A typical product of Brescia: the casoncello di Longhena

Longhena is a town in the Brescia area where casoncelli were produced industrially for the first time. Casoncelli are a type of stuffed pasta made in this area, and are considered the only real first course typical of the Brescia area. Until the seventies they were produced only for consumption on the spot, and therefore tourists could taste them on site. But then the idea arose to produce them also to export them on the national territory. This has not affected the quality of the preparation, which is carried out in various ways. The pasta is basically prepared, which must be very thin and made with quality flours. The wheat used is the Senatore Cappelli variety. The filling can be of various kinds. There are casoncelli with braised beef and those with only vegetables (spinach, chicory, turnip greens). There are the 'poor' ones, with grated bread, cheeses and various herbs; there are those with radicchio and speck or with pumpkin and pear mustard. All the ingredients used are zero kilometer.