Go Back
Plate of cjarsons friulani with browned butter, grated smoked ricotta, and mint leaves on a linen tablecloth

Cjarsons Friulani: Sweet and Savory Ravioli from Carnia

Hand-folded Carnian pasta with a sweet-savory ricotta filling, dressed with browned butter and smoked ricotta affumicata.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta Dough
  • 300 g tipo 00 flour plus extra for dusting
  • 3 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 pinch fine salt
  • 1 to 2 tbsp water only if dough feels dry
Filling
  • 200 g whole-milk ricotta drained in a sieve for 30 minutes
  • 200 g floury potato boiled, peeled, riced while hot, then cooled
  • 40 g raisins soaked 10 minutes in warm water, drained and patted dry
  • 30 g dark chocolate 70% cocoa, finely grated
  • 10 g fresh mint leaves about 20 medium leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp fresh marjoram leaves chopped
  • 1 tsp lemon zest from 1 unwaxed lemon
  • 1 pinch cinnamon
  • 1 pinch fine salt
  • 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 egg yolk to bind the filling
To Dress
  • 80 g unsalted butter cut into cubes
  • 60 g ricotta affumicata for grating at the table
  • 4 to 6 fresh mint leaves to garnish, optional

Method
 

Make the Pasta Dough
  1. Mound the flour on a clean work surface and make a wide well in the center. Crack in the eggs and add the salt.
  2. Beat the eggs gently with a fork, gradually drawing in flour from the inner wall until a shaggy dough forms.
  3. Knead by hand for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and not sticky. Add water 1 tsp at a time only if the dough tears when stretched.
  4. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Make the Filling
  1. Combine the drained ricotta, riced potato, raisins, grated chocolate, mint, marjoram, lemon zest, cinnamon, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
  2. Add the egg yolk and mix until the filling is cohesive but not wet. It should hold its shape when pressed.
  3. Taste and adjust salt. The filling should taste slightly sweet, herbal, and faintly chocolatey.
Roll and Fill the Cjarsons
  1. Divide the dough into 4 portions. Keep unused portions covered. Roll one portion through a pasta machine from the widest setting down to setting 5 or 6 (about 2 mm), or roll by hand to the same thickness.
  2. Lay the sheet on a lightly floured surface. Cut rounds with a 9 cm cutter.
  3. Place 1 heaped teaspoon of filling in the center of each round. Do not overfill.
  4. Fold the dough over the filling to form a half-moon. Press the edges firmly with your fingertips to remove air, then crimp with a fork to seal.
  5. Transfer sealed cjarsons to a floured tray. Keep covered with a clean towel while you repeat with remaining dough and filling.
Cook and Dress
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil. Add a generous amount of salt.
  2. Cook cjarsons in batches of 8 to 10 for 3 to 4 minutes, until they float and the pasta feels tender at the sealed edge. Lift out with a slotted spoon.
  3. While the cjarsons cook, melt the butter in a light-colored skillet over medium heat. Cook, swirling often, for 3 to 4 minutes until the butter turns amber and smells nutty. Remove from heat immediately.
  4. Transfer cjarsons to warm plates. Spoon browned butter over the top. Grate ricotta affumicata generously over each portion. Garnish with a few mint leaves if you like.

Notes

The filling recipe above is a working base - traditional Carnian cooks add whatever herbs and dried fruit they have on hand, so feel free to introduce a few dried figs, a scrape of orange zest, or a few crushed pine nuts if they appeal to you.