Cappelletti in Brodo – a Christmas dish
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There is no one agreed christmas menu in Italy, but in Emilia Romagna – and more particularly in Romagna – there’s little discussion surrounding the primo for christmas lunch – it’s got to be Cappelletti in Brodo! These tasty small filled pasta float in a meaty broth, perfect for warming up both body and spirit. Often the meat used in the preparation of the broth will then be served up as a second course in the same meal.
Ingredients for Cappelleti in Brodo
For the filling:
200 grms of minced pork loin
200 grms of minced veal
100 grms of capon (a capon is a castrated rooster) or chicken or turkey breast
100 grms. of ricotta cheese
1 egg
50 grms of parmesan cheese
salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg
olive oil
For the dough:
4 eggs
400 grms of white flour
For the broth:
ΒΌ capon (approx. 500 grms)
400 grms of lean beef
200 grms of beef or veal bones
3-4 ripe cherry tomatoes
2 carrots
2 celery sticks
1 potato
1 onion
2-3 cloves stuck in the onion
cheese crusts (from Parmesan, for example)
4 liters of water
How to make Cappelletti in Brodo
Start with the filling for the cappelletti. Gently fry your mincemeat in olive oil (you can use butter if you prefer) until fully cooked. Once cooked, mince it again to make it even finer. Add the ricotta, grated parmesan and beaten egg and mix well. Season the mixture with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, mixing well.
Next we’ll prepare the dough for the pasta. Spread your flour on a baking board, making a hole in the middle into which you’ll break your eggs. Having broken the eggs, start mixing the flour and eggs together, kneading it repeatedly until you have a good dough mixture. Add more flour if the mixture is too moist, or an egg white if it becomes too dry. Roll the dough into as thin a sheet as possible, and cut into squares of 6cm2. Place a spoonful of your filling in the centre of each square, mositen the edges of the dough with water, and fold over into little cones or hat shapes.
Now the broth. Boil your wate in a large pot and add all the meat, the vegetables and the cheese cruss once it boils. keep it on the boil for about three hours. Regularly scoop out the fatty foam that surfaces, and keep in mind that the capon will cook more quickly than the other meats – you can remove it about half way through, when it’s fully cooked.
After you’ve cooked the broth for the three hours, remove the meat and vegetables, and set aside to be served afterwards.
Now you’re ready to cook your cappelletti in the broth. They only take a couple of minutes. Throw them into the boiling broth – and, like tortelli, gnocchi etc you’ll know they’re cooked when they all float to the top of the broth.
How to serve
Serve the cappelletti floating in a healthy bowlful of broth, with plenty of parmesan grated over them.
What wine to drink with Cappelletti in Brodo?
Throughout Romagna you’ll be served up a Sangiovese Superiore with Cappelletti, and who are we to argue!
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Tags: broth, cappelletti, chicken, italian christmas recipes
