Name: Cappelletti romagnoli
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Cuisine: Italian, Romagna / Emilia-Romagna
Ingredients: 300 g Italian 00 flour, plus a little for dusting; 3 large eggs, about 165 g without shells; 180 g whole-milk ricotta, well drained; 100 g casatella, crescenza or other mild soft cheese, well drained; 90 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated; 1 egg yolk; 1 g freshly grated nutmeg, a generous pinch; 1 g fine sea salt, only if needed; 1 g black pepper, optional; 2 L clear capon or chicken broth, well strained and moderately salted

Cappelletti romagnoli: wide hero view of small folded hat-shaped filled pasta parcels served in clear broth

Prep1 h 30 min

Cook15 minutes

Total2 h 15 min

Yield6 first-course servings

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The dish

About Cappelletti romagnoli

Cappelletti are one of Romagna’s classic festive pastas and are strongly associated with Christmas broth. Their name refers to the little hat shape created by folding a filled pasta square and joining the corners into a compact ring.

Fillings vary sharply within Romagna. Emilia-Romagna Tourism notes both cheese and meat traditions; areas around Ravenna and Cesena are especially associated with lean cheese fillings, while other zones, including Rimini, may favor meat. This recipe chooses the cheese-filled version for a clear regional expression.

The pasta should be rolled thin enough to seal without a bulky seam. The filling is intentionally firm: well-drained ricotta combines with a soft local-style cheese and Parmigiano, seasoned lightly with nutmeg so it remains delicate in broth.

The cappelletti cook directly in clear broth. They are ready when the pasta is tender and the parcels float freely, usually within several minutes. A low simmer protects the seals and keeps the broth clear.

Bigoli absorb sauce during the final toss. Reserved cooking water is added gradually, not all at once, until the onion and olive oil form a glossy coating around every strand. The pan should finish almost dry beneath the pasta, without a separate oily puddle.

Technique

Three things that matter

Drain the cheese filling. A firm dry filling seals more cleanly and is less likely to burst.
Work with small pasta batches. Fresh sheets dry quickly; covering unused dough keeps edges flexible enough to seal.
Simmer, do not boil hard. Gentle broth protects the folded hats and keeps the soup clear.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Everything needed to prepare the dish, arranged for fast scanning before cooking.

Ingredients

Egg pasta

300 gItalian 00 flourplus a little for dusting
3large eggsabout 165 g without shells

Romagna-style cheese filling

180 gwhole-milk ricottawell drained
100 gcasatella, crescenza or other mild soft cheesewell drained
90 gParmigiano Reggianofinely grated
1egg yolk
1 gfreshly grated nutmega generous pinch
1 gfine sea saltonly if needed
1 gblack pepperoptional

For serving

2 Lclear capon or chicken brothwell strained and moderately salted

Step by step

Method

Make pasta and filling

Knead the egg dough. Combine flour and eggs and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
The dough should feel satin-smooth and spring back slowly when pressed.
Mix a dry cheese filling. Combine drained ricotta, soft cheese, Parmigiano, egg yolk and nutmeg. Season cautiously with salt and optional pepper.
A small spoonful should hold a mound rather than spread.

Roll and shape the cappelletti

Roll thin sheets. Divide the dough into portions and pass through progressively thinner pasta-machine settings to about 1 mm. Keep unused dough covered.
The sheet should be thin and flexible without tearing.
Cut and fill squares. Cut 4.5–5 cm squares. Place about 1 teaspoon filling in the centre of each, leaving a clean border.
The filling should be compact enough that no cheese reaches the sealing edge.
Fold into little hats. Fold each square diagonally into a triangle, press the edges firmly, then bring the two long corners around a fingertip and pinch them together.
Each cappelletto should be sealed with a clear hollow centre and joined tips.
Hold on a dusted tray. Arrange in a single layer on semolina-dusted trays and cover loosely while shaping the remainder.
The pasta should stay dry enough not to stick but flexible enough not to crack.

Cook in broth

Simmer the broth. Bring the strained broth to a gentle steady simmer and check seasoning.
Small bubbles should rise without violent rolling.
Cook the cappelletti. Add the pasta in batches if necessary and simmer 4–6 minutes, until tender and floating freely.
The folded seam should be cooked through with no chalky raw pasta at the thickest point.
Serve in the broth. Ladle pasta and broth into warm bowls, allowing roughly 12–15 cappelletti per person depending on size.
The broth should remain clear and the parcels intact.

Practical guidance

Regional filling variations

Romagna has both lean cheese and meat-filled cappelletti traditions. This recipe follows a cheese-rich style; meat versions should not be treated as incorrect, only different.

Cheese moisture

Drain ricotta and soft cheese before mixing. Wet filling is the most common cause of leaking parcels.

Freezing

Freeze shaped cappelletti in one layer, then bag when solid. Cook from frozen without thawing, adding a minute or two.

Broth

Capon broth is especially festive, while clear chicken broth is an accessible everyday substitute.

Troubleshooting

The pasta opens in broth. The edges were floury, dry or contaminated with filling. Keep borders clean, moist enough to seal and pinch firmly.
The filling leaks while shaping. It is too wet or over-portioned. Drain the cheeses longer and use a smaller teaspoonful.
The corners crack when joined. The sheet dried before folding. Work in smaller batches and keep unused pasta covered.
The broth becomes cloudy. The boil was too vigorous or excessive loose flour entered the pot. Simmer gently and dust trays sparingly.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 1 first-course bowl
Calories: approximately 480 kcal
Carbohydrates: 49 g
Protein: 26 g
Fat: 20 g
Fibre: 2 g
Sodium: approximately 1,300 mg

Broth salinity and the specific soft cheese used have the greatest effect on sodium.

Allergens and food safety

Contains wheat/gluten, egg and milk.

Keep ricotta and soft cheese refrigerated until mixing and do not leave filled raw pasta warm for extended periods.

If using homemade poultry broth, handle cooked poultry and stock safely, cool promptly and reheat to a full simmer before service.

FAQ

Are cappelletti the same as tortellini?

They are related filled pastas but differ in regional tradition, filling formulas and shaping proportions. Cappelletti are especially associated with Romagna and their little-hat form.

Must the filling contain meat?

No. Romagna has established cheese-filled and meat-filled traditions; the cheese version is particularly associated with parts of Ravenna and Cesena.

Can cappelletti be frozen?

Yes. Freeze them on trays until firm, then bag and cook directly from frozen in simmering broth.

Final note

What matters most

Result: Small, neatly folded Romagna pasta hats with a creamy savory cheese centre, served tender but intact in clear aromatic broth.
Key: Keep the filling dry, roll the pasta thin, seal every edge cleanly and cook at a gentle simmer.

About Cappelletti romagnoli

Three things that matter

Ingredients

Ingredients

Egg pasta

Romagna-style cheese filling

For serving

Method

Practical guidance

Regional filling variations

Cheese moisture

Freezing

Broth

Troubleshooting

Nutrition per serving

Allergens and food safety

FAQ

Are cappelletti the same as tortellini?

Must the filling contain meat?

Can cappelletti be frozen?

What matters most

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