This sweet-savory version uses potato dough, which gives the dumplings a soft, tender texture. The choice that matters is the smoked ricotta on top, whose salt and smoke balance the sweetness of the filling and the brown butter. Keep the flour to a minimum and the dough stays pasta rather than armor.
Make ahead Mix the filling a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge, so shaping day is only dough and folding.
Cjarsons
Prep 1 hr 10 min · Cook 40 min · Rest 30 min · Serves 4 · Difficulty Hard
Method
Boil the potatoes in their skins until tender, peel hot, and rice onto the board. Cool to warm.
30 min
Knead the riced potato with flour and salt into a soft, barely tacky dough, like gnocchi dough that decided to behave. Rest 30 minutes under a bowl.
35 min
Mix the filling: ricotta, raisins, herbs, cocoa, cinnamon, sugar, and lemon zest. Taste and adjust: it should read as sweet and lightly spiced, with the cocoa and cinnamon present but not covering the ricotta.
8 min
Roll the dough 2 to 3 mm thin on a floured board and cut 7 cm rounds. Fill each with a teaspoon of ripieno, fold to a half-moon, and crimp the edge into little pleats.
30 min
Poach the cjarsons in gently simmering salted water until they float and feel set, 4 to 5 minutes.
5 min
Melt the butter until it just browns and smells of hazelnuts.
4 min
Plate the cjarsons, spoon over the brown butter, and bury them under grated smoked ricotta and a breath of cinnamon. Serve immediately.
Kitchen notes
Smoked ricotta is the signature. Without ricotta affumicata the dish loses its mountain accent. A hard smoked scamorza, finely grated, is the least-wrong substitute.
Keep the dough soft. Add flour only until the dough stops sticking to your palms; an overfloured dough makes armor instead of pasta.
Cjarsons fillings vary between families. Make this sweet-savory version first, then adjust the herbs and spice to your taste.
