Meet my new favorite pasta shape: Croxetti. Thick, toothsome, hand-stamped discs — they're like ravioli without the filling.
Croxetti (also called corzetti or curzetti) is a traditional pasta from the region of Liguria in northern Italy, and they are made in the shape of wide, flat discs, stamped with decorative designs. In the past, they were often stamped with aristocratic families' coats of arms. These are still made near Genoa, and you can get them at a few specialty import shops.
The pasta itself is a little less than two inches across, and it needs very little frippery in order to be delicious. I served my pasta with some grilled eggplant, a little Parmesan, and a dash of garam colatura. The pasta was toothsome and extra-thick, and the delicate ridges had a wonderful texture. This would be lovely with a simple pesto.
The only problem? It's shockingly expensive, of course, as you might expect. (It's hand-stamped, after all.) Here are a couple sources for it:
• La Bella Angiolina Croxetti Hand-Stamped Pasta 1/2 lb. bag, $9.55 at Amazon
• Croxetti Hand Stamped Pasta, $10.49 at Savory Pantry
But I am thinking about making this myself. I would roll homemade pasta dough out a little thicker than normal, then use a biscuit cutter or cookie cutter to cut out round shapes. (Although, honestly, I would love a real croxetti stamp; anyone have a lead on these?)
Have you ever done this, or tried this sort of pasta?
Related: What's Your Favorite Pasta Shape?
(Images: Faith Durand)
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Down here in Argentina we have a kind of "hot-pocket" called empanada. Many Latin American countries have a variation of this.
My boyfriend's dad makes sorrentinos using the store-bought dough disks and fills them with whatever he wants to later boil them like regular pasta. These reminded me of his method and made me think how funny it is that amazon sells them for 9 dollars (36 pesos), when I can get something similar right around the corner for 2 pesos, 50 cents of a dollar.
Anyway, thought I'd share his recipes also, which is a darn quick way to make homemade pasta if all you want to put together is the filling.
Cheers!
I bought a croxetti (also called "corzetti") stamp when we visited Genoa two years ago. I've never seen them for sale here, but if you or someone you know is heading to Genoa I can give you a line on them. I blogged about the stamp, here's my pictures: http://cooking4theweek.blogspot.com/2008/11/week-of-november-2.html
I found some for sale here http://www.cortibros.biz/tek9.asp?pg=products&specific=jpkrcpp0 The price is about what I paid in Genoa - mine is pear wood.
You can also just cut out circles of pasta dough and press them over a comb or butter paddle to get ridges. Nowhere near as pretty, but effective at sauce catching and cheaper than a hand-carved stamp.
http://www.artisanalpastatools.com/classic.shtml
I had some on the Liguria coast last year and everytime, they were served with pesto only. In the Ottawa region, they can be found at La Bottega shop.
I think my favorite pasta shape is the penne. It stays firm, even after reheating.
that's funny! my mom and aunt used to love boiling left-over pierogi dough circles and eating them without the filling, just with some butter. i guess the final product would be pretty similar. just goes to show you that boiled dough crosses all international boundaries.
Oh yes , they are delicious, and the best thing - here in Genova they cost around 2€ for half a kilo :)
@ sundaycook: do you know where exactly in Genova are they selling these stamps? I've never seen them around :((
Oh, and by the way, Piere on Kitchenscraps has a recipe for something very similar, with a delicious sauce to top it all! http://kitchenscraps.ca/2009/08/19/pantalones-golden-saffron-coins/
@Queenforaday - I can't find the name of the place, but: it's in the Medieval part of town. Stand facing Pietro Romanengo's candy shop on Via Soziglia and walk to your right up the street. I think it's on the corner of Soziglia and Vicolo Lavagna (?) if not it's nearby (definitely on a corner). The window is full of dioramas and scale models - it's primarily a toy store. I had to ask the shopkeeper to see them. Closed Sunday / Monday I remember clearly.
@Sunday cook - Thank You! WIll check it out this weekend :)
@queenforaday Good luck! Make sure you stop in at Romanengo's if you haven't before - an amazingly beautiful store.
@melodie1974 very helpful! Thank you!