Cappelletti, Cappellettini

Resembling a hat (cappello), from which it gets its name, this handmade egg pasta is the trademark of Emilia-Romagna. There is a smaller version called cappellettini. Cappelletti are similar to tortellini but differ mostly in that the filling is made of beef, pork and veal fried in butter, with some cubed Parma ham and Parmesan. In Bologna they are eaten dressed with the juices from a roast or with a tomato sauce. They are also eaten in brodo, cooked in chicken broth. The freshly made variety take only about 5-7 minutes to cook, while the inferior mass-produced ones need at least double that time.