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Casoncelli – pork, beef, raisin and amaretti ravioli

by Valeria Necchio
  1. Casoncelli
Item 1 of 1
  • Main
  • medium
  • 6
  • 1 hour 30 minutes
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These half-moon-shaped ravioli (or Casoncelli) from Lombardy are filled with a rich pork and beef stuffing and coated in a tasty butter, sage and pancetta sauce. Recipes vary slightly from province to province, but this version from Bergamo also contains sweet raisins and amaretti biscuits. The recipe calls for roast beef, so this is a perfect dish for using up Sunday leftovers.

First published in 2018
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Casoncelli, also known as casonsei in the local dialect, are a kind of stuffed fresh pasta typical of Bergamo and Brescia. The stuffing varies depending on where you are: in Brescia, it’s traditionally made of leftover beef and pork, breadcrumbs and grated cheese, while in Bergamo it’s enriched with sweet ingredients such as amaretti biscuits and raisins – this is the version I’ve shared below. In all cases, their shape is that of a half moon, and they are often simply seasoned with butter, sage and crispy pancetta.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Pasta dough

Filling

  • 1 tbsp of unsalted butter
  • 150g of sausage meat, or minced salami
  • 100g of leftover roast beef, minced
  • 120g of breadcrumbs
  • 1 medium egg
  • 70g of Grana Padano, grated
  • 10g of amaretti biscuits, (about 3), crushed
  • 10g of raisins, soaked
  • fine sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Sauce

  • 80g of unsalted butter
  • 80g of pancetta, cubed or cut into thin strips
  • 4 sage leaves
  • 80g of Grana Padano, grated
SAVE RECIPE

Method

1
Start by making the pasta dough. On a work surface, make a well with the flour and crack the eggs inside it. Beat the eggs with the fork, incorporating the flour a little at the time, until you see some lumps of dough coming together
2
Carry on with your hands, kneading the dough until you have a smooth, elastic ball. Flatten it into a disc, wrap it in cling film and leave it to rest for half an hour in the fridge
3
Meanwhile, make the filling. Brown the sausage or salami meat with the butter over a medium heat, then add the roast beef and and cook for a few minutes, stirring often, so the flavours can mingle together. Transfer to a bowl, then add the breadcrumbs, egg, grated Grana Padano, crushed amaretti and the squeezed and chopped raisins. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine
4
Divide the pasta dough into three pieces and roll them using a pasta machine – I normally stop at to the second-to-last setting. Using a round 7–8cm ravioli cutter, cut out as many circles of pasta as you can get
5
Place a teaspoon of the filling at the centre of each circle, then gently fold it over to form a half moon. Press the edges together using a fork
6
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, in a frying pan set over a medium heat, melt the butter for the sauce. Add the pancetta and sage and fry for a few minutes, until crispy
7
Cook the casoncelli in boiling water for a few minutes until they float to the top. Drain with a slotted spoon and transfer to the frying pan with the butter and pancetta sauce. Sauté for 30 seconds, until evenly dressed
8
Serve immediately with a dusting of grated Grana Padano

Discover more about this region's cuisine:

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Discover more about this region's cuisine:

Discover more about this region's cuisine:

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First published in 2018

Discover more about this region's cuisine:

Valeria Necchio

Valeria Necchio is an Italian food writer and photographer with roots in the Venetian countryside.

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