List of Ingredients
- 12 OZ. of cleaned leeks
- 2 POTATOES of about 12 oz.
- 2 C. of Italian 00 flour
- butter
- ricotta cheese
- 4 OZ. of remilled durum wheat semolina
- grated Grana Padano cheese
- 1 OZ. of sliced almonds
- 4 WHOLE of eggs
- Sliced guanciale
- Parsley
- Wild fennel
- Saffron
- Extravirgin olive oil
- Salt
- White pepper
Method
Mix the flour and the semolina with the eggs until you obtain a smooth dough; let it rest covered in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling: peel and dice the potatoes and slice the leeks. Sauté the leeks in 2 tablespoons of hot oil for 2-3 minutes, then add the potatoes, salt and pepper. Cover with a small amount of hot water, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes.
Mash the potatoes and leeks with a spoon to obtain a smooth mixture; cool it in the refrigerator for 1 hour, then add the ricotta cheese, Grana Padano cheese, salt and pepper to make the filling. Roll out the dough; sprinkle each sheet with chopped parsley, wild fennel and some saffron, then pile them on top of each other and roll the dough out again, incorporating the herbs and saffron in the dough itself.
Place the filling on the pasta sheets in small walnut sized balls, spaced apart. Then cut out discs with an approximately 2 3/4 inch diameter. Fold them over to make half-moons, then resting them on one side, firmly press down on them in the middle and bring the ends together to make the casoncelli (you should make at least 64, so 8 per person. You can conserve any remaining scraps of dough to make strips of pasta).
Place 24 slices of guanciale on a baking sheet and bake at 400 °F for 6-7 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the casoncelli in plenty of salted boiling water at a moderate heat for 3-4 minutes. Melt the butter in a pan with 1/3 cup of water. Drain the casoncelli and toss them in the butter to make a creamy, velvety sauce.
Serve the casoncelli with the crispy guanciale and almonds, after you’ve toasted them in the oven.