14 · Liguria · Pasta
Herb‑filled pasta served in Genoese walnut sauce
Pansoti con salsa di nociGenova, Golfo Paradiso and Levante genovese, Liguria- Ask for
- Pansoti con salsa di noci
- From
- Genova, Golfo Paradiso and Levante genovese, Liguria
- When
- Confirm seasonal availability with the place.
Story & traditions
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Pansoti con salsa di noci are plump, meatless herb-filled pasta dressed in Genoa’s mellow walnut sauce.
The name points to their pot-bellied shape. The filling traditionally draws on preboggion—the changing local mixture of wild and cultivated greens—bound with fresh cheese, while a cool walnut, bread, garlic and dairy sauce softens the herbs’ bitterness.
Tender pasta encloses green, gently tangy filling; the sauce should taste distinctly of walnuts, creamy but not heavy, with garlic held in check.
Make an unleavened pasta, fill with cooked mixed greens, prescinseua or ricotta, egg, cheese and marjoram, then seal into belly-shaped parcels. Dress after boiling with a cold-ground sauce of walnuts, bread, milk, garlic and oil loosened with pasta water.
Ask specifically for pansoti con salsa di noci, not generic ravioli. Look for a herb filling and a pale walnut sauce; confirm availability because house-made pansoti can sell out.
Available through much of the year; production or freshness may be seasonal. Serve as a first course with only a little grated cheese if needed. A light Pigato or Vermentino works better than a heavy red.
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Serve as a first course with only a little grated cheese if needed. A light Pigato or Vermentino works better than a heavy red.
Preparation reference: Make an unleavened pasta, fill with cooked mixed greens, prescinseua or ricotta, egg, cheese and marjoram, then seal into belly-shaped parcels. Dress after boiling with a cold-ground sauce of walnuts, bread, milk, garlic and oil loosened with pasta water.