VegetarianEmiliana-Romagnola cuisine Main Course

Cappellacci di Zucca

Name: Cappellacci di Zucca
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Emiliana-Romagnola
Ingredients: 800 g zucca violina (butternut or violina squash); 300 g tipo 00 flour; 3 large Eggs; 100 g parmigiano reggiano pdo; 80 g Unsalted butter; 12 leaves Fresh sage; 0.5 tsp whole nutmeg; 1 tsp Fine sea salt; 0.5 tsp Black pepper

Ferrarese hat-shaped egg pasta filled with sweet roasted squash and Parmigiano Reggiano, tossed in melted sage butter.

🇮🇹Italy· Emilia-Romagna

Prep: 60 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 105 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 540 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

800 g zucca violina (butternut or violina squash) — peeled, seeded, and cut into large chunks
300 g tipo 00 flour — plus extra for dusting
3 large Eggs — at room temperature
100 g parmigiano reggiano pdo — finely grated
80 g Unsalted butter — cubed
12 leaves Fresh sage — washed and dried
½ tsp whole nutmeg — freshly grated
1 tsp Fine sea salt — plus extra for boiling pasta water
½ tsp Black pepper — freshly ground

Equipment

•Baking tray
•Potato masher
•Rolling pin or pasta machine
•Pastry cutter or sharp knife
•Large saucepan
•Wide frying pan

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 540 kcal
fat: 22 g
carbs: 68 g
fibre: 5 g
protein: 18 g
calories: 540 kcal

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
2
Roast the squash chunks on a dry baking tray for 40 minutes until completely tender and dry.
3
Mash the warm roasted squash thoroughly in a bowl using a fork or potato masher.
4
Mix in grated Parmigiano Reggiano, nutmeg, salt, and pepper until thick, then cool completely.
5
Tip flour onto a board, make a well, add eggs, and knead for 10 minutes into smooth dough.
6
Wrap the dough in cling film and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
7
Roll the dough thinly into sfoglia (pasta sheet) about 1 mm thick.
8
Cut the sfoglia into 7 cm squares and place a teaspoon of filling in the centre of each.
9
Fold diagonally into a triangle, press edges to seal, then join the two base corners to form a hat shape.
10
Cook cappellacci in a large pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 4 minutes until tender.
11
Melt butter in a wide frying pan over low heat with sage leaves until gently sizzling and fragrant.
12
Transfer cooked cappellacci with a slotted spoon into the sage butter and toss gently to coat.

Chef's tips

Bake the squash dry without oil to draw out moisture, as a wet filling will make the pasta soggy. If the filling feels loose, stir in an extra spoonful of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Ingredient substitutions

zucca violina → butternut squash or kabocha squash, both offering a similarly dense, sweet crumb
Parmigiano Reggiano PDO → Grana Padano PDO, which offers a slightly milder savoury profile

Storage

Freeze uncooked shaped cappellacci in a single layer on trays before bagging, or refrigerate cooked leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Reheating

Reheat gently in a warm frying pan over low heat with a spoonful of butter and a splash of water.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Leaving excess water in the squash, which makes the filling weep and bursts the pasta during cooking.
•Rolling the pasta sheet too thick, which makes the folded corners unpleasantly dense and chewy.

Serving suggestions

Spoon immediately into warm shallow bowls with a generous dusting of extra Parmigiano Reggiano.Alternatively, serve dressed with a slow-cooked Ferrarese meat ragù.