Homemade Pumpkin Cappellacci from Ferrara

Ingredients

PASTA DOUGH
360g of 00 flour (normally 1 egg for 100g of flour but I prefer keeping the dough softer)
4 medium size eggs

FILLING
1 kg of pumpkin
350g of grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and nutmeg to taste

Preparation

Begin by preparing the pumpkin. Cut it into pieces, remove the seeds and the filaments and bake it in the oven for 20 minutes, at 170 degrees.

Meanwhile start making the pasta dough. Pour the flour onto a work surface and make
a vulcano in the centre. Crack 4  eggs into the well and stir with a fork to combine.
Once the eggs are mixed into the flour, use your hands to knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).
Wrap the dough in cling wrap and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.

Then, with the cooked pumpkin make a purea and then mix it with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese,
salt, nutmeg. Transfer to a piping bag (or using a tablespoon and a fork).

Unwrap the dough and flatten it till 2mm thick with a rolling pin. Pipe a small amount of filling (around a teaspoon) making lines leaving (each cappellaccio should be about 4-7cm).

Now cut the dough into stripes and squares.
Fold each square over diagonally to create a triangle, carefully pressing together to remove any air bubbles. Bring the two widest corners of the triangle together to create the ‘priest hat’ shape.

Transfer the cappellacci to a tray dusted with flour (or a wooden board) to prevent the shapes sticking together or drying out.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the Cappellacci and cook until they start to float. Drain them and transfer to a saucepan. Use the sauce you prefer and enjoy your Cappellacci!

To serve

Either use butter & sage sauce or ragù Bolognese, both very delicious.
One more delicate the other one with an explosion of flavour (sweet & salty as a perfect combination).

Pumpkin cappellacci are the symbol of Ferrara’s cuisine.
The first written recipe of cappellacci di zucca ferraresi dates back to 1584 and is by Giovanni Battista Rossetti, chef of the court of Alfonso II d’Este, who publishes it in his work “Dello Scalco”.
Since then, the recipe of pumpkin cappellacci has changed radically.
First in the filling, in pure Renaissance style, there were also ginger and cinnamon and then over time cappellacci ferraresi became a popular recipe: today only nutmeg remains as a spice, in memory of that aristocratic past.