Scarpinocc di Parre.

Known as scarpinocc di Parre this meatless filled pasta is a unique traditional dish from an ancient mountain village in Lombardy. Scarpinocc is a very rustic pasta created with mostly simple ingredients that were available to the farming families of the past. Rich in milk, butter, cheese and eggs this is a homemade pasta you will want to try!

History and origins.

Scarpinocc is a unique filled pasta from a small village in the Bergamo province of Lombardy, called Parre. This village of just 3,000 inhabitants lies in the Seriana valley on the slopes of the Trevasco and Alino mountains, 25 kilometres from Bergamo and about 70 kilometres from Milan.

This pasta is an emblem of the culinary traditions of Parre, where it is a traditional part of holiday meals and celebrations. In fact, the villagers hold a scarpinocc festival every year in August and traditionally make this pasta on June 29^th, the village patron saint’s day, St Peter.

The name scarpinocc reflects the pasta’s unusual shoe shape. Scarpa means shoe in Italian and this pasta is said to resemble handmade cloth shoes worn by the villagers up until the middle of the last century.

Parre is an ancient pastoral village in which milk, butter and cheese have long been staples in the local diet. Scarpinocc contain milk and melted butter in both the filling and the dough and cheese in the filling. So, this quite a rich filled pasta even though it’s meatless, reminiscent of times when not everyone could afford meat.

The ingredients for the pasta dough.

As mentioned above the dough for scarpinocc di Parre is quite rich. It contains a mix of soft wheat flour and semolina flour, milk, eggs, a pinch of salt and some melted butter.

The flour: Some scarpinocc recipes use only soft wheat flour. Here in Italy, that is usually what Italians call ‘00’ flour, which is the finest milled white flour. You can also use all-purpose flour.

The recipe I followed called for some hard wheat semolina flour at a ratio of 1:4. (100g semolina flour to 400 g soft wheat flour). Semolina flour is higher in gluten and helps the pasta keep its shape when cooked.

Milk: Use whole milk for a richer creamier flavour.

Eggs: Because there is other liquid in the dough, you only need 1-2 eggs. I like to use free range organic eggs.

Butter: Italian butter is nearly always unsalted. If you use salted butter don’t add more salt to the dough.

Ingredients for the filling.

The filling for scarpinocc isn’t cooked. What you need is breadcrumbs, grated Grana or Parmigiano, butter, eggs, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and milk.

Breadcrumbs: I made my own breadcrumbs by toasting some country bread and blending it in my food processor. You can do the same with stale bread, so you don’t have to toast it. Or use ready-made breadcrumbs. However, the latter tend to be very fine and larger breadcrumbs are better to get the right filling consistency.

The cheese: Apparently in the past, the inhabitants of Parre used a strong local mountain cheese called ‘motel’. Nowadays, scarpinocc usually contains Grana or Parmigiano. However, these cheeses aren’t vegetarian as they contain animal rennet. Vegetarians will need to use a hard cheese made with plant based or microbial rennet.

Milk and eggs: As with the dough, whole milk and free range eggs are best. The quanties of both are almost the same as for the dough, 1-2 eggs and 200ml milk (about ¾ of a cup). You may not need all the milk.

Spices: The filling for scarpinocc is flavoured with spices, most usually cinnamon, nutmeg and crushed cloves. Some recipes also included finely chopped parsley and garlic.

For the condiment.

Scarpinocc are traditionally served with either just browned butter and cheese or with browned butter and sage, Italians say ‘burro e salvia’. This is a very common way to dress filled pasta. I used butter and sage and added a little grated cheese before eating.

How to make the scarpinocc dough.

To make scarpinocc, first melt the butter used for the pasta dough. Let it cool. Then place the ‘00’ flour and semolina flour into a bowl with salt and eggs. Now add the cooled melted butter. Start to mix everything together using a fork whilst adding the milk a little at a time. Knead the dough in the bowl using your hands.

Once you have the beginnings of a shapeable dough that doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl, turn it out onto a floured work surface and continue kneading with your hands for 5-10 minutes. Roll the dough into a ball and wrap it in clingfilm (plastic wrap) and let it rest for about 30 minutes.

Make the filling.

While the dough is resting make the filling. Melt some more butter and make the breadcrumbs if using homemade.  Put the cheese, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves in a bowl.

Add the cooled melted butter and eggs and pour in the milk. Mix everything together starting with a spoon or fork and then with your hands until you have quite a solid paste. You may not need all the milk.

Make and shape your scarpinocc di Parre.

Once the dough has rested, cut off a piece. Roll it into a thick rope. Using a dough scraper or knife, cut the rope into gnocchi-like pieces. Use a rolling pin to make the dough pieces into thin circles of pasta about 6cm in diameter, making sure you are consistently turning the dough, so you end up with a circle, and not a long oval.

Place one small ball of filling in each circle. Fold and seal to create a half-moon shape. Then fold the part with the filling up and over the outside curved edge, to make the scarpinocc slightly stand up. Press in the center with your index finger to obtain the typical Scarpinocc shape.

Place the ready scarpinocc on a floured tray and repeat with the rest of the dough. To see how to shape this pasta check out this video from Pasta Grannies.

Serving your scarpinocc.

Melt butter in a pan that’s large enough to hold the pasta too. Add torn sage leaves and allow them to crisp. Set aside.

Boil the scarpinocc in salted water until the dough is cooked through and the insides are also warmed through - this takes a bit longer than usual for fresh pasta, but still only around 5-7 minutes, depending on the size. Test taste before removing the pasta from the water.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the scarpinocc from the pot and add it to the melted butter and sage. Carefully mix the pasta and butter together over a low heat for a minute or so. Serve immediately with extra grated cheese if required.

What to do with leftovers.

Leftover cooked and dressed scarpinocc can be kept sealed in the fridge for 2-3 days and reheated in the microwave.

Uncooked scarpinocc can be frozen and then cooked without defrosting. Freeze the filled pasta spread out on a tray or plate. Then transfer to a freezer bag.

Leftover filling, if you have any, is delicious fried in butter or oil like fritters!

FAQ

Let me know how your scarpinocc turn out!

I absolutely love the flavours in this rustic and unique filled pasta. This is Italian mountain fare at its most delicious! If you make this pasta at home, I'd love to hear how it turns out. Write a comment here on the blog or join and post a comment and photo on my Pastaliciousness Facebook group.

Your feedback is important to me!

Buon appetito!

Pin for Later.

Other rustic filled pasta to try.

1. Ofelle gnocchi ravioli from Friuli Venezia Giulia
2. Ligurian potato and mint ravioli
3. Fried rye flour ravioli from the South Tyrol
4. Prune and fig sweet ravioli from the Carnia Alps.
5. Casoncelli pasta (casonsei) from Lombardy

If you are interested in learning how to make homemade pasta and different types of gnocchi, check out my shop page for some great video online courses from my friends in Rome! Nothing beats learning to make pasta from Italians! Plus while you’re there why not order a copy of one of my pasta recipe cookbooks or some pasta making tools? They make great prezzies for pasta lovers.