P
Italian · Bergamo
Casonsei alla Bergamasca con Burro e Salvia
Bergamo's half-moon filled pasta — a hybrid of sweet and savoury unique to Lombardia: the filling combines braised beef, sausage, Parmigiano, breadcrumbs soaked in broth, raisins, amaretti biscuits, and nutmeg. The result is a filling that tastes simultaneously of meat and dessert — the defining characteristic of medieval Lombard cooking where sweet-savoury integration was high art. Served in the classic Lombard way: simply drizzled with sage-scented brown butter and Parmigiano.
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I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
For the pasta dough
400 g
tipo 00 flour
Your own market
4
eggs
whole, room temperature
Your own market
For the filling
300 g
braised beef
cooked the day before, cooled completely, finely minced or shredded
Your own market
100 g
pork sausage
casing removed, crumbled and cooked
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
60 g
Parmigiano Reggiano
finely grated
Your own market
50 g
breadcrumbs
soaked in warm beef or chicken broth until softened, then squeezed
Your own market
30 g
raisins
soaked in warm water, drained and roughly chopped
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
30 g
amaretti biscuits
finely crumbled
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 pinch
nutmeg
freshly grated
Your own market
For the sauce
120 g
unsalted butter
Your own market
8
fresh sage leaves
whole
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
To finish
40 g
Parmigiano Reggiano
finely grated, to serve
Your own market
II
The Method
1
Make the pasta dough. Mound the flour on a work surface and create a well. Break in the eggs and beat them gently with a fork, drawing in flour from the inner wall. Once a rough dough forms, knead by hand for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Wrap tightly and rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. The dough is ready when it springs back slowly under a pressed thumb without tearing.
2
Prepare the filling. Combine the cold minced braised beef, crumbled cooked sausage, grated Parmigiano, squeezed breadcrumbs, chopped raisins, crumbled amaretti, and freshly grated nutmeg. Mix thoroughly by hand. The sweet elements — raisins and amaretti together — must not exceed one-tenth of the filling's total weight; beyond this threshold the filling loses its savoury centre. The filling should be firm, cohesive, and hold its shape when pressed — not wet, not loose. If the mixture is warm from handling, refrigerate until completely cold before filling.
From the canon — A whole piece of beef braised very slowly in red wine, aromatics, and minimal liquid until completely tender and falling apart — the cooking liquid reduced t… Braised Beef: The Stracotto Principle →
3
Roll the pasta. Working in sections, feed the dough through the pasta machine progressively from the widest setting down to setting 6 or 7 — thin enough that your hand is faintly visible through the sheet. A sheet that resists biting against the dense filling is too thick. Keep rolled sheets covered under a clean cloth.
4
Shape the casonsei. Cut the pasta sheet into circles of approximately 7–8 cm diameter. Place a conservative amount of filling — no more than a level teaspoon — at the centre of each circle. Fold the circle in half over the filling to form a half-moon, pressing firmly from the centre outward to expel every trace of air before sealing the edge. Any air pocket left inside will burst the seam under the pressure of boiling water. Press the sealed edge firmly between thumb and forefinger. The sealed border should be tight and even with no gaps visible.
5
Make the burro nocciola. This is where the dish lives or dies. Place the butter in a wide, light-coloured pan over medium heat. Add the whole sage leaves before the butter begins to colour — they must fry in the butter as it browns. Watch carefully: the butter will foam, then the foam will subside, then the solids will begin to colour. Remove from heat the moment the butter is a deep hazelnut colour and carries a distinct toasted-nut aroma. Pale melted butter is not burro nocciola; burnt black butter cannot be used.
6
Cook the casonsei. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Lower the casonsei in batches — do not crowd. They are cooked when they float to the surface and the pasta at the sealed edge is tender but still offers slight resistance, approximately 3–4 minutes. Lift out with a slotted spoon.
7
Dress and serve. Transfer the drained casonsei directly into the pan with the brown butter and sage. Turn gently once to coat each piece. Plate 5–6 per portion. Finish with grated Parmigiano. The butter should coat each casonsei in a thin, glossy, hazelnut-scented film — not pool beneath them.
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Braised beef from brasato al Barolo — wine-braised short rib or chuck cooled overnight. Parmigiano Reggiano aged 36 months. Butter from Alpine dairies (Beppino Occelli or equivalent). Hand-cut pasta rolled to setting 6 on a hand-cranked machine.
02
Estate — Slow-braised beef brisket or chuck from any reliable braise, cooked the day before. Parmigiano aged 24 months. Good-quality unsalted cultured butter. Pasta rolled on a domestic electric machine to setting 6–7.
03
Market — Leftover pot-roast beef, well seasoned. Grana Padano in place of Parmigiano. Standard unsalted butter. Pasta hand-rolled as thin as the cook can manage.
04
House — Any cooked, well-flavoured braised beef. Standard supermarket butter. Dried sage (add at the start of cooking, not to the browning butter). Pasta sheet bought fresh from a deli counter, trimmed to circles.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Touch. Pasta dough springs back slowly under a pressed thumb without tearing — rested and relaxed enough to roll thin without snapping back.
◇Touch. Filling holds a pressed shape in the palm and releases cleanly — firm, cold, and cohesive, not wet or sticky.
◇Sight. Sealed casonsei edge shows no gaps or air bubbles and lies completely flat — any dome signals trapped air.
◇Smell. Browning butter carries a clean, toasted hazelnut aroma — the signal to pull the pan from heat before it tips into bitterness.
◇Touch. Cooked casonsei offer slight resistance at the sealed edge when pressed gently between two fingers — the thickest part of the parcel, confirming even cooking.
◇Where it lives or dies. The burro nocciola must reach a true hazelnut colour and nutty aroma before the pan leaves the heat — pale melted butter destroys the sauce entirely, and a burnt butter cannot be recovered.
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VI
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