‘This is like Christmas Day,’ declares Elisabetta as the family sits down to a bowl of cappelletti in brodo. Cappelletti (meaning little hats) is the name of these folded and filled pasta shapes made by hand all over Emilia-Romagna.

Preparation time: 30 minutes for the dough, 6 hours for the filling, 10 minutes for the sauce, 60 minutes for making the cappelletti. Cooking: 20 minutes.

INGREDIENTS (serves 6)

For pasta dough: 350g 00 flour, 350g semolina flour, 7 whole eggs

For the filling: 200g stewing steak, 1 garlic clove, 600g chicken leg and thigh, 2 sausages, 2 onions, Extra virgin olive oil, 25g butter, 1 litre brodo di cappone, 2 slices Parma ham, 50g fresh breadcrumbs, 2 eggs, Nutmeg

For cream sauce: 250ml brodo di cappone, 250ml white wine, 250ml double cream, 30g all-purpose flour

Finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to serve

METHOD

Sift the flours onto the work surface, shaping them into a well with a hollow in the centre. Break the eggs into the well, add the salt and gradually incorporate the flour, then knead with your hands until you obtain a smooth, elastic dough.

Wrap the dough in plastic film and leave it to rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: make small cuts in the meat and insert the pieces of garlic. Heat the oil and butter in a pan, add the onions and brown the meat well on all sides.

Pour in the broth, cover and cook over a low heat for about 4 hours, turning the meat from time to time. Add the Parma ham and allow to cool slightly, then discard the onions and blend the meat. Add the eggs, the breadcrumbs moistened with a little broth and the nutmeg, and blend again until smooth.

Roll out the dough very thin, cut it into 4 cm squares, fill them and shape into cappelletti by bringing the ends together. Cook in boiling broth for 2 minutes.

If serving the next day, prepare a sauce by reducing the broth and white wine, then add the cream mixed with flour, cook while stirring and finish with grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Enjoy!