Câsonséi

Originating in Lombardy, this stuffed pasta is a speciality of the Valcamonica Valley. A rectangle of pasta is folded several times to make a dumpling shaped like a plaited loaf, which is then filled with potatoes, greens, mortadella, pork sausage, Parmesan cheese, eggs, garlic, breadcrumbs and chopped parsley. Once they have dried out, they are cooked for 7-8 minutes and served with melted butter and more grated Parmesan cheese.

The Veneto produces casonziei, a stuffed egg pasta similar to casônséi, but folded into a circular plait rather than a rectangular one. The filling is made of spinach, prosciutto, San Daniele ham, eggs, Parmesan, and a little butter and ground cinnamon. There are many similar types of pasta with the same basic filling but a slightly different shape.