Liguria / Stuffed Pasta

Pansoti with Walnut Sauce

Herb-filled pasta dressed with creamy walnut sauce, a Ligurian lean-day dish that feels luxurious without meat.

120 minutes Hard Serves 4 filled triangles

Method

Chop greens and mix with ricotta, Parmigiano, marjoram, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
Cut pasta squares, add filling, and fold into triangles.
Blend walnuts with garlic, soaked bread, salt, and enough oil or milk to make a sauce.
Cook pansoti gently in salted water.
Loosen walnut sauce with pasta water and coat the pasta.
Finish with a little Parmigiano.

Cook's note: A small amount of marjoram makes the filling taste unmistakably Ligurian.

Pansoti are usually filled with wild greens and herbs. Walnut sauce reflects the region's habit of making intense flavor from pantry ingredients.

Keep cooking Liguria

Twisted trofie with basil pesto, potatoes, and green beans, the Ligurian classic that turns a garden into a sauce.