SAVOUR & S I P
rolling pin! Cut each sheet in squares of about 7-8cm. 6. Place a teaspoon of filling in the centre of each square, and fold one corner to the opposite one to form a triangle. Gently press down around the filling to seal the dough and remove any air bubbles; now bend the edges of the triangle and press them together to form a shape similar to a large tortellino. As your pansotti are ready, place them on a tray heavily dusted with semolina four. 7. Cook the pansotti in salted boiling water for three to five minutes. While it is cooking, place the walnut pesto in a large bowl and loosen it with a few spoonfuls of pasta water. 8. Drain the pasta and add to the bowl, tossing gently to coat the pansotti evenly in the sauce, then serve! Pansotti are traditionally filled with a mix of wild herbs, greens and a local cheese called prescinsêua (similar to curd, but with the texture of set yogurt). As these ingredients can be hard to find, the recipe can be easily adapted to use other greens – such as chard, spinach or rocket along with ricotta, as used below. TOP TIP Serves 4
Pansotti WITH A NAME DERIVING FROM THE LIGURIAN-DIALECT WORD ‘PANSA’, MEANING ‘POT BELLY’, PANSOTTI IS DELICIOUS PASTA FILLED WITH WALNUT PESTO
INGREDIENTS For the dough
For the walnut pesto •1 cup of milk •1 slice of white bread, crusts removed
3. Place the greens in a large bowl, add the egg, ricotta, parmesan, chopped marjoram or oregano, a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg and mix thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste. 4. Next, make the walnut pesto. Soak the bread in milk until soft, then gently squeeze out the excess milk and add the bread to the blender with the rest of the ingredients; blend to a fairly smooth sauce. Add lukewarm water or milk as needed to obtain a creamy texture. Don’t worry if the pesto looks thick, as you will loosen it later on with some of the cooked pasta water. 5. When the pasta dough has rested, divide into four parts and roll each quarter through the pasta machine, working your way through the settings until the pasta sheets are 1–2mm thick (number five or six should be enough). If you don’t have a pasta machine, go old school and use your trusty
•400g of pasta flour or all-purpose flour, sifted •4 eggs
•150g of walnuts •1 clove of garlic
For the filling •200g of chard
•Fresh marjoram or oregano •5 tbsp of light extra virgin olive oil •Salt to taste STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE 1 . Start by making the pasta dough. Place the flour in a large bowl and crack the eggs in the middle. Whisk with a fork, gradually incorporating the flour into the eggs until a dough begins to form. At this point, start bringing the dough together with your hands and knead it for ten minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Wrap in cling film and rest for 30 minutes. 2. Wash the greens and steam until cooked, but not mushy. Drain and, when cool enough, squeeze out as much water as possible; chop finely.
•100g of spinach •100g wild rocket •100g of ricotta cheese •3 tbsp of parmesan cheese, grated •1 egg •1 tbsp fresh marjoram (or fresh oregano), chopped •Nutmeg •Salt •Pepper LOOSEN THE PESTO WITH PASTA WATER
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2021 69
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