Pansoti
Wild herbs, walnut sauce
Pansoti are large triangular ravioli filled with preboggion â a mix of wild herbs and greens foraged from the Ligurian hillsides â mixed with fresh ricotta and a touch of Parmigiano. The name comes from the Genovese dialect word for 'belly' (pansa), because of their plump, rounded shape.
They're traditionally served with salsa di noci â a cold walnut sauce made from crushed walnuts, bread soaked in milk, olive oil, and a touch of garlic. The combination is extraordinary: the herbaceous, slightly bitter filling against the rich, creamy nut sauce.
The herbs in preboggion change with the seasons. In spring, you might find borage, wild chard, dandelion greens, and nettles. In autumn, it's different greens. Every nonna has her own blend, her own opinion about which herbs belong and which don't.
A reliable place to try them is Trattoria Ugo dal 1969, in the caruggi â a family trattoria that makes pansotti with walnut sauce the traditional way.
Pansoti with walnut sauce have always been my comfort food. As a child we'd make the salsa di noci by hand, and I'd steal walnuts from the mortar until my nonna shooed me away, laughing.
â Margherita's mom
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