Casoncelli alla Bergamasca
Bergamo's signature folded stuffed pasta, featuring a sweet-savoury meat filling with amaretti and sultanas, dressed in sage butter and crisp pancetta.
- Prep
- 60 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 75 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 680 kcal
Equipment
- •Pasta machine or rolling pin
- •Round pastry cutter (6-8 cm)
- •Large frying pan
- •Large stockpot
- •Slotted spoon
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 680 kcal
- fat
- 34 g
- carbs
- 68 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 26 g
- calories
- 680 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Mix the flour and eggs together until a smooth, firm pasta dough forms.
- 2
Knead the dough for ten minutes, wrap tightly, and rest at room temperature for thirty minutes.
- 3
Brown the sausage meat and minced beef in a dry frying pan until cooked through.
- 4
Combine the cooked meat, amaretti crumbs, sultanas, grated pear, breadcrumbs, and half the Grana Padano.
- 5
Roll the rested pasta dough out on a lightly floured surface to one millimetre thickness.
- 6
Cut circular discs using a round cutter, placing one teaspoon of filling onto each circle.
- 7
Fold each disc into a half-moon, seal the edges, and press down the centre filling pocket.
- 8
Lower the pasta into a large pot of gently boiling salted water for four minutes.
- 9
Melt the butter in a pan with sage leaves and pancetta until the meat turns crisp.
- 10
Transfer the cooked casoncelli directly into the butter sauce using a slotted spoon.
- 11
Toss gently for thirty seconds, then divide between warm plates and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Chef's tips
Press the centre of each half-moon gently with your thumb to create the traditional dip that holds the sage butter. Ensure the meat mixture is finely textured so it does not puncture the delicate pasta sheets.
Ingredient substitutions
- luganega sausage → mild coarse pork sausage
- Grana Padano PDO → Parmigiano Reggiano PDO
Storage
Store uncooked, dusted casoncelli on a tray in the freezer for up to one month, or keep leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat cooked leftovers gently in a frying pan over low heat with an extra knob of butter until warmed through.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Omitting the amaretti and sultanas, which eliminates the defining historical Lombard sweet-savoury profile.
- •Rolling the pasta sheets too thick, which prevents the sealed borders from cooking evenly.
- •Burning the butter rather than letting it gently foam and take on the aroma of fresh sage.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Casoncelli alla Bergamasca?
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