CMP Review 2026-01-09

January 9, 2026

Over the Christmas break, my daughter wanted to learn how to make cappelletti (a cousin to tortellini), so called because they are in the shape of a little hat (cappello).

My maternal grandparents were from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and cappelletti are the pasta they traditionally make there at Christmas. Growing up, my cousins and I would spend the day in the kitchen with my nonna (my grandma) and our aunts, working together. We would make about 2000 for our family of 25. We would eat them twice: one day in broth, the next day in tomato sauce.

The traditional recipe uses three kinds of meat cooked in three different ways, plus ricotta, parmigiano reggiano, and eggs. But Serafina and I opted for the simpler ricotta and spinach in place of the meats. Both versions include a very healthy dose of nutmeg added. I think it is the nutmeg flavour that brings me right back to my childhood.

Serafina did a great job, making a well to put together the dough, kneading it by hand for 10 minutes, rolling it (much to what would have been my nonna’s chagrin we used a pasta machine. I honestly don’t know how my nonna used to roll out the sheets of pasta thinly by hand. Her sheets were translucent!), cutting the dough into squares, filling and shaping the cappelletti. Swipe to see the uncooked finished product.

It was a great way to spend a day together. And the cappelletti were quite delicious.

Is there a special food you made this Christmas that has been passed down through the generations?

@antonella.f.greco