Polenta casoncelli with rabbit

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Polenta casoncelli with rabbit
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it es br fr de
604
Calories per serving
  • Energy Kcal 604
  • Carbohydrates g 45.8
  •   of which sugars g 3.6
  • Protein g 31.6
  • Fats g 31.7
  •   of which saturated fat g 14.79
  • Fiber g 2.4
  • Cholesterol mg 183
  • Sodium mg 837
  • Difficulty: Average
  • Prep time: 50 min
  • Cook time: 45 min
  • Serving: 4
  • Cost: Average
  • Note plus the pasta resting times

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Roberto Cerea

Casoncelli of polenta with rabbit is a classic from the heart of Lombardy, where family tables come alive on weekends with dishes that feel both tender and rich. And Casoncelli recipes are different—really different. In Brescia and Bergamo, folks have their own twist, using a thicker dough that keeps that candy-wrapper look after boiling. What makes this dish special? The filling: a mix of polenta, the kind Bergamasca families whip up on Sundays, blended with creamy Taleggio cheese. So so good. The moist, cheesy polenta inside gives a mild, comforting taste, and the Italian stuffed pasta gets a touch of young Parmesan at the end to bring everything together without overshadowing the polenta flavor. It’s the kind of meal you imagine sharing with relatives, passing big bowls around, savoring a meal that stretches all afternoon. And the sauce? A cool twist in Chef Roberto Cerea’s version includes the polenta with rabbit—instead of the usual rabbit stew with polenta on the side, he incorporates cubes of rabbit saddle directly into the pasta dish. The rabbit is quickly seared to keep it juicy and tender, adding a depth and uniqueness not found in every homemade casoncelli. Seriously good. This nod to traditional Lombard cuisine is also a smart way to use leftovers—making the meal both rustic and a bit fancy. And you know what? The dough maintains its golden hue from the eggs, and the filling has just enough of a creamy pull thanks to the Taleggio. For anyone who loves rustic Italian recipes or Northern Italian dishes, this one’s a real delight. It takes time, sure, but that’s what makes it so rewarding—everyone gets to dig in and enjoy the blend of flavors that have been passed down and given a little twist. Family, good food, and a touch of kitchen creativity all come together in this classic dish, making it a must-try for any culinary enthusiast. Can't go wrong.

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INGREDIENTS

604
Calories per serving
Ingredients for the egg pasta
Eggs 1.75 oz (50 g) - (about 1)
Egg yolks 1 tbsp (13 g) - (approximately 1)
Type 00 flour 1 ¼ cup (145 g)
Semolina 3 ½ tbsp (35 g)
Extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp
Fine salt to taste
Water 1.8 tbsp (27 g)
for the filling
Whole corn flour ⅓ cup (40 g)
Water ¾ cup (180 g)
Whole milk 0.3 cup (75 g)
Fine salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Taleggio cheese 2.8 oz (80 g)
Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 0.75 oz (20 g) - (16-18 months of aging)
for creaming
Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1.75 oz (50 g)
Butter 2 tbsp (25 g)
for the rabbit
Rabbit saddle 8.8 oz (250 g)
Red wine 1.7 oz (50 g)
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
Rosemary 1 sprig
Butter 1 tbsp (15 g)
Fine salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
for garnish
Oregano to taste - fresh

For the egg pasta

To prepare the polenta casoncelli with rabbit, first make the egg pasta. Pour the flour and semolina 1 onto a work surface, form a well 2, and place the egg and the yolk in the center 3.

Add the oil 4, a pinch of salt 5, and the water 6.

Knead with your hands 7, being careful to break the eggs well and mix everything. If the dough is too hard, you can add a bit more water. Knead 8 until you obtain a soft, elastic, and homogeneous dough. Then wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes 9.

For the filling

At this point, prepare the polenta. Heat the water, salt it 1, and when it starts to boil, pour in the flour gradually 2 and cook, stirring 3 with a wooden spoon for about 40 minutes,

until it is firm 4. Meanwhile, cut the taleggio cheese into cubes 5. Once cooked, it's important that the polenta is hot but not boiling, otherwise, the cheese will break apart when you add it. Add the taleggio and stir to melt it 6.

Then add the Parmesan 7 and stir again to melt everything 8. Soften the filling by adding milk 9.

Pour it slowly to better adjust the final consistency 10. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper as needed. Place a strainer over a bowl and transfer the polenta into it. Then sieve it 11 to obtain a smoother filling 12, then transfer it into a piping bag and let it cool for about half an hour.

To compose the casoncelli

After 30 minutes, roll out the dough 1. Use a pasta machine and decrease the thickness with each pass (2-3), until you get a very thin sheet. It should be about 1/32 to 1/16 inch thick.

Roll it all out and always cover the part you are not using with a cloth to prevent it from drying 4. At this point, start cutting the dough with a 2 1/2 inch round cutter 5, to make discs that will be your casoncelli. Then take the polenta and pipe some dollops in the center of each circle 6.

At this point, use a mister to moisten the surface of the pasta 7, this will help them seal better so the filling won't come out. Fold the casoncelli in half (8-9),

sealing the edges well 9. Then turn it over and gently press in the center 11 to create an impression. Continue in this way with all the others 12.

For the rabbit and the cooking of the casoncelli

Place a pot full of water on the stove for cooking the pasta. Set aside the casoncelli and take the rabbit saddle. Cut it to obtain precise cubes about 1/2 to 3/4 inch in size 1. At this point, the cooking will be parallel. As soon as the water starts to boil, drop the casoncelli in 2. Heat a drizzle of oil in a pan until it almost reaches the smoke point, add the rabbit cubes, spacing them well apart 4.

Season with salt and pepper 4. Wait 1-2 minutes, and when they are well browned on one side, turn the rabbit over with a spoon 5. Deglaze with red wine 6

and let it evaporate 7. Remove from the heat, add a knob of butter 8, and a couple of sprigs of rosemary 9. Stir with the spoon.

At this point, the casoncelli should also have been floating for a few minutes and will be cooked. Drain them using a slotted spoon 10 and transfer them to another pan. Add the butter 11, turn the heat back on, and let it melt slowly 12.

Add the Parmesan 13 and cream them by gently mixing. If the temperature is too high, add a splash of cold water 14. The casoncelli are ready 15; all that's left is to plate them.

To plate the dish

Now that everything is ready, it's time to plate. Place the casoncelli 1, add a bit of their sauce 2, arrange the rabbit cubes nearby 3,

a bit of the cooking juices 4, and fresh oregano leaves 5. Serve your polenta-filled casoncelli with rabbit while still hot 6!

Storage

Raw casoncelli can be stored in the refrigerator for a few hours. Alternatively, they can be frozen.

Once cooked, they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.

Advice

If you want, you can use 7 oz of ready-made polenta and soften it with milk before sieving.

Adding oil to the egg pasta helps to give the dough more elasticity.

To work the dough better, before letting it rest, you can use a pasta machine. Just roll it out, fold it, and roll it out again 3-4 times until it is smooth.

The polenta should be quite firm, cook it for at least 40 minutes.

When adding cheese to a dish, it's important that it is not at a boiling point, otherwise, the cheese will break. In this case, the ideal temperature for the polenta when adding the cheese is 158-176°F at most.

We recommend choosing a less aged Parmesan so as not to overpower the taste of the polenta.

The saddle is the driest part of the rabbit, sear it quickly to keep it tender.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.
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