Pisarei e Fasò
A traditional Piacentino comfort dish of tiny breadcrumb-and-flour dumplings tossed in a rich, savoury borlotti bean and tomato sauce.
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 490 kcal
Equipment
- •Large mixing bowl
- •Wooden pasta board
- •Wide sauté pan
- •Large saucepan
- •Slotted spoon
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 490 kcal
- fat
- 13 g
- carbs
- 76 g
- fibre
- 7 g
- protein
- 18 g
- calories
- 490 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Place the breadcrumbs into a bowl and pour over boiling water to scald them completely.
- 2
Add the flour and a pinch of salt once cooled slightly, kneading into a smooth, firm dough.
- 3
Rest the dough covered with a tea towel for twenty minutes at room temperature.
- 4
Roll small pieces of dough into thin ropes about the thickness of a pencil.
- 5
Cut the ropes into small, bean-sized nuggets on a lightly floured board.
- 6
Press each nugget with your thumb and roll forward to create a small hollow dumpling.
- 7
Heat the olive oil in a wide pan and fry the pancetta and onion until soft and golden.
- 8
Pour in the tomato passata and borlotti beans, then simmer gently for twenty minutes until slightly reduced.
- 9
Cook the pisarei in a large pot of salted boiling water until they float, roughly two minutes.
- 10
Lift the cooked dumplings with a slotted spoon directly into the simmering sauce.
- 11
Toss everything together over low heat for two minutes, seasoning with black pepper.
- 12
Remove from the heat and fold in the grated Parmigiano Reggiano before ladling into warm bowls.
Chef's tips
Make sure the water used to scald the breadcrumbs is truly boiling, which activates the starches and binds the dough. Do not make the dumplings too large, as they swell noticeably when boiled.
Ingredient substitutions
- pancetta → lardo (cured pork fatback) for the traditional Piacentino base, or olive oil for a vegetarian version
- borlotti beans → cannellini beans if borlotti are unavailable
Storage
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a saucepan with a splash of water or light broth over medium-low heat until piping hot.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Using wet fresh breadcrumbs rather than bone-dry stale bread, making the dough overly sticky.
- •Rolling the pisarei too thick, which results in dense and heavy dumplings.
- •Rinsing or draining the cooked dumplings in a colander instead of transferring them straight into the sauce.
Serving suggestions
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