Little Hat pasta of Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Cappelletti is one of the most popular pasta shapes in Emilia-Romagna. In the city of Ravenna, they put their own spin on it.

Cappelletti origin story

Translated to “little hats”, Cappelletti are a variety of stuffed pasta. This variety of pasta has been around for centuries, so no one is sure when or where it was first made, though the area around Ferrara may have been where Cappelletti first emerged.

To make Cappelletti, egg pasta sheets are cut into squares. A dollop of filling is added to the center of the square and the pasta is folded into the distinctive “little hat” shape.

That might sound a lot like Tortellini, but there are some differences. First, Cappelletti are larger than their stuffed pasta cousins. And, the Cappelletti dough is slightly thicker.

Kinds of Cappelletti

Traditionally, Tortellini are stuffed with ground meat and Parmesan cheese with, maybe, a bit of nutmeg. Cappelletti, especially in the region of Forli, just south of Ravenna, is usually filled with cheese. Of course, these aren’t hard and fast rules and today you can easily find cheese filled Tortellini and meat filled Cappelletti.

Throughout Emilia-Romagna and into the northern Marche region, Cappelletti is served “en brodo”, in a chicken broth. But, in Ravenna, the typical style of the pasta dish is Cappelletti al Ragu. The filled pasta is topped with a meat based sauce.

Either way, en brodo or al ragu, the Cappelletti’s shape, with a reservoir behind the brim of the “hat” allows the pasta to pick up the broth or sauce.

For a little different take, I like restaurant Amaranto. They have a vegan Cappelletti al Ragu made with a red wine sauce. There’s also a porcini mushroom Cappelletti on the menu.

Getting to Ravenna

The closest airport to Ravenna is Bologna (BLQ). From the airport, take the train to Bologna Centrale station. From there, trains depart regularly and take about an hour.

You can also take the train from Florence, but it requires a change in Bologna.

If you’re driving, Ravenna is about an hour from Bologna, 2 1/2 hours from Florence, and 3 hours from Milan.

About the Author

Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel “Truffle Hunt” (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection “That Bird.” He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides on Destination Eat Drink, including several in Italy. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms.