🇮🇹 Italian · Pasta
🥟 Cjarsons della Carnia
Cjarsons
A remarkable stuffed pasta from the Carnia mountains combining sweet and savory in one filling — potato, herbs, raisins, cinnamon, and cocoa — finished with melted butter, smoked ricotta, and sugar.
Cjarsons is one of the most unusual pasta fillings in all of Italy, its combination of savory potato and herbs with raisins, chocolate, and cinnamon reflecting the mountainous Carnia area's isolation and its own distinct culinary evolution.
Ingredients
Equipment: Mixing bowl, Pasta machine, Round cutter
- 400 g (3 cups) 00 flour
- 2 eggs
- 150 ml (⅔ cup) water, approximately
- Pinch of salt
- 300 g (10.5 oz) potatoes, boiled and mashed
- 50 g (⅓ cup) raisins, soaked and chopped
- 30 g (1 oz) dark chocolate, grated
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Fresh mint and marjoram, chopped
- 80 g (⅓ cup) unsalted butter
- 60 g (⅔ cup) smoked ricotta, grated
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
Method
- Combine the flour, eggs, water, and salt into a smooth dough, kneading until elastic. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
- Combine the mashed potato with the raisins, grated chocolate, cinnamon, mint, and marjoram into a well-mixed filling.
- Roll the pasta dough thin and cut into rounds using a cutter, about 8cm across.
- Place a small spoonful of filling in the center of each round and fold in half, pressing the edges firmly to seal into a half-moon shape.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the cjarsons for 3–4 minutes until they float.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter until lightly browned and fragrant.
- Drain the pasta and toss gently in the browned butter.
- Serve immediately, topped with grated smoked ricotta and a light dusting of sugar.
Chef Tips
- This filling is genuinely meant to taste both sweet and savory at once — don't be tempted to reduce the sugar or chocolate.
- Seal the edges firmly, as the potato filling can be somewhat loose and prone to leaking if not sealed well.
- The final touch of sugar over the savory smoked ricotta is traditional and part of what makes this dish so distinctive.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Being hesitant about the sweet-savory combination and reducing the sugar or spice, which loses the dish's authentic character.
- Overfilling the pasta, making it difficult to seal properly.
- Skipping the smoked ricotta topping, which provides an essential contrast to the sweeter elements.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- Potato provides carbohydrates for energy, with modest amounts of protein from the cheese and eggs.
Cultural Note
Cjarsons hails from the remote Carnia mountains of Friuli, its unusual sweet-savory profile a testament to the area's isolated history and distinct culinary evolution separate from the rest of Italy.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Fresh, uncooked cjarsons can be frozen for up to 1 month.
Reheating: Best cooked fresh; do not reheat already-cooked pasta.
Serve with: A light white wine from Friuli