Casoncelli
Also known as: casonsèi, casonsei, casoncelli alla bergamasca
Filled pasta from Bergamo and Brescia in Lombardy: folded egg-pasta pieces about 5–7 cm long, pressed in the middle, with a meat or bread-and-cheese filling.
Casoncelli are a filled pasta from Lombardy, above all from the provinces of Bergamo and Brescia: pieces of thin egg pasta folded over a filling and pressed in the middle. In local dialect they are called casonsèi. They belong to the filled pasta group.
Each piece is about 5–7 cm long. In Bergamo they are made from a disc or rectangle of dough that is folded and then pushed in at the centre with a finger, so the result looks like a wrapped sweet or a small creased half-moon. In Brescia the shape is often simpler, closer to a plain half-moon.
The dough is wheat flour and egg, sometimes with a little semolina. The filling changes from town to town. In Bergamo it is usually minced meat or sausage, breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg and spices; some family recipes add amaretti, raisins or pear for a slightly sweet note. The Brescia version is more often bread and cheese, with or without spinach.
Fresh casoncelli cook in 4–6 minutes. The classic dressing is melted butter with sage and pieces of pancetta, finished with plenty of grated cheese such as parmesan or local grana.
Casoncelli are sold fresh and frozen. When buying, check the filling (meat or bread and cheese), the thinness of the dough and that the folds are intact. Fresh pasta keeps a few days in the fridge.
Facts
| Raw material | Wheat flour, eggs; meat or bread-and-cheese filling |
|---|---|
| Region | Bergamo and Brescia, Lombardy (Italy) |
| Duration | Fresh 4–6 min |
| Main use | Butter with sage and pancetta, grated cheese |
How it connects to Pasta
Casoncelli → related → 🧀 Parmesan ← related ← 🍝 Pasta
Links
- What it contains
- Wheat flour, 🥚 Chicken egg
- Part of
- Filled pasta
- Similar and different
- Ravioli, Tortelli, Agnolotti, Pastai Le Specialità Ripiene, Pastai I Tradizionali
- In other topics
- 🧈 Butter, 🧀 Parmesan
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that casoncelli always have a meat filling?
No. In Bergamo it is usually meat or sausage with breadcrumbs and cheese; the Brescia version is more often bread and cheese.
How long do casonsèi cook, and what are they served with?
4–6 minutes for fresh ones, with melted butter, sage and pancetta, topped with grated cheese.
What does a Bergamo casoncello look like?
A folded disc pushed in at the centre, like a wrapped sweet or small creased half-moon.
How do Brescia casoncelli differ?
The shape is simpler, closer to a plain half-moon.
What should you check when buying casoncelli?
The filling, the thinness of the dough and intact folds.
What to read next
- 🥚 Chicken egg — The egg of the domestic hen: in pasta it gives yellow colour, an elastic dough and protein, and in the EU it must be highlighted on labels as an allergen.
- Ravioli — Fresh filled pasta: pasta dough enclosing a filling; Garofalo's ricotta and spinach ravioli cook in 2–3 minutes.
- Pastai Le Specialità Ripiene — Pastai's filled fresh egg pasta: buckwheat ravioli with bresaola, plin, casoncelli, cappelletti, margherite and mezzelune.
- Tortelli — Italian filled pasta: squares of egg pasta with a ricotta and greens, pumpkin or potato filling, as made in Parma, Mantua and Tuscany.
- Agnolotti — Traditional filled pasta from Piedmont: two sheets of egg pasta, square or slightly rectangular, with a roast-meat filling.
Similar
Agnolotti · Casunziei · Schlutzkrapfen · Mezzelune · Pansotti · Tortelli
Sources
- MASAF — Prodotti agroalimentari tradizionali (PAT)
- DPR 9 febbraio 2001, n. 187 — sfarinati e paste alimentari (Normattiva)
- International Pasta Organisation