Tortina di Capelletti for Foodie Friday!

Hi everyone!

Oh. My. Goodness!

Have you ever had one of THOSE days? You know the kind- the kind where you're truly debating whether a good cry or running away would be the best option.

Today was one of THOSE days. 

'Nuff said.

We didn't want to miss our favorite weekly party- Foodie Friday at Gollum's (thank you Michael!!), so I'm just going to show you all a stuffed pasta dish that is a favorite of mine. I made it for a buffet supper that a client is having al fresco this evening. (I made a bit extra for home) Not a lot of pictures tonight as I'm headed out the door to deliver

Capelletti, literally translated, means little hats. Which is sort of what these little bundles look like. They are very similar to tortellini but, I think, just a bit more rustic looking.

Today's capelletti are a loose adaptation of a recipe by Lorenza De'Medici. I love her recipes as they are so very close to many of my Nonna's. These have a lovely filling of prosciutto, sausage, porcini and chanterelle mushrooms, and mortadella. Because the filling is meaty, I made the pasta with semolina which is a bit sturdier and has a slightly more hearty texture.

When we were in Italy for the summers of my childhood, we always spent at least a week at my Zia's villa in the mountains. 

There was a local taverna that served a spectacular dish of stuffed pasta which was brought to the table in a large braided bread bowl. I have served a similar dish on many occasions, but some years ago I saw a chef on TV serving a seafood pasta dish in puff pastry- lightbulb moment!

Now, when the occasion is a luncheon, or the pasta will be served as a "primo", I serve it in a puff pastry tart. 

"Andiamo alla Cucina!"

Tortina di Capelletti

I sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

scant 1/2 lb. mortadella (the piece I used was .45 lb.)

scant 1/2 lb. prosciutto ( the piece I used was .41 lb.)

1/4 lb. sausage (I used sweet)

1/4 cup dried mushrooms (I used a combination of porcini and chanterelles), soaked in 1 cup boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain into a wire mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter and squeeze well. Reserve the waterfor the mushroom sauce

1 TBLSP juniper berries

1-2 TBLSP bread crumbs

2 large eggs

good pinch of nutmeg

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Pasta dough (I used 3 cups flour, 1 cup semolina, 4 eggs, salt, and a small amount of cold water)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Roll out the puff pastry to fit into a tart pan with a removeable bottom. Prick bottom of pastry well. Line with parchment paper and pie weights. Bake for 20 minutes, remove pie weights and bake for 20 minutes more till golden brown.

I use a meat grinder for the filling, but it can probably be done in a food processor- Grind mortadella, prosciutto, sausage, mushrooms, and juniper berries together- I use the fine blade. Mix in eggs, bread crumbs, nutmeg, and cheese and refridgerate till the pasta dough is ready to be filled.

Roll pasta dough out in strips going through widest setting once, fold strip in half and go through same setting again. Continue passing through machine making settings thinner with each pass till you get to setting #5. Lay out the strip of pastry and drop small mounds of the filling in a line about an inch in from the long edge. Brush long edges and in between each mound with a brush dipped in water. Fold pastry over enclosing filling. Cut in between each mound and press all edges to seal. Bend 2 sides around into a little "C" shape and place capelletti on a floured cookie sheet. Cover and refrigerate till ready to cook

Bring a large pot of well- salted water to a boil and drop in the capelletti. Cook till tender- a few minutes. Use a large strainer spoon to remove and place in a bowl. Serve with your favorite sauce or the Mushroom Mascarpone Cream sauce below

Mushroom Mascarpone Cream Sauce

About 1/2 cup dried mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, drained and squeezed dry- chop coarsely

1 large clove garlic, crushed and minced

2 TBLSP olive oil

2 TBLSP unsalted butter

4 ounces mascarpone

1/2 cup heavy cream

Saute garlic in oil. Swirl in butter, add mushrooms and water reserved from capelletti filling. Cook down till thick, stir in mascarpone till melted then cream. Warm and pour over pasta. Serve with lots of shaved parmesan

As Always,


Buon Cibo, Buon Amici,


Pattie and Allie