Barbagiuai are fried ravioli with a pumpkin and ricotta filling. Actually, Bruss, a fermented ricotta with a strong and slightly spicy flavor typical of the hinterland of Imperia, would be used.
These fried pumpkin ravioli are typical of Val Nervia, but as with any recipe, there are other places that claim their origin, including the town of Castellar, near Menton.
The most common barbagiuai are especially those with a pumpkin-based filling, but you can also find them with a filling of pumpkin with rice cooked in milk or even with a filling of chard and grated cheese.
The peculiar name of these fried pumpkin ravioli is almost certainly due to the inventor of the recipe, namely “Barba Giuan”, Uncle Giovanni in Ligurian dialect.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 pinch salt
- 7 oz pumpkin
- 1 3/4 oz ricotta
- 2 3/4 oz Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (grated)
- Half clove garlic
- to taste marjoram
- to taste salt
- 1 3/4 cups peanut oil
Steps
Clean the pumpkin, wash it, and slice it. Place the pumpkin slices on a baking tray covered with parchment paper and bake at 356°F for about 30 minutes.
Once ready, transfer them to a cutting board and remove the skin and any seeds.
Cut the pumpkin into cubes and mince the garlic finely.
Place the pumpkin pulp in a blender, add the Parmesan, minced garlic, salt, marjoram, and ricotta. Blend to obtain a homogeneous mixture.
Prepare the dough: pour the flour into a mound on the work surface, add a pinch of salt, and gradually, the water. Start kneading by hand, more and more energetically, to get a smooth and elastic dough. Cover it with a bowl and let it rest for about ten minutes.
Take the dough, roll it out with a rolling pin, or a pasta roller, distribute small teaspoons of filling on the dough, spaced apart.
Cover the mounds of filling with the dough, seal by pressing with fingers, and cut the barbagiuai with a fluted wheel.
Place the pumpkin ravioli on a slightly floured cutting board or tray.
Heat the peanut or olive oil in a pan. Once it’s hot, dip the barbagiuai and fry them for a few minutes on both sides until golden. Drain them and place them on a plate with paper towels. Serve hot.
STORAGE
I recommend preparing, cooking, and enjoying the barbagiuai immediately.
