This decadent Pansotti recipe features stuffed pasta prepared in the Genovesi tradition, tossed in a creamy walnut pesto sauce.
Also known as Pansoti, it is an authentic stuffed pasta traditionally made in Liguria.
You can make homemade Pansotti pasta in your kitchen or shop at Eataly, an Italian supermarket that specializes in producing high quality fresh pastas in house.
Our quick & easy Pansotti Genovesi is prepared with a simple walnut pesto sauce, thickened with milk soaked bread crumbs and flavoured with marjoram.
We’re certain your family and friends will love forking through a comforting bowl of pretty Pansotti!
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What Is Pansotti?
Pansotti, also known as Pansoti, are a stuffed pasta typical of Ligurian cuisine.
Pansoti gets its name from “pansa” which means “belly” in Italian. The term derives from the fact that the pasta has a pot-bellied appearance.
Pansotti are similar to ravioli but can take on different shapes: square, triangular or like a crescent moon.
The stuffed pasta is unique in that the filling is always the colour green. The filling gets its green appearance thanks to leafy greens like spinach, watercress, or arugula. In Liguria local cooks call the mixture of foraged greens “preboggion.”
The popular vegetarian pasta tossed in a creamy walnut sauce is one of the cheapest and most typical dishes of the Genoese culinary tradition. Since they don’t contain meat, they are a lean dish, suitable for the penitential season of Lent.
In its birthplace of Liguria, pansotti can be enjoyed at festivals of Fontanegli, Bogliasco and Ceranesi, which take place each year during the summer.
Shop For Quality Italian Ingredients At Eataly
If you love cooking authentic regional Italian recipes there’s no better place to shop than at Eataly.
Eataly launched its first “Eating Italian” marketplace in 2007 in Torino, northern Italy. Since then the Italian gastronomy powerhouse has opened more than 35 locations around the world including Florence, Milan, Rome, Istanbul, Seoul, Tokyo, Stockholm, Munich, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Vegas, and my hometown of Toronto.
Skip inside Eataly Toronto located in the city’s ritzy Yorkville neighbourhood and you’ll find a collection of restaurants serving regional Italian dishes, casual food and beverage counters, sweet smelling bakery, hands on cooking school, imported dry goods section, fresh pasta made before your eyes, impressive Salumi e Formaggi department, friendly butcher, extensive wine shop, and pretty fresh produce.
I was keen to cook Pansotti at home so was delighted to discover Eataly makes the hard-to-find stuffed pasta daily in house. Buying fresh pasta made in store is a great way to save time rolling out your own pasta dough!
At any given time, Eataly produces between one to two dozen varieties of fresh pastas, from the classic tagliatelle and mafaldine, to filled pasta using seasonal ingredients like locally grown squash. They also produce a variety of gnocchi prepared fresh every day using a gnocchi-rolling machine and shapes extruded through bronze dies. Guests can typically find fresh pasta for take-home from the fresh pasta counter or on the menu in any of Eataly’s restaurant concepts.
This simple Pansotti Genovesi recipe features fresh stuffed pansoti pasta in a traditional pesto sauce made of walnuts, parmesan, garlic, bread crumbs, milk and marjoram.
I grabbed a large wedge of Parmigiano Reggiano DOP. Eataly’s cheese department offers a mind-boggling 8 varieties of Italy’s most famous cheese. Produced in Emilia Romagna for centuries, Eataly sells various ages of Parmigiano Reggiano, ranging from 12 months to 48 months, Vacca Bruna (produced with milk sourced from heritage breed Brown Cows), and Vacche Rosse (produced with milk sourced from heritage breed Red Cows).
Once back in my kitchen I fired up the stove, unpacked my Eataly bounty and prepared this decadent Pansotti Pasta tossed in creamy walnut sauce.
Travel to Italy by Cooking Pansotti Pasta at Home
I love traveling to Europe!
During my first visit to the continent I traveled for 5 months by train and plane. I had the opportunity to eat my way through Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Croatia, Bosnia, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Greece, Turkey, France, and Malta.
What I love most about traveling to Italy is the opportunity to sample unique dishes in each region and city. The dishes in Tuscany (Florence, Pisa, Volterra, Saturnia, Pitigliano, Sorano, Montalcino, Siena) are unique from what you’d find in Venice, Modena, Milan, Rome and the Amalfi Coast.
Pansotti is a stuffed pasta unique to Liguria. The region is famous for culinary offerings like basil, fine wine, quality olive oil, pine nuts and porcini mushrooms.
Once back home from your holiday you’ll have a newfound appreciation for the flavours of Italy and can impress friends and family by making this easy Pansotti Genovesi tossed in walnut cream sauce.
My Family Loves Pansotti Genovesi
I love cooking Italian food for my friends and family!
After enjoying several road trips in Italy I was keen to share my love for Pansotti pasta at home.
Once back in my kitchen after shopping at Eataly on a cold winter afternoon I whipped up the dish in just a few hours. I served steaming plates of parmesan dusted pansoti with a cool and crisp glass of dry white wine. The acidity in the wine helps cut through the rich fat in the creamy sauce.
I knew my family would love this stuffed pasta because they enjoy cheesy dishes, pretty pasta, roasted nuts and healthy vegetarian recipes.
The dish was obviously an instant hit so we’re committed to making it once or twice a year on chilly nights in the Fall and Winter. We especially love to make this dish when we have vegetarians over for dinner looking to celebrate a special occasion.
Pansotti Cooking Tips
This simple Pansotti Genovesi recipe is quick and easy to make at home.
- Use a large pot or Dutch Oven with a lid to boil the salted water.
- Use a large nonstick skillet to prepare the walnut pesto sauce.
- If you can’t find fresh pansotti pasta or don’t have the time to make it from scratch feel free to substitute with another stuffed pasta like ricotta ravioli.
- You can roast the walnuts in the oven, toaster oven or air fryer. Make sure to keep an eye on the walnuts so they don’t burn. Remove them as soon as they start to darken as they will continue to cook once removed. Do not blend the walnuts in the food processor until they have cooled to room temperature.
- If you don’t have marjoram feel free to substitute with oregano.
- We like to serve this dish sprinkled with Parmigiano Reggiano but you can use other Italian hard cheeses like pecorino or asiago.
What To Serve With Pasta
There’s nothing more comforting than cozying up to a bowl of homemade Pansotti pasta!
This stuffed pasta is really filling so we usually serve it with a fresh salad like Roasted Pumpkin Feta Salad, Roasted Beetroot Salad, Garlic Lemon Chickpea Avocado Salad and Fennel, Apple, Celery and Roasted Hazelnut Salad.
If you’re hosting an Italian-themed dinner party we suggest serving this pasta recipe as part of a buffet featuring other popular dishes and drinks like:
- Burrata Bruschetta Crostini
- Fresh Fig Prosciutto Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Gorgonzola Risotto al Radicchio
- Crispy Roast Chicken and Leek Risotto
- Sartu Di Riso Italian Baked Risotto
- Crispy Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
- Cheesy Polenta
- Involtini di Pollo
- Spicy Italian Pork Sausage Burgers
- Aperol Gin Cocktail
- Italian Prosecco and Gin Cocktail
- Amaretto Disaronno Sour
- Negroni Spritz Cocktail
- Liquore Strega Saffron Yellow Gin Cocktail
- Garibaldi Cocktail Campari Orange Juice
- Roasted Hazelnut Ferrero Rocher Cookies
- Vegan Gluten Free Polenta Eggless Lemon Cake
How To Make Homemade Pansoti Pasta
We purchased fresh pansotti at Eataly to save time in the kitchen but if you call yourself gourmet or are looking for a fun cooking project feel free to make the stuffed pasta at home from scratch.
Pansotti Pasta Dough
- 400 g OO Flour
- 1 Egg
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2/3 cup Water
Pansotti Pasta Filling
- 500 g Mixed Greens – Spinach, Watercress, Arugula
- 3 tsp Marjoram
- 1 Garlic Clove
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 50 g Parmesan
Directions
- Place flour in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour the egg into the well. Use a fork to gently beat the egg. Draw your fork around the inside of the flour wall, so a small quantity falls into the beaten egg. Whisk it in, smooshing any lumps, so you gradually create a batter. Repeat until you’ve created a thickened mixture. At this point, you can push in the remaining flour walls and and mix the rest with your hands. Mop up any remaining flour with the dough and quickly knead. The dough should feel soft and pillowy but not sticky. Feel free to add a dusting of dough to achieve the correct consistency if it is too wet.
- Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes. Your final dough should feel silky and smooth. A great test is pressing your thumb into the dough. It is finished if the imprint bounces back. Cover the dough with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- To make the filling, blanch the greens in a large pot of salted boiling water for a 1-2 minutes. Drain and squeeze the mixture dry once it has cooled off. Chop the cooked leaves and add to a mixing bowl with marjoram, garlic, olive oil, egg and parmesan. Mix until well combined.
- To make the pansotti, roll out the pasta dough to 1mm thickness. Cut a grid of 5-6 cm squares. Add a teaspoon of filling to each square and fold the square over to form a triangle. Press the edges firmly together, then bring the two small-angled corners together and press the points.
Health Benefits
Our homemade Pansotti recipe is packed full of healthy ingredients!
Eggs contain two vital nutrients that are not present in many foods: iodine and vitamin D. Eggs are also rich in tissue-building protein and vitamin B12, which helps your body manufacture blood cells.
Olive Oil is ranked as one of the healthiest fats and is a staple in the Mediterranean diet. It contains vitamins E and K and plenty of beneficial fatty acids and antioxidants.
Containing more protein, fibre, vitamin E and calcium that other nuts, walnuts may reduce the risk of heart disease, keep your bones healthy, and help your body absorb essential nutrients.
Consuming dairy products (such as milk and cheese) provides health benefits — especially improved bone health. Dairy foods provide nutrients that are vital for health and maintenance of your body. These nutrients include calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and protein.
It is only recently that scientists have begun to identify the components responsible for garlic’s myriad health benefits. Rich in phytochemicals and potassium, garlic helps boost your immune system, fight cancer and protect your heart.
Marjoram is rich in antioxidants, may help fight bacteria, could have anti-cancer properties and can decrease inflammation.
You May Also Enjoy These Pasta Recipes…
- Lumache Rigate Snail Pasta with Garlic Butter
- Creamy Saffron Tagliatelle Pasta with Ricotta and Mint
- Mafalda Pasta Noodles
- Ndunderi Amalfi Lemon Ricotta Gnocchi
- Calabrese Pasta Sauce Recipe With Fusilli
- Easy Vegetarian Caprese Ravioli Pasta
- Traditional Tagliatelle alla Bolognese Pasta
- Maccheroni al Ferretto Pasta with Beef Ragu
- Caprese Gnocchi Cheese Bake Casserole
- Corzetti Pasta Recipe
- Culurgiones Sardinian Cheese & Potato Stuffed Pasta
- Caramelized Shallot Pasta in Cream Sauce
- Creamy Parmesan Ditalini Soup
How To Make Pansotti with Walnut Pesto Sauce
Pansotti Pasta with Walnut Pesto Sauce
Equipment
- Large pot
- Large Skillet
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- cheese grater
- Food processor
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- 600 g Fresh Pansotti Pasta
- 100 g Walnuts
- 40 g Parmesan grated
- 1 Garlic Clove
- 50 g Breadcrumbs
- 1 cup Milk
- 1 tsp Dried Marjoram
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- To make the walnut pesto, preheat the oven to 275 F. Spread the walnuts across a large baking sheet. Toast for 10 minutes until nuts are golden brown.
- Meanwhile, soak the breadcrumbs in milk and squeeze out any excess.
- Let nuts cool and the blitz together in a food processor with the rest of the pesto ingredients, adding enough milk to create a thick consistency. Season to taste.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and simmer the pansotti for 5 minutes.
- Add a little pasta water to the walnut pesto until creamy.
- Drain the pasta then toss with the walnut pesto. Serve hot.
Nutrition
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