Pansoti with walnut sauce are the classic lean first course of the Genoese tradition. They can be found in a half-moon, triangular or the characteristic rounded shape. The filling is always made up of greens and, in particular, the original recipe calls for preboggion, a mix of wild herbs that varies depending on the area of Liguria and the season in which the dish is prepared and is not always easy to find. Thanks to my friend Lucia who advised me, I found prebuggiun (as it is called in the Genoese dialect) at the Mercato Orientale located in the heart of Genoa. My prebuggion is made of cicerbita, pimpinella, chicory, dandelion, caccialepre, borage and chard.
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- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Moderate
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 50 Minutes
- Cooking time: 6 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian Regional
- Region: Liguria
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 bunch preboggion (wild field greens) (about 12 oz (approx. 3/4 lb / 350 g))
- 1 bunch chard (about 12 oz (approx. 3/4 lb / 350 g) raw)
- 2 bunches borage
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan (about 2.5 oz / 70 g)
- A few sprigs marjoram
- 1 egg (medium)
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese (about 3.5 oz / 100 g)
- 2 oz prescinseua (Genoese curd cheese) (about 50 g)
- 1/2 tsp fine salt (about 3 g)
- 2 pinch nutmeg
- 2 1/3 cups flour (about 300 g)
- 1 egg (medium)
- 1/3 cup dry white wine (about 100 ml)
- 1/3 tsp fine salt (about 2 g)
- 7 oz walnut kernels (about 2 cups; blanched to remove skins or not)
- 1 tbsp pine nuts (about 10 g)
- 1/2 cup bread crumb (about 50 g)
- 3/4 cup milk (for soaking the bread crumb (about 180 ml))
- 1/2 clove garlic
- A few sprigs marjoram
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (about 50 g)
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (about 10 ml)
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 pinch fine salt
Tools
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- Bilancia pesa alimenti
- Spianatoia
- Macchina per pasta
- Stampo per pansoti
- Sac a poche
- Frullatore
- Ciotola
- Pentola
Steps
Wash the preboggion thoroughly, discard the bad and wilted leaves. For borage, pull away the tough fibers on the back of the leaves. Blanch them by dropping them into lightly salted boiling water and leave them for 5 minutes. Drain, squeeze them very well and finely chop them with the mixer. Put the greens, the Parmesan, the ricotta, the prescinseua, the chopped marjoram, the egg, the salt and the nutmeg into a bowl. Mix the whole mixture well and let it rest.
Pour the flour onto the work surface and make the classic well with a hollow in which to break the egg. Salt and start kneading, adding the wine. Make a firm dough ball and let it rest for 30 minutes covered with a cloth. Roll out the sheet with the pasta machine and shape the pansoti. You can use the appropriate mold or make them by hand giving them a triangular or rounded shape. To place the filling, use a pastry bag or a teaspoon. As they are made, let them dry on a cloth.
If you want to prepare the sauce as the original recipe requires, have a mortar ready. Otherwise do as I do and use the blender. Keep the bread crumb in the milk and let it soak. Squeeze it and put it in the blender jar with the pine nuts, the walnut kernels, the marjoram leaves, the garlic, the salt, a pinch of nutmeg, a drizzle of oil and turn on the blender while gradually pouring in the remaining milk. Pour the mixture into a bowl, add the Parmesan and if it is too thick loosen it with the pasta cooking water. As soon as the water boils, salt and drop the pansoti in; after 4-5 minutes they will come to the surface. Taste and if cooked, drain them reserving a bit of the cooking water. Dress them with the sauce, thinning it with the pasta water if needed. Serve and, if desired, crumble some chopped walnut over the plate.
Storage
Pansoti with walnut sauce, if freshly made and if to be cooked the same day, should be kept in a cool place.
If desired they can be frozen placed on a tray and well spaced. Once frozen they can be put into freezer bags. At the time of cooking, drop them directly into boiling water.
FAQ (Questions & Answers)
Why do Pansoti open during cooking?
If the edges are not sealed well it easily happens; you need to seal them properly.
Which herbs make up the Pansoti filling?The Pansoti filling is made from Prebuggiun, a mixture of wild herbs that varies according to the area of Liguria and the season. We can find chard, borage, cicerbita, chicory, dandelion, grattalingua, nettle, poppy, radicchio, rampion, sanguisorba, silene, dandelion. These herbs are also known by other names depending on the local dialect. They do not all have to be used together; they should be balanced for their bitter, neutral and savory flavors.
