Il Cucinologo
EN

Pisarei e fasò

17/11/2023

The dish “Pisarei e fasò” is a classic of Piacenza cuisine, that is, from the city of Piacenza in Emilia-Romagna. This egg pasta dish with beans is an example of peasant cuisine, yet extremely flavorful and full of nuances. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

  • For the pisarei (gnocchetti):
    • 200 g wheat flour
    • 100 g breadcrumbs
    • water as needed
  • For the sauce (fasò):
    • 400 g borlotti beans
    • 150 g pancetta
    • 1 onion
    • 1 carrot
    • 1 celery stalk
    • 400 ml tomato passata
    • vegetable broth as needed
    • salt and pepper as needed
    • extra virgin olive oil
    • grated Parmesan for serving

Preparation

  1. Start by preparing the pisarei. In a bowl, combine the flour with the breadcrumbs and add water a little at a time until you form a dough that should not be too soft.
  2. Shape the dough into thin cylinders and cut them into pieces about 2 cm long. Lightly press each piece with your thumb to obtain the classic concave shape of the pisarei.
  3. Now prepare the sauce. Soak the beans the night before.
  4. The next day, drain the beans and cook them in a pot with fresh water for about an hour or until tender.
  5. In another pot, sauté the finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery in a drizzle of oil until softened. Add the pancetta cut into cubes and let it brown.
  6. Add the tomato passata, season with salt and pepper, and let the sauce cook for about 15 minutes.
  7. Add the cooked beans and a little vegetable broth to prevent the sauce from drying out too much, and let it simmer for about 30 minutes.
  8. Meanwhile, cook the pisarei in plenty of salted water. As soon as they float to the surface, drain them with a slotted spoon and transfer directly to the bean sauce.
  9. Let the pisarei absorb the flavors in the sauce for a few minutes.
  10. Serve the pisarei e fasò hot, with plenty of grated Parmesan on top.

Trivia

The word “Pisarei” probably derives from the dialect term “pisar,” meaning to press, referring to the gesture of pressing the dough with the thumb to create the characteristic concave shape of these gnocchetti. This dish is very popular in Piacenza tradition and is often served during special occasions or holidays.