Doughs:
Sauces:
What they are
I had to include this lesser-known pasta shape because 1) it’s very beginner- (and kid-) friendly, and 2) it’s just that fun to make. Like corzetti stampati, their more popular medallion-shaped cousins (here), these corzetti hail from Genoa, and particularly the Val Polcevera area, where they’re served during holidays and special occasions. I was introduced to this pasta by my friend and food historian Karima Moyer-Nocchi, who showed me the variations described here. I encourage you to try them all and pick your favorite.
How they’re traditionally served
With a slow-cooked meat sauce called tuccu or with mushrooms.
MAKE THE DOUGH
Make your dough of choice and let it rest, tightly covered, at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
SET UP YOUR WORKSPACE
Dust a sheet pan with semolina or line it with a dry dishcloth. Gather your tools.
ROLL THE DOUGH INTO A ROPE
Cut off a slice of dough, about the width of one or two fingers. Keep the rest covered.
Roll the dough into a rope, a generous ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick (about the thickness of a Sharpie marker): Start in the center and use your fingers or the palms of your hands to roll the dough, first back and forth, until the surface is smooth, and then outward in opposite directions, eventually making your way toward the ends. If the dough slides and it’s difficult to get a grip, wet your hands a little and try again. The rope does not need to be perfectly even.
CUT THE ROPE INTO PIECES
Cut the rope into scant ½-inch (1.25-cm) pieces, so they’re slightly narrower than they are tall.
MAKE THE CORZETTI
Shape the corzetti using one or a mix of the following methods:
Method 1: Position a nugget of dough so the longer sides run horizontally on your work surface and the cut sides are top and bottom. Line up your two index fingers so they’re touching in the center of the dough. Press down and pull your fingers outward in opposite directions until the center is thinner than the ends. It’ll look like a figure 8.
Method 2: Position a nugget of dough so the longer sides run horizontally on your work surface and the cut sides are top and bottom. Press one index finger into half of the dough’s surface to anchor it. Then, with the other index finger, press down and stretch the other half of the dough outward until it looks like a figure 8.
Method 3 (my personal favorite): In the same horizontal orientation, hold half of the nugget between one thumb and index finger positioned front and back. Hold the other half of the nugget between the other thumb and index finger positioned top and bottom. It should remind you of a chain link. Simultaneously press the dough firmly between your fingers on each side so one half is flattened horizontally, like a pancake, and the other half is flattened upright. It’ll look like a twisted figure 8.
Arrange the finished corzetti in a single layer on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining pieces, and then the remaining dough. You can leave the pasta uncovered at room temperature until you’re done and for up to 5 hours.
COOK THE PASTA
Cook the corzetti until tender but with some bite, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on size and drying time.
