P
Corsican
Lasagne al Brocciu e Figatellu — Corsican Layered Pasta
Baked layered pasta using hand-rolled Triticum aestivum pasta sheets, Brocciu AOP, crumbled Figatellu IGP (Corsican liver sausage), fresh Mentha, Gallus gallus domesticus egg, and light tomato coulis. Figatellu sliced 5mm and pan-seared before layering — renders fat and crisps edges. No béchamel — Mediterranean, not northern-French. Three layers maximum. Baked at 180°C for 25 minutes covered, 10 minutes uncovered.
‹Swipe for the next dish›
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 sheets
300 g
Triticum aestivum plain flour
plus extra for dusting
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
3
eggs
Gallus gallus domesticus, room temperature
Your own market
For the Brocciu layer
500 g
Brocciu AOP
drained if wet
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1
egg
Gallus gallus domesticus, lightly beaten
Your own market
10 g
fresh mint (Mentha)
leaves picked, finely chopped
Origin · New ZealandPurely Artisan Foods · San Diego →
For the figatellu
300 g
Figatellu IGP
sliced 5 mm, casing removed if necessary
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
For the tomato coulis
400 g
ripe tomatoes or quality passata
reduced to a concentrated coulis
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
To finish
40 g
Brocciu Passu
aged, finely grated
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.
II
The Method
1
Combine flour and eggs on a clean work surface. Work to a smooth, firm dough. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Roll by hand to sheets of approximately 2 mm thickness — the rough surface of hand-rolled pasta holds the cheese layer. The sheet is ready when it is even, matte, and slightly translucent at the edges.
2
Cut pasta sheets to fit the baking dish. Blanch in well-salted boiling water for 90 seconds. Transfer immediately to cold water, then lay flat on a clean cloth. The sheets are done when pliable but without any raw, floury centre.
3
Reduce the tomato to a concentrated coulis over moderate heat, stirring regularly. It is ready when it holds a spoon-line on the surface and carries no excess moisture — a wet coulis will destabilise the layers.
4
This is the step on which the dish lives or dies. Place the Figatellu slices in a dry pan over medium-high heat and sear until the edges are crisped and the fat is fully rendered, approximately 2–3 minutes per side. Insufficient searing leaves excess fat that pools between layers and flattens the flavour. The pan should smell of liver sausage and rendered pork fat — a flat, raw aroma means the sear is incomplete.
5
Combine the drained Brocciu AOP with the beaten egg and chopped mint. Mix until homogeneous. The mixture should hold its shape when lifted on a spoon — if it runs, the Brocciu was insufficiently drained.
From the canon — Brocciu is the foundational dairy product of Corsican cuisine — not simply a cheese but a culinary system. Brocciu AOP — Corsican Whey Cheese: Seasonal Production and Technique →
6
Assemble a maximum of three layers in the baking dish: tomato coulis on the base, then pasta sheet, Brocciu mixture, figatellu slices; repeat to three layers total, finishing with pasta, a film of tomato coulis, and a dusting of grated Brocciu Passu. No béchamel is used at any stage.
From the canon — Brocciu passu is the aged form of brocciu — the same whey curd, salted and set aside for a minimum 21 days, during which a dry rind forms and the interior fi… Brocciu Passu — Aged Brocciu and Rind Development →
7
Cover the dish with foil and bake at 180 °C for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake a further 10 minutes uncovered. The dish is ready when the top is golden and the cut edge, if tested, reveals distinct visible layers of figatellu and Brocciu — a pale, wet top indicates insufficient uncovered baking time.
8
Remove from the oven and rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes before cutting. The lasagne is ready to portion when it holds a clean vertical edge at the cut — a collapsing cut means the rest was curtailed.
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Brocciu AOP from a named Corsican producer at peak winter season; Figatellu IGP sourced from a mountain shepherd's charcuterie; hand-milled Triticum aestivum flour; aged Brocciu Passu for the gratin crust.
02
Estate — Brocciu AOP from a reliable island cooperative; quality Figatellu IGP from a specialist charcutier; good-quality Italian 00 flour for the pasta; fresh mint from a kitchen garden.
03
Market — Commercially available Brocciu AOP (well-drained); Figatellu IGP from a reputable delicatessen; standard plain flour; supermarket fresh mint.
04
House — Fresh ricotta drained overnight in place of Brocciu; any quality liver sausage in place of Figatellu, pre-seared as instructed; dried pasta sheets; dried mint used sparingly — the spirit of the dish survives, the island identity does not.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Sight. Golden top with visible figatellu and Brocciu layers at the cut edge — a pale, wet top indicates insufficient uncovered baking time.
◇Smell. Liver-sausage and mint aroma on opening the oven — a flat aroma indicates figatellu was not seared before layering.
◇Where it lives or dies. The dish lives or dies on the pre-searing of the Figatellu: without full fat-rendering and crisped edges, excess fat pools between layers and the liver-sausage depth that defines the dish is lost entirely.
Pillar V
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The dishes this one teaches you, across the cuisines — on every recipe.
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VI
What to Pour
A structured Corsican red — Nielluccio or Sciacarello — whose tannin and dark-fruit character meets the liver-sausage depth of the figatellu without overwhelming the fresh dairy of the Brocciu. A mineral Corsican rosé is an admissible alternative where the mint and tomato acidity are the dominant notes at table.
The whole pairingPillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
Enter · from $49 a year
Sourced through Provenance