Corzetti with Brown Butter and Marjoram

Corzetti, ‘little crosses,’ are a type of pasta made in the Ligurian region of Italy, cut and pressed to resemble a 14th century Genoan coin. Corzetti date back to the Middle Ages, and since they were originally embossed with a cross, many food historians believe they represented the cross used by the Genoese crusaders during the late thirteenth century.

Another popular corzetti design was a stamp embossed with the seal of the Doria family, the most powerful family in the Genoese republic. During the Renaissance, the idea caught on and many noble families had stamps carved with their own coat of arms. They were used on special occasions and became heirlooms, handed down from one generation to the next.

Nowadays, you can find these stamps in small artisan shops in the Ligurian region of Italy or even on the internet. Although far less romantic, that’s where I bought mine 🙂

Corzetti are traditionally served with one of three sauces, a light basil pesto, walnut sauce, or pine nut marjoram sauce. For this recipe, I chose to dress them with a marjoram infused brown butter. The marjoram gives the brown butter a fresh and mild woodsy flavor that plays beautifully off this pasta.

To begin, place the flour in a mound on your work surface. Then, form a well in the middle and add the eggs and salt. Then, using a fork, break the egg yolks and lightly scramble the eggs. Using your fingers, gradually incorporate the ingredients until they form a dough. If necessary, add water in small increments until the dough comes together. Then, knead the dough for 5 to 6 minutes, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

After the dough has rested cut off an egg sized chunk of dough and cover the remaining dough so it doesn’t dry out. Dust the dough with flour so it doesn’t stick to the pasta machine, flatten it with your hands and run it through on the widest setting on the roller. Then, adjust the setting to the next widest setting and repeat. If the dough sticks to the rollers, or it looks pitted as it comes out the bottom of the roller, dust with flour. Continue this process until the dough is about 1/8″ thick. On my pasta machine, it’s number 3. The dough should be a little thicker than what you would typically aim for when making fresh pasta. You need the thickness in order to effectively stamp the coin.

Lay the pasta sheets on a flat work surface, and using the hollow side of the corzetti stamp, cut out the coin shapes. Then, use the stamp to emboss the design. Allow the pasta to dry for an hour before cooking.

To make the sauce, add butter to a large saute pan and cook over high heat until it bubbles and foams, and then browns. Then, turn the heat off and add the marjoram. Allow it to sit in the hot butter for 5-10 minutes, then remove the marjoram from the butter and set aside. (It’s okay if some of the leaves remain.)

Cook the corzetti in a pot of salted, boiling water for a few minutes, or until al dente. When they are done, remove them with a slotted spoon and add to the skillet with the sauce. Toss the corzetti with the sauce, garnish with a sprig of fresh marjoram, and a sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano. Enjoy!