These cappelletti from Romagna with capon or chicken breast or pork tenderloin, are easy to make, incredibly delicious and a great family project. And they’ve already made political headlines too!
Cappelletti or tortellini stuffed with chicken breast (originally capon breast) originated in Romagna, while the more famous recipe from Bologna calls for a filling of pork loin, prosciutto and mortadella. Don’t get it here in Mumbai though 🙂 And I was in the mood for the one with chicken. Served in chicken broth, they are also great on rainy days or when you are feeling under the weather. But in that case, I recommend having someone to cook for you 😉
Cappelletti are very similar to tortellini. Tortellini are formed from squares, cappelletti from a basic round shape. That’s it. They probably taste pretty much the same. The name cappelletti comes from the shape, which resembles a hat (cappello).
Controversy
The filling led to a political controversy in 2019, in connection with a festival in honor of the holy patron saint of Bologna. It was served for people who can not eat pork to the above tortellini also this one. The right-wing populist Salvini took this as an opportunity to rail against it in order to get attention. And to prove his ignorance of traditional recipes.
You can find this recipe already in the classic of Italian cuisine by Pellegrino Artusi from 1891 – La scienza in cucina e l’arte di mangiar bene, Science in the kitchen and the art of eating well.
Let Salvini grumble and we’ll enjoy it!
Capon
Whether you really want to eat capon, I leave to everyone to decide for themselves. Capons are roosters that are castrated after a few weeks of rearing. They also have their comb and wattle removed. This apparently makes their meat fatter and more tender and the roosters no longer fight each other. They grow up in the open air, not in a laying battery, so that there is still something positive to see in all this. See this article from the WELT.
In former times one did the whole thing by the way probably (at least in India) with all cocks. And then raised them for meat production, while the female chickens were responsible for laying eggs, see this interesting article from the Economic Times. However, the question of whether you want to eat this should please be asked about any chicken. Especially if they are not organic or from the local butcher you trust.
I hope you have despite everything still desire to the dish in the following. A dish that quasi messes with animal rights activists on the one hand and with right-wing politicians on the other.
As an alternative to capon, Pellegrino Artusi recommends pork tenderloin. I prepared the cappelletti with a simple chicken breast. I wouldn’t easily get anything else in India anyway. Regarding capon, I would have to find a butcher who is very much into tradition. You can get pork tenderloin online, but I’m unsure about the quality.
Here you can find my basic recipe for pasta dough with eggs.
Cappelletti all’uso di Romagna – stuffed with chicken breast
Equipment
- round cookie cutter 2 ⅔" diameter
Ingredients
- 500 g pasta dough with eggs
- 2 l chicken broth
For the filling
- 150 g ricotta
- 250 g capon breast alternatively pork tenderloin or chicken breast
- 25 g parmesan grated
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- some lemon peel grated
- 1 pinch salt
- some pepper
Instructions
- Braise the capon or chicken breast with a little salt and pepper in butter over a mild heat.
- When the chicken breast has cooled a bit, chop it finely. Another recipe said to put everything in a fine blender. That's up to you guys to decide.
- Mix the chicken breast with the rest of the ingredients and season to taste.
- Now roll out the dough thinly as described in the basic recipe and cut out round shapes, about 2 ⅔" in diameter.
- Place a heaping teaspoon of the filling in the center.
- Fold the cut out dough over to form a half moon and press the edges together. If the dough is too dry and does not stick together, moisten it a little beforehand. Press the edges flat or thin, if they are too thick they will stay very firm in bite.
- Now bring the two corners of the crescent together to form the cappelletti.
- Now let the cappelletti soak in chicken broth until they float to the top. The broth should be hot, but not bubbling.
- Serve the cappelletti in the broth.
Please rate my recipe before you leave 🙂:
Sources of the recipe:
- https://www.lacucinaitaliana.com/italian-food/italian-dishes/cappelletti-romagna-recipe-artusi?refresh_ce=
- Pellegrino Artusi – La scienza in cucina e l’arte di mangiar bene
Cooked with love on From zero to curry.
