This is an old classical favorite of my Italian grandfather Frank. They say that you only make this dish for the ones you truly love because the time, effort and love put into making each little morsel of goodness. Here is to our loved ones still with us and those who have passed on. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
PASTA:
3 1/2 cups
unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon
fine sea salt
5 large
eggs
1 tablespoon
extra-virgin olive oil (use if pasta is too dry)
FILLING AND BROTH:
1 ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
4 oz
(1/4 lb) ground pork
2 oz ground veal
4 oz prosciutto ham, diced
4 oz mortadella, diced (can find in a specialty
meat store)
2 large eggs
1 cup freshly grated parmigiano
cheese
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Salt & pepper to taste
6 cups chicken broth (can use store bought or homemade)
Instructions
FOR
PASTA: In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Mound flour mixture and
form a well in the center. Add eggs to the well. Using a fork, gently break up
yolks and slowly incorporate flour from inside rim of well. Continue until
liquid is absorbed, then knead in bowl until dough forms a complete mass.
Transfer to a well-floured work surface and knead for 3 to 4 minutes more. Wrap
dough tightly in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make
filling.
FOR
FILLING: In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, warm butter. Add pork, veal
and sauté until cooked through (about 5 minutes), stirring and breaking up meat
into bits with a wooden spoon. Transfer to a large plate and let cool to room
temperature. Place pork, veal, prosciutto and mortadella in a food processor
and process until well mixed. Place in a large bowl and add the eggs,
parmigiano cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix well my hand and let stand for
30 minutes before stuffing your pasta.
FOR
CAPPELLETTI:
Divide pasta dough into four pieces. Cover 3 pieces with
plastic wrap so it does not dry out (possibly even put a damp towel over if
your environment is very dry. Roll the dough with a rolling pin to 1/16 inch thick.
(If using a pasta roller, flatten dough so that it will fit through the rollers
of a hand-cranked pasta machine. Feed pasta through rollers 3 or 4 times,
folding and turning pasta until it is smooth and the width of the machine until
pasta sheet is about 1/16 inch thick. Cut sheets into 1½” X 1½” squares (keep
dough, sheets and squares covered with a clean damp dish towel while rolling
and cutting to avoid drying).
Place
1/4 teaspoon filling in center of each square. Fold diagonally opposite corners
to meet each other to form the cappelletti. Keep cappelletti covered with a
clean damp dishtowel until ready to cook. (The cappelletti can be prepared and
frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze freshly made cappelletti, freeze them
first on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer
cappelletti to well-sealed, airtight plastic freezer bags and keep frozen until
ready to cook. Do not defrost before cooking.)
TO
SERVE:
Bring broth to a low boil; avoid a rolling boil, which may
cause the pasta to open up. In batches of 15 to 20, cook cappelletti in broth
until tender, about 3 minutes (frozen pasta may take another minute or two
longer).
Using a slotted spoon, transfer cappelletti to serving
bowls. Ladle the hot broth over cappelletti and serve immediately.
