on the dimensions. Check style earlier than eradicating the pasta from the water.
Use a slotted spoon to take away the scarpinocc from the pot and add it to the melted butter and sage. Rigorously combine the pasta and butter collectively over a low warmth for a minute or so. Serve instantly with further grated cheese if required.
What to do with leftovers.
Leftover cooked and dressed scarpinocc will be stored sealed within the fridge for 2-3 days and reheated within the microwave.
Raw scarpinocc will be frozen after which cooked with out defrosting. Freeze the crammed pasta unfold out on a tray or plate. Then switch to a freezer bag.
Leftover filling, when you have any, is scrumptious fried in butter or oil like fritters!
FAQ
Italian grana and Parmigiano cheeses aren’t vegetarian as they include animal rennet. To make this recipe vegetarian might want to use a tough cheese made with plant primarily based or microbial rennet.
You’ll be able to roll out pasta sheets utilizing a pasta machine after which lower 6cm circles (0.4″) out of it. However you’ll have extra wastage. Some scarpinocc recipes name for squares as a substitute of circles however this is not conventional.
Let me know the way your scarpinocc prove!
I completely love the flavours on this rustic and distinctive crammed pasta. That is Italian mountain fare at its most scrumptious! For those who make this pasta at dwelling, I might love to listen to the way it seems. Write a remark right here on the weblog or be a part of and put up a remark and photograph on my Pastaliciousness Fb group.
Your suggestions is essential to me!
Buon appetito!
Pin for Later.
Different rustic crammed pasta to strive.
- Ofelle gnocchi ravioli from Friuli Venezia Giulia
- Ligurian potato and mint ravioli
- Fried rye flour ravioli from the South Tyrol
- Prune and fig candy ravioli from the Carnia Alps.
If you’re keen on studying the way to make do-it-yourself pasta and several types of gnocchi, try my store web page for some nice video on-line programs from my pals in Rome! Nothing beats studying to make pasta from Italians! Plus when you’re there why not order a replica of considered one of my pasta recipe cookbooks or some pasta making instruments? They make nice prezzies for pasta lovers.
Reader Interactions