"Open" Ravioli

Casoncelli alla Bergamasca "Aperto"

from Pasta Modern

Serves 4

The concept of using the ravioli filling as a sauce for pasta is very liberating! Nowadays, many Italians, pressed for time, forgo ravioli making and turn the filling into a free-form sauce for pasta. The flavors are the same and it saves time.

Bergamo, in Lombardy, is renowned for its casconcelli, highly delicious, very unusual ravioli, made with an odd but oh-so-tasty assortment of ingredients: salami, roast beef, pears, raisins, and crushed almond cookies. The filling makes an exceptionally tasty, very unusual sauce for any shape pasta.

olive oil or butter
2 ounces pancetta or bacon, diced
1 sweet sausage
1/4 pound roast beef, thinly sliced then cut into strips
¼ pound salami, thinly sliced then cut into strips
1 garlic clove, minced
4 small fresh sage leaves
1 large pear, thinly sliced with peel left on
2 tablespoons golden raisins
2 cups chicken stock
1 pound calamarata or any short pasta, preferably Felicetti brand
Zest of 1 lemon
Grana padano or other aged cheese
Ground cinnamon
Nutmeg
Fresh parsley
Salt and pepper
3 amaretti cookies, crushed, optional

In a large skillet over medium high heat cook pancetta in a little oil until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the meat from the sausage casing and crumble into the pan; cook until browned. Add the roast beef, salami, garlic, sage leaves, pear and raisins. Add the stock and cook the mixture until the pears are soft, about 5 minutes.

Meantime, cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain and toss into the sauce. Stir in the zest, 1/3 cup of grated cheese, cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg and minced parsley to taste, until well amalgamated. Season with salt and pepper and serve topped with a sprinkling of amaretti crumbs, if you like.