For Pellegrino Artusi, recipes more than dishes represented people, stories, anecdotes, and tales. Whilst collecting recipes from house to house, he was in fact well aware that they were just one of the many versions that existed. They changed from one family to another, and each family swore that their version was the “right” one – the truly original one. Recipes are living matter, varied and even contradictory, but certainly not systematic, ratified, or defined once and for all. Readers of La Scienza in Cucina e L'Arte di Mangiar Bene (Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well) are given the freedom to continue preparing dishes as he or she sees fit, even according to the various regional variations – especially when it comes to seasoning. “let this dish be prepared with butter in the north, lard in Emilia and oil in Tuscany,” writes Artusi. \Casa Artusi was created with the intention of promoting the philosophy of home cooking with a library but also a restaurant, where you can taste its recipes, such as Cappelletti all'uso di Romagna. Alternatively, you can also try to prepare them at home, because as Artusi himself said, the finest experts always practice.Back to schoolThe anecdote with this recipe defines the cappellotto territory: lower Romagna, Ferrara. It foresees the preparation period being at the beginning of the school year and makes it a poignant and customary dish that celebrates the return of the prodigal son. The little cappellotti are so-called because they're shaped like a cappello, or hat.Artusi's recipeHere's the easiest way to make them so that they're less heavy on the stomach:- Ricotta, or half ricotta and half raviggiolo cheese, 6 oz.- Half breast of capon cooked in butter, seasoned with salt and pepper, and finely chopped - Scratched Parmigiano cheese, 1 oz.- Large eggs: one whole and one yolk- Nutmeg, few spices, lemon peel to those who like it- A pinch of saltTaste the mixture so that you can correct it if necessary because the ingredients don’t always agree any one way.
If capon breast is unavailable, add 4 oz. pork loin, cooked and seasoned in the same way. If the ricotta or raviggiolo (a soft Tuscan cheese made mostly of goat milk, squeezed, and usually eaten fresh) is too soft, omit the egg white. If the mixture is too firm, add another egg yolk.
To seal the pasta, make a fairly tender pastry dough with only dull flour, water and eggs, using some of the remaining egg white. Cut it with a round disc at a diameter 2⅔″. Place the mixture in the middle of the discs and fold them in two, forming a half-moon. Then take the two ends and place them together to form the little cappellotto.If the sheet of pasta dries up in your hand, dip your finger in water and wet the edges of the discs . The broth needs to be that of capon to give it that most gratifying flavor. The goodness of this foolish animal is offered in the solemnity of Christmas.So, cook the cappelletti in its broth as it is done in Romagna, where you will find those heroes who boast of having eaten a hundred of them on the same day. There is the possible case however of death, as it happened to an acquaintance of mine. A modest eater needs no more than two dozen.The storyLet us tell you a little something about this broth, perhaps it's of little importance, but it may give cause for reflection. The people of Romagna don’t want to know anything about fiddling around with books, perhaps because from childhood, children are accustomed to seeing their parents with anything but books. Perhaps also because, being a territory where you can live happily with little, much education isn’t believed to be necessary. So 90% of youngsters, to say the least, when they are done with secondary school throw themselves into the harness (what's said to describe horses that insist on not moving forward) and keep a a good pull on the halter because they just don’t move.
A husband and wife with their son Carlino arrived at a village in lower Romagna. The father, who wanted his son to be progressive, could leave his son with enough provisions and would have wanted to make him a lawyer or who knows, even perhaps a deputy, because from that to this is a small step. After many family conversations, guidance, and disagreements, Carlino was sent to continue with his studies in the big city and Ferrara was the preferred destination as it was the closest. His father took him there, but with a heavy heart as he battled with having to tear him from his mother’s tender breast, who wept with tears. A week hadn’t even passed when the parents sat at the table to enjoy cappelletti in broth, and after a long silence and a few sighs the good mother broke out, "Oh if only our Carlino was here who loved cappelletti so much!” Just as the words were spoken they heard a beating at the door, and after a moment, Carlino hurls in all festive in the middle of the room."Oh! Returning horse," exclaims father, "what happened?"
"It was," replies Carlino, "that rotting away in books is no place for me and that I'd rather cut myself into pieces than go back to that prison."
The mother, cheering with joy, ran to embrace her son and turned to her husband and said, "Let him do it, better a live donkey than a dead doctor. He'll have enough to take care of with his interests.”\
Recipe No. 7 by Pellegrino Artusi: Cappelletti all'uso di Romagna
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