Maria’s Cappelletti in Meat Stock

Emma Lee

Eighty-five-year-old Maria loves making pasta—she especially enjoys rolling it out. She uses semolina flour from one brand, De Cecco, and a pasta flour from another, Spadoni, to create the dough she likes for cappelletti. Cappelletti means “little hats,” and they have been made since medieval times. They used to be a Christmas Day treat, but now they are enjoyed all year round. Fillings vary across Emilia Romagna. In Faenza, it is a mixture of cheeses. Maria uses equal quantities of a local soft cheese called bucciatello, Parmigiano Reggiano, and cow’s milk ricotta. If you can’t find bucciatello, swap it for any soft or semi-soft cheese that you can mash with a fork, such as robiola.

Serves 6

• 1 gallon meat stock (see recipe below)

For the pasta:

• 1 2/3 cups (7 ounces) 00 flour or plain (all-purpose) flour
• 3 1/2 ounces finely ground semolina flour
• 3 eggs

For the filling:

• 7 ounces grated Parmigiano Reggiano (preferably aged for 36 months)
• 7 ounces cow’s milk ricotta, drained weight
• 7 ounces soft cheese, e.g., robiola or bucciatello (see introduction)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

To serve:

• Grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Make the pasta dough as described in the Egg Pasta Dough recipe, leaving it to rest for at least an hour, or ideally overnight, before rolling.