These corzetti pasta are tossed in a light, glossy sauce of fresh garlic, herbs, olive oil, and lemon zest. While they look stunning, corzetti are a very simple handmade pasta. They couldn't be easier or more delicious!
Why I love it:
This corzetti with herbs recipe is a riff off of a classic Ligurian dish-- with its light and herby sauce made with pine nuts, olive oil, parmesan, and garlic.
I add a touch of lemon zest for extra freshness, and it’s just so delicious. I want to slurp the sauce when I make it, but then when it’s tossed with those gorgeous corzetti medallions, it’s a show-stopping dish.
Use any soft herbs you like. Marjoram is traditional but can be hard to find fresh, so I tend to use a mix of parsley, oregano and chives.
If you don’t have corzetti stamps, you can press circles of dough on any patterned or textured surface (like a gnocchi board). But once you start browsing Etsy for corzetti stamps, that problem will be solved for you: they have so many gorgeous and cute options.
Keep reading for tips to make the best homemade corzetti!
What are corzetti?
Corzetti (also known as corzetti stampati) are stamped medallion pastas that have been around since the Renaissance era in Liguria, Italy.
Wealthy families used to engrave the stamps with their family coat of arms, and corzetti pasta became a symbol of nobility. They’re a flat, coin-shaped pasta with an intricate stamped surface.
I love to serve them with pesto or other light sauces that cling to the pasta and let the embossed details shine through. They’re just so stunning!
corzetti ingredients
- homemade pasta dough
- extra-virgin olive oil
- garlic
- butter
- pine nuts
- parmesan
- soft herbs (parsley, chives, oregano, marjoram)
- lemon
How to make corzetti:
- Make egg pasta dough.
- Roll it out to a thickness of 4 on a Kitchen Aid pasta roller.
- Generously dust the pasta with flour.
- Cut it into rounds (use a corzetti stamp or cookie cutter) and stamp.
- Cook the fresh corzetti for 2- 3 minutes in boiling water.
- Meanwhile, sauté garlic in olive oil. Add butter and ½ cup pasta water.
- Swirl the sauce and simmer until it’s thickened and emulsified.
- Add corzetti, parmesan, pine nuts, herbs and lemon zest.
- Cook another 1- 2 minutes, adding more pasta water if needed.
- Serve immediately!
Make ahead options:
- Corzetti pasta can be made up to 12 hours ahead and refrigerated.
- If I’m going to make them ahead, though, I prefer to just freeze them straight on the sheet pan.
- For one, this helps me pry off any corzetti that may have stuck without stretching out their shape.
- It also preserves them so they look and stay super fresh. Egg dough can start to discolor after about a day and turn a terrible grey color!
- Transfer frozen corzetti to a reusable plastic bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
More homemade pasta recipes to try:
corzetti with herbs
These corzetti pasta are tossed in a light, glossy of fresh garlic, herbs, olive oil, and lemon zest. While they look stunning, corzetti are a very simple handmade pasta. They couldn't be easier, or more delicious!
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Handmade
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- semolina flour, for dusting
- 1 batch pasta dough
- 00 or all-purpose flour, for rolling
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp butter, cubed
- ½ cup toasted pine nuts, chopped
- ¼ cup finely grated parmesan
- ½ cup finely chopped soft herbs (mix like parsley, chives, oregano, marjoram)
- 1 lemon, zested
Instructions
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and dust lightly with semolina flour; set aside. Cut the pasta dough into 4 pieces and work with one at a time, keeping the rest covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the pasta dough into a semi- thin sheet, about ⅛ inch thick. If using a pasta roller, start on the widest setting and gradually roll it to setting 4 on the Kitchen Aid attachment.
- Use the base of a corzetti stamp, or a 2 ½-inch round cutter, to cut out circles of dough. Stamp each circle with the corzetti stamp to imprint its design, dusting the stamp generously with 00 flour to help release the dough. If desired, place the dough circle in between two corzetti stamps and press together to imprint both sides. Transfer to the prepared sheet pan and repeat with remaining circles and pieces of dough.
- Let the corzetti dry 15 minutes at room temperature, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over low heat. Cook until fragrant, but not colored.
- Add corzetti to the boiling water and cook 2- 3 minutes, until just tender.
- Add butter and ½ cup pasta water to the garlic oil and bring to a simmer for about 1 minute, swirling the pan constantly, until emulsified and thickened.
- Use a spider to transfer corzetti to the sauce. Add pine nuts, parmesan, herbs and lemon zest and cook, stirring and tossing for 1 minute to marry the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If needed, add another splash of cooking water to loosen the sauce.
- Serve immediately, spooning extra sauce on top.
Notes
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 488
- Sugar: 1.3g
- Sodium: 439mg
- Fat: 44g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 28.7g
- Trans Fat: 0.3g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 2.2g
- Protein: 19g
- Cholesterol: 439mg
AI Flashcards Maker says
I love how approachable you’ve made corzetti—especially the tip about using textured surfaces instead of a stamp. It’s such a great reminder that you don’t need fancy tools to make beautiful, flavorful pasta at home.
Indi Hampton says
Thanks so much!
Mike says
Hi Indi, This is a great recipe! I need to be on the lookout for the Corzetti stamps. I looked at them on Esty and although they are very nice they are a little too expensive right now. One other thing I'd like to mention is the link you provided for the "Make Perfect Ravioli" guide does not work. I would like to have it if possible. Thanks.
Indi Hampton says
Oh shoot, I'm sorry to hear that! Here's the link! https://www.withspice.com/perfect-ravioli/