pisarei

Pisarei are tiny gnocchetti from the province of Piacenza. The dough has only flour, breadcrumbs and boiling water, so it fits none of the usual dough types. The cook rolls it into thin ropes, cuts bean-sized pieces, and presses each one with a thumb. The press leaves a small hollow that holds sauce. Tradition says a mother-in-law checked a bride's thumb for the callus that proved practice.

They come from Emilia-Romagna. They are almost always served as pisarei e fasö, with borlotti beans in tomato sauce. The sauce starts from a paste of lard, garlic and parsley. Legend places the dish in medieval convents that fed pilgrims on the Via Francigena. The dish is a Prodotto Agroalimentare Tradizionale and holds the De.Co. mark of Piacenza.