Cappellacci di Zucca Ferraresi

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large wooden board or clean work surface for pasta making
• •Pasta machine (manual or attachment)
• •Food mill or fine-mesh sieve
• •Large pot for boiling pasta
• •Wide skillet for the sauce
• •Slotted spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Roast the squash

   Heat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Roast until completely tender when pierced with a knife, 45 minutes to one hour depending on size. The flesh should be soft enough to scoop easily. Let cool until you can handle it.

   The squash sold as butternut in America approximates the zucca violina of Ferrara. Avoid watery varieties like acorn squash. The flesh must be dense and sweet.
2. 2

   Prepare the filling

   Scoop the flesh from the squash and pass it through a food mill fitted with the fine disk. If you do not own a food mill, mash it thoroughly and press it through a fine sieve. The texture must be completely smooth, free of any stringy bits. Spread the puree on a clean kitchen towel, fold the towel over it, and let it rest for 30 minutes to absorb excess moisture. The filling must be dry.

   Wet filling is the most common cause of failed cappellacci. The pasta cannot seal properly around wet filling, and the result is soggy and disappointing. Do not skip this drying step.
3. 3

   Season the filling

   Transfer the dried squash puree to a bowl. Add the grated Parmigiano, nutmeg, egg yolk, and salt to taste. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon. The mixture should hold together when pressed. Taste it. Adjust the salt and nutmeg. The filling should be sweet with a subtle warmth from the nutmeg, the cheese present but not dominant. Refrigerate while you make the pasta.

4. 4

   Make the pasta dough

   Mound the flour on a large wooden board or clean work surface. Make a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well and add the salt. Using a fork, beat the eggs gently, gradually drawing flour from the inner walls of the well. Continue until the eggs have absorbed enough flour to form a shaggy mass. Set down the fork.

5. 5

   Knead the dough

   Begin kneading with your hands, pressing the heel of your palm into the dough and folding it over itself. Scrape up any bits that stick to the board. Knead vigorously for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and springs back when pressed. It should feel like your earlobe. Wrap tightly in plastic and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. This relaxes the gluten and makes rolling easier.

   If the dough feels dry, wet your hands slightly and continue kneading. If it feels sticky, dust with a little flour. The correct texture comes from feel, not measurement.
6. 6

   Roll the pasta

   Cut the rested dough into four pieces. Work with one piece at a time, keeping the rest covered. Flatten the piece with your palm and roll it through the widest setting of your pasta machine. Fold it in thirds like a letter, rotate 90 degrees, and roll again. Repeat this folding and rolling three times. This develops the structure. Then roll progressively thinner, one setting at a time, until you reach the second-thinnest setting. The sheet should be thin enough to see your hand through, but not so thin it tears.

7. 7

   Cut and fill

   Cut the pasta sheet into 8cm (3-inch) squares. Work quickly. Fresh pasta dries fast. Place a rounded tablespoon of filling slightly off-center on each square. Dip your finger in water and moisten the edges. Fold the pasta diagonally to form a triangle, pressing firmly around the filling to eliminate any air pockets. Air pockets cause the pasta to burst during cooking.

   Press from the filling outward toward the edges. This pushes air out rather than trapping it inside. Sealed properly, cappellacci will not open in the boiling water.
8. 8

   Shape the cappellacci

   Hold the triangle with the long edge facing you and the point facing away. Bring the two bottom corners together, wrapping them around your index finger, and press firmly to seal. The point of the triangle should flip upward like the brim of a hat. Place finished cappellacci on a lightly floured tray in a single layer. Do not stack them. They will stick.

9. 9

   Make the sage butter

   Cut the butter into pieces and place in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sage leaves. Let the butter melt slowly, swirling occasionally. It will foam, then subside. Continue cooking until the milk solids begin to brown and the sage leaves crisp at the edges, 3 to 4 minutes. The butter should smell nutty. Remove from heat immediately. Browned butter becomes burnt butter in seconds.

10. 10

    Cook the pasta

    Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Salt it generously. It should taste like the sea. Add the cappellacci in batches, no more than a dozen at a time. They will sink, then float. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes after they float. Fresh filled pasta needs longer than you think. Remove with a slotted spoon, draining well, and transfer directly to the skillet with the sage butter.

11. 11

    Finish and serve

    Return the skillet to low heat. Toss the cappellacci gently in the butter, adding a splash of pasta cooking water to help the sauce coat. Work in batches until all the pasta is dressed. Divide among warm plates. Spoon any remaining butter and sage leaves over the top. Grate Parmigiano generously over each portion. Serve immediately. Once the pasta is sauced, invite your guests to put off talking and start eating.

Chef Tips

• •The traditional squash of Ferrara is zucca violina or zucca mantovana, dense-fleshed winter squashes with concentrated sweetness. Butternut squash is the best American approximation. Do not use watery varieties.
• •Some versions of this dish include crushed amaretti cookies or mostarda di frutta in the filling. This is the Mantuan style, not the Ferrarese. Both are legitimate, but they are not the same dish.
• •If your pasta tears when shaping, the dough is too dry or was not rested long enough. Start again. There is no repairing torn pasta.
• •Cappellacci must be eaten the day they are made. Unlike dried pasta, fresh filled pasta does not wait. If you must hold them briefly, place the tray in the refrigerator uncovered. They will last one to two hours at most.

Advance Preparation

• •The filling can be made one day ahead and refrigerated, tightly covered. Bring to room temperature before using.
• •The pasta dough can be made earlier the same day, wrapped tightly in plastic, and refrigerated for up to four hours. Bring to room temperature before rolling.
• •Shaped cappellacci can be frozen in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transferred to a freezer bag once solid. Cook directly from frozen, adding one to two minutes to the cooking time. They keep for one month.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 275g)