Pumpkin-Filled Pasta from Ferrara (Cappellacci di Zucca)
Cappellacci di zucca ferraresi Say it: kap-pel-LAH-chee dee TZOO-kah fer-rah-REH-zee
Cappellacci di zucca are the signature pasta of Ferrara, in Italy's Emilia-Romagna: generous squares of egg pasta folded into little pointed hats and stuffed with sweet roasted pumpkin, Parmigiano and nutmeg. They are the dish of the city's autumn and winter tables, above all on Christmas Eve, and they taste of both sweet and savoury at once — silky pasta, a soft amber filling, and a glossy dressing of butter melted with fresh sage. Rustic to look at, elegant to eat, and much easier to shape than they appear.
Pumpkin-Filled Pasta from Ferrara (Cappellacci di Zucca)
Cappellacci di zucca ferraresi
Pronounced kap-pel-LAH-chee dee TZOO-kah fer-rah-REH-zee
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 50 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr 35 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the filling
For the pasta dough
To finish
Method
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Cut the squash into large chunks, toss with the olive oil, 1/2 tsp of the salt and a few grinds of pepper, and roast on a tray cut-side down for 40-45 minutes, until a knife slides in with no resistance and the edges are caramelized and sticky.
Scoop the soft flesh into a bowl (you should have about 2 cups / 450 g) and mash it smooth. Spread it on a plate and let it steam-dry for 10 minutes, then press it with paper towels — a dry mash is what keeps the filling from bursting the pasta.
Mix the cooled squash with the Parmigiano, breadcrumbs, egg, nutmeg, the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and pepper until you have a firm, cohesive paste. Chill it, covered, for 30 minutes; a spoonful should hold its shape without slumping.
Mound the flour on a board, make a well, add the eggs and salt, and beat with a fork, drawing in flour from the edges. When it clumps, knead by hand for 8-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, silky and springs back when pressed. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Divide the dough into four pieces and roll each through a pasta machine down to the second-to-last setting, or with a pin to a sheet about 1/16 inch (2 mm) thin — you should be able to see your hand through it. Dust the sheets with semolina and cut them into 3-inch (7.5 cm) squares, keeping them under a cloth.
Place a scant 2 tsp (about 15 g) of filling in the centre of each square. Fold the square into a triangle, pressing from the filling outwards to push out all the air and seal the edges firmly.
Pick up the triangle and wrap the two long corners around your index finger so they meet, then pinch them together to close the hat shape. Set each cappellaccio on a semolina-dusted tray, not touching, and repeat with the remaining dough and filling — you should get 40-45 pieces.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it generously. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan with the sage leaves over low heat for 3-4 minutes, until the butter smells nutty and the sage is crisp at the edges; keep it warm.
Boil the cappellacci in batches of 12-15 for 4-6 minutes, until they float to the surface, the pasta is tender at the edges and a cut one shows a hot, soft filling. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly.
Tip the cappellacci into a warm serving bowl, spoon over the sage butter, fold gently once or twice to coat, and finish with plenty of grated Parmigiano. Serve at once.
Regional variant: Cappellacci con la salama da sugo (Ferrarese sausage sauce)
Boil a 9 oz (250 g) salama da sugo in water for 30 minutes, then peel and crumble the sausage. Soften 1 small chopped onion in 2 tbsp butter, add the crumbled salama and 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry red wine, and simmer 10 minutes, mashing it to a rough sauce; loosen with 1/4 cup (60 ml) cream if it looks dry. Dress the cappellacci with this instead of the sage butter and serve with Parmigiano.
Cook's notes
- Squeeze every drop of moisture from the roasted squash — wet filling tears the pasta and turns the sauce cloudy.
- If the filling feels soft, add another tablespoon of breadcrumbs rather than more egg, which toughens the dough.
- Freeze the shaped cappellacci on their tray until solid, then bag them; cook from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes.
Serve with
A glass of Fortana or Sangiovese di Romagna; a light salad of radicchio and fennel afterwards.
Make ahead and storage
Shape up to a day ahead and refrigerate covered, or freeze; reheat dressed pasta gently in a pan with a splash of pasta water.
