Casoncelli Bergamaschi

Combine the flour and eggs to form a smooth, firm dough. Wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. The dough is ready when it feels supple and no longer springs back sharply under the heel of the hand.

Combine the ground meat, crumbled amaretti, raisins, grated Parmigiano, soaked breadcrumbs, and mostarda syrup. Mix until cohesive. The filling is correctly balanced when the amaretti and raisins register as a whisper of sweetness against the savoury meat — taste and adjust salt before proceeding.

Roll the rested dough to 2 mm — thin enough to read newsprint through it, but not so thin it tears under the filling. Cut into rounds or squares of uniform size.

Place a small, restrained amount of filling at the centre of each piece. Fold into a half-moon and press the seams firmly, expelling any air. Over-filling causes burst seams during cooking. Rest the filled casoncelli on a lightly floured tray for 20 minutes, uncovered, so the pasta hydrates further and the seams seal. The parcels are ready when the seam holds without slipping under light thumb pressure.

This is where the dish lives or dies. Render the pancetta lardons in a dry pan until their fat runs and the edges begin to colour. Add the butter to the pan fat and allow it to foam, then continue cooking until the foam subsides and the butter turns a deep golden colour with a hazelnut scent — beurre noisette. Add the sage leaves and remove from the heat. Butter that has not browned properly gives a flat, greasy finish; butter that burns is irretrievable.

Bring a large volume of well-salted water to a gentle boil — a rolling boil tears the delicate pasta. Lower the casoncelli in and cook until they float and the pasta at the seam offers no resistance when pressed between two fingers, approximately 3–4 minutes.

Lift the casoncelli from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer directly to the pan with the browned butter, pancetta, and sage. Turn gently to coat. Plate and finish with a generous snowfall of grated Parmigiano. The dish is complete when the pasta glistens evenly with the nutty, amber fat.