Pansoti (pansoti pasta)
Despite their national fame, this is a relatively recent addition to Genoese cuisine, invented as an alternative to the well-known ravioli. The name derives from the word ‘pancia’ meaning belly, due to their ‘pot-belly’ shape, whilst in the Riviera they are also found in triangular and half-moon shapes.
Ingredients:
For the dough:
- 450 g of flour;
- 1 glass of white wine;
- 1 egg, salt.
For the filling:
- 250 g of borage;
- 250 g of chards;
- 500 g of preboggion - a mixture of wild boiled greens;
- 200 g of prescinseua cheese;
- 20 g of butter;
- 50 g of grated parmesan cheese;
- 3 eggs;
- nutmeg;
- marjoram;
- salt.
Preparation:
Arrange the flour into a mound and make a well in the middle. Pour in the egg, wine and salt. Knead until you get a smooth firm consistency, then flatten the dough with a mallet and leave it not thicker than 3 mm.
Allow the dough to rest under a tea towel while you prepare the filling. Clean the vegetables and boil in an abundant amount of water, drain and chop finely. Place the chopped vegetables in a mixing bowl and add the prescinseua cheese, eggs, parmesan and melted butter and mix gently.
Finally flavour to taste with nutmeg, marjoram and salt. Cut the dough roughly into 5 cm squares and place a spoonful of filling in the centre of each square: fold the dough over into small parcels, pressing on the edges to seal them.
A few suggestions:
The pansoti are cooked in salted boiling water for about 10 minutes and then drained with a skimmer; the traditional accompaniment is walnut sauce, but they also go well simply with butter and sage.
The recipes are taken from the guide “Dining in Genoa”, by M&R Comunicazione, available at the Tourist Information Offices