Cappelletti Romagnoli in Brodo

Ingredients

• For the sfoglia
• 300 g tipo 00 flour
• 3 eggs, whole, room temperature
• For the filling
• 150 g raviggiolo or squacquerone, or substitute equal parts fresh ricotta and stracchino if unavailable
• 80 g Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
• 1 egg, whole
• 1 pinch nutmeg, freshly grated
• For the brodo
• 1.5 kg capon, whole or jointed
• 2 litres cold water
• 1 carrot, peeled
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 white onion, halved
• 1 tsp fine sea salt

Method

1. 1
   Prepare the brodo first. Place the capon, carrot, celery, onion, and salt in a large pot. Cover with cold water and bring slowly to a bare simmer over medium heat. Skim the surface repeatedly until the broth runs clear. Maintain the lowest possible simmer for two to three hours. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. The finished broth must be golden, clear, and deeply flavoured — held to the light, it should show no cloudiness.
2. 2
   Prepare the filling the same day it will be used. Combine the raviggiolo or squacquerone with the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, the egg, and a grating of nutmeg. Work together with a fork until the mixture is smooth and cohesive. It must hold its shape when rolled into a small ball but remain creamy — not stiff, not runny.
3. 3
   Make the sfoglia. Mound the flour on a clean board, make a well, and break in the eggs. Work from the centre outward until a dough forms. Knead firmly for eight to ten minutes until the dough is smooth, supple, and springs back slowly when pressed with a finger. Wrap and rest for thirty minutes.
4. 4
   Roll the sfoglia as thin as possible — the sheet should be nearly translucent. Cut into circles of 4–5 cm diameter using a round cutter or glass. Work quickly: the soft cheese filling migrates moisture into the dough and makes sealing progressively more difficult as time passes. This is the step on which the dish lives or dies — a poorly sealed cappelletto will open in the broth and the filling will dissolve, collapsing both texture and flavour.
5. 5
   Place a small amount of filling — no more than half a teaspoon — at the centre of each circle. Fold the circle into a half-moon and press the edges firmly to seal, expelling any trapped air. Then bring the two pointed ends of the half-moon around the tip of a finger and pinch them together firmly. The finished shape should resemble a small hat or bishop's mitre, roughly 3 cm across. Seal is confirmed by pressing the join: it should feel uniformly bonded with no soft or damp gaps.
6. 6
   Bring the strained brodo to a steady simmer in a wide pot. Add the cappelletti in batches. Cook for 2–3 minutes. They are done when they float to the surface and the pasta feels tender but with a faint resistance when one is pressed between thumb and finger.
7. 7
   Ladle into warm bowls, ensuring a generous proportion of broth to cappelletti. The broth must remain clear and golden in the bowl — any murkiness indicates seals were lost during cooking. Serve immediately. The remaining broth in the bowl is drunk directly.