Corzetti or Croxetti ( or ) are a kind of
pasta
Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, ar ...
typical of the Ligurian cuisine of north-west
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, and traditional also in the area of
Novi Ligure
Novi Ligure (; lij, Nêuve ; pms, Neuvi ) is a city and ''comune'' north of Genoa, in the Piedmont region of the province of Alessandria of northwest Italy.
The town produces food, iron, steel, and textiles. It is an important junction for both ...
just across the border with
Piedmont
it, Piemontese
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in the
Province of Alessandria
The Province of Alessandria ( it, Provincia di Alessandria; pms, Provincia ëd Lissandria; in Piedmontese of Alessandria: ''Provinsa ëd Lissändria'') is an Italian province, with a population of some 425,000, which forms the southeastern part o ...
. Corzetti originated in
Liguria
it, Ligure
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, in Northern Italy along the border with France, during the
middle ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
.
The name itself derives from a 14th century Genoan coin, the ''corzetto''.
There are different kinds of corzetti. Those from the
Val Polcevera
Val Polcevera is one of the main valleys crossing Genoa, taking its name from the eponymous river. It is one of two valleys bordering the historic core of the city, along with Val Bisagno
Val may refer to: Val-a
Film
* ''Val'' (film), an A ...
, one of the principal valleys of the area of
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...
are made in "figure of eight" shape. Elsewhere ''corzetti stampæ'' (, "pressed" or "stamped" corzetti) are found. These are small, thin rounds of pasta that are given an embossed decoration using a special wooden hand-tool. The embossing helps the pasta to hold its sauce better.
A pasta with a similar name can also be found in neighbouring
Piedmont
it, Piemontese
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, but its shape is more akin to that of
orecchiette
Orecchiette (; singular ; ) are a pasta typical of Apulia, a region of Southern Italy. Their name comes from their shape, which resembles a small ear.
Description
An orecchietta has the shape of a small dome, with its center thinner than its e ...
.
Corzetti are still produced in small batches near
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...
. In the past they were made by local peasants and used by aristocratic families as a display of wealth and status.
Description
Sheets of pasta are stamped and cut into circles approximately in diameter from flat pasta sheets with a mold to create the distinctive patterns. The combination mold/cutter may be made of hand-carved wood
or a bronze
die.
The stamping may be done by hand or by machine, with the hand-stamped versions being more elaborate.
The detail forms ridges that allow sauce to cling and add flavor.
The pasta typically has patterns on both sides, with an intricate design on one side and a simpler pattern on the other. Whereas they once featured a family
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...
, the fancier side now features a regional coat of arms or the maker's trademark. Typical symbols on the other side are a cross (from which the name croxetti derives), fruit, family initials,
mortar and pestle, sunsets, sailboats, or palm trees.
In Italy they may be used as wedding favors
or for other events, in which case an artisan craftsman is commissioned to make the die for people to prepare the pasta at home.
Preparation
A pasta dough is made using flour, water and salt and rolled out into a sheet. The pasta is cut into rounds that are stamped to form the embossed relief, and left to dry for a while.
Corzetti are usually served with a simple meat or mushroom sauce (the latter called ''tocco de funzi'' in Genoese), pesto,
pine nut
or walnut sauce, fish sauce, or light cream sauce.
See also
*
Cuisine of Liguria
Ligurian cuisine consists of dishes from the culinary tradition of Liguria, a region of northwestern Italy, which makes use of ingredients linked both to local production (such as preboggion, a mixture of wild herbs), an ...
*
List of Italian dishes
Notes and references
{{Pasta
Types of pasta
Cuisine of Liguria
Cuisine of Piedmont
Culture in Genoa
Province of Alessandria