Casoncelli
A filled pasta from Lombardy whose shape varies by town: in Barbariga they are untwisted sweet-wrapper style parcels, while 25 kilometers away in Brescia they are clog-shoe shaped. Made from egg dough and typically filled with a mixture of meats.
History & Tradition
Casoncelli have been made since the sixteenth century in Lombardy, and the mixture of meats in the filling tells you this pasta was originally a way of using up leftovers. The same name can refer to quite different shapes depending on location: in Barbariga, a village south of Lake Iseo, they are untwisted and sweet-wrapper shaped, while in nearby Brescia they take on a clog-shoe form. Casoncelli di Barbariga now have an official recipe, reflecting their importance to the local culinary identity.
Dough
How to Make
- Make an egg pasta dough, knead until smooth, and let rest.
- Roll out the dough into thin sheets.
- Cut the sheets into 7 cm (2 3/4 inch) squares using a ruler and knife or pastry cutter.
- Place a green olive-sized piece of filling in the center of each square.
- Orient each square as a diamond and take the point closest to you, rolling it over and around the filling.
- Ensure the pasta point furthest from you stays underneath on the board.
- Press down firmly on either side of the filling to seal.
- Cook in batches in boiling salted water for around 5 minutes.