Cappelletti Romagnoli in Brodo

Cappelletti — 'little hats' — are Romagna's answer to Bologna's tortellini, and the distinction between the two is a matter of deep regional pride that has fuelled gentle warfare across the Via Emilia for centuries. Where tortellini use a meat filling, traditional Romagnol cappelletti are filled with fresh cheese: a blend of raviggiolo or squacquerone (fresh, creamy cow's milk cheeses from Romagna), Parmigiano-Reggiano, egg, and nutmeg. Some families add a small amount of ricotta. The shape differs from tortellini: cappelletti are formed from small circles of sfoglia rather than squares, folded into a half-moon, and then the two ends are brought together and pinched — creating a shape that resembles a small hat or a bishop's mitre. They are smaller than tortelloni but slightly larger and plumper than tortellini. Like tortellini, the canonical service is in brodo — a rich capon or mixed meat broth. The broth carries the same importance as in Bologna: it must be clear, golden, and deeply flavoured. Christmas dinner in Romagna without cappelletti in brodo is simply not Christmas. The cheese filling produces a lighter, more delicate result than the meat-filled Bolognese tortellino, and the interaction between the mild, creamy filling and the rich capon broth is a perfect expression of Romagnol simplicity — fewer ingredients, more finesse.