Croxetti or Corzetti

Croxetti vs Corzetti

Croxetti, or Coins, are a wafer-thin, hand-stamped pasta which is a specialty of the Ligurian region of Italy. Coat of arms, family crests, and other motifs, like sailboats, are stamped on both sides.  And they are  used on special occasions such as weddings.

We found a dried version of them at the Rosario Pino's Artisan Foods shop and thought they would be fun to try.

However, I thought we bought Corzetti, or Little Crosses, which are its sister pasta from Genoa. The recipe I found for them was for Corzetti, not Croxetti.

I wouldn't make either of them again --- at least the way I did --- but I am sure that the freshly made version are fantastic.  If I ever get to Genoa, I will try the real deal.

They are served in a browned butter sauce with pine nuts and marjoram.

Pine nuts and marjoram are ground together.  You are supposed to use fresh marjoram, but I only had dried.  So, that was one reason why mine wasn't so good.    2 T. fresh marjoram and 1/3 cup of pine nuts is what the recipe called for.

The recipe also called for 2 sticks of butter but I only used one.  Seemed like too much butter, but maybe that is another reason why it wasn't very good.

I do know how to brown butter until it turns nutty.  You cook the butter and nuts and marjoram, just until they turn golden brown---it will foam ---  then turn it down to very, very low while you cook the pasta.

Cook the pasta per the directions --- ours took 9 minutes -- then add it directly to the pan, including about 1/4 cup of the pasta liquid.

Saute them in the sauce until each wafer is covered well in the butter and nut mixture.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Then spoon them out in bowls. 

And add lots of grated Parmesan cheese.

It was a fun experiment but not one I would repeat.

Corzetti vs. Croxetti.

B