Casoncelli are a variant of agnolotti del plin (folded from a small square) that are folded from a disk of pasta. They have the appearance of caramelle. They originate in Bergamo and Brescia in northern Italy, where in dialect they are called ‘casonsèi’ and their tradition is very ancient. The first documents that talk about casoncelli, date back to the 15th century.
There is a difference between Brescian and Bergamo casoncelli. They are known by the same name yet the Bergamo casoncelli has a thicker outer pasta than that of Brescia. The Brescia casoncelli has a very delicate filling of bread, butter and Grana Padano cheese (similar to Parmesan but more mild) which should be visible in each casoncelli. The thicker pasta of the Bergamo casoncelli is filled with a richer filling of, for example, veal and cheese.
Of course there are variations of fillings that can include breadcrumb, cooked ham, herbs and nutmeg (Brescia). Regardless of filling, casoncelli are traditionally served with a sauce of butter, sage and Grana Padano.