In Emilia Romagna there is no housewife who does not know how to roll out pasta dough with a rolling pin. The razdore (housewives in Emilian dialect), knead, roll out and shape the dough with quick and confident gestures, creating small treasures with a tasty heart. When cooked in broth or just plain according to tradition, they are the stars at the table.
Cappelletti, anolini and tortellini are three filled pastas typical of Emilia Romagna and they differ in the nature of the content. Preparing them is like a ritual. You need care, patience and dedication. Let’s see how.
The pasta dough first of all
To prepare the pasta dough you need flour, eggs, extra virgin olive oil and salt. Make a little mountain with the flour so there is a crater in the middle. Put the eggs, oil and salt in the crater (also called the well) and knead until you get a homogeneous and smooth dough. Then roll it out either by hand or with a machine.
For tortellini, prepare the filling with pork, prosciutto, mortadella, Parmigiano Reggiano, nutmeg and egg. Roll out the dough and cut it into 1 1/2 inch squares, place a teaspoon of filling in the middle, close it in a triangle and then wrap it around your index finger, closing the ends of one above the other. At this point, boil them for 1 minute in a broth prepared with meat, celery, carrot and onion.
For cappelletti, prepare the filling by sautéing a piece of capon or chicken and a piece of pork until they are browned. When everything is cooked, grind it and add some fresh cheese, such as ricotta, an egg and grated Parmigiano. Arrange the filling in the middle of squares of pasta like those for tortellini, close them in a triangle, overlap the ends and seal. Cook in chicken broth for a minute and serve with a sprinkling of grated Parmigiano.
For anolini, the preparation of the filling is more demanding. You have to brown a piece of beef with chopped onion, celery and carrot. Then add a tablespoon of tomato paste, two cloves, sprinkle with red wine and cook for at least three hours. When the meat is very soft, grind it (together with the cooked vegetables if you want), add some Parmigiano, some breadcrumbs, an egg and mix. At this point spread the mixture on the dough, close it and cut into 1 inch discs. Cook the anolini in a meat broth for one minute after they come to the surface and serve with grated Parmigiano.