Cappelletti: Our Family Tradition/ updated video

 I decided that today was the day I was starting to make the Cappelletti for our traditional Thanksgiving dinner.. 

Today’s Cappelletti 12/8/2024 sampling a few.  Yummy!

Growing up they were a wonderful addition to our Turkey dinner.  Mom spent hours making them and usually made anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 of those little pasta filled caps..

 I remember my grandmother making them and how it was expected that this tradition would be continued on Thanksgiving.

Fortunately Mom, until recently, she's 88, had kept it up.. 

She had learned that making them and freezing them would be the answer to the exhaustion that was felt trying to make enough to make everyone happy.. 

Today I am happily carrying on the tradition with my daughter (Susan)at my side helping.. 

We serve them in homemade chicken soup and I  make that ahead of time as well to ease the stress of the day so I can enjoy the holiday as well..  

I Hope you enjoy this recipe.. I know I had promised it and I hold true to a promise made... Happy Cooking!

My Italian handy Food Companion explains them as:

Cappelletti:  small pasta hats (ka-pel-ett-ee) similar to tortellini( stuffed with a variety of fillings)

We chose the below recipe:  Some use cooked chicken chopped in place of ground meat

Filling:

1 ½ lb. Ground chuck(or beef and pork)

1 can tomato paste (optional)it was in grandma’s traditional recipe)

1 can water

¼ tsp. Cinnamon

¼ tsp. Nutmeg

salt and pepper

1 ½ cups breadcrumbs

½ cup Pecorino cheese grated

1 egg beaten

By adding the tomato paste it gives your filling a slight red color

In a medium pan sauté chuck (beef) in small amount of oil..

 Season with salt and pepper. 

Add 1 can tomato paste, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1 can water while cooking slowly..

 Remove from heat, add breadcrumbs, cheese and egg.  Mix thoroughly..

Cool and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pasta Dough ( double or triple recipe)

2 ½ cups flour

3 eggs @ room temperature

dash salt

shot glass water or less

shot glass oil or less

In your upright stand mixer add eggs, pinch of salt and water.  Mix.  Using dough hook slowly add flour until a ball forms.  Remove place on a slightly floured cutting board and work dough with hands until a soft ball is formed.

Cut dough in sections and press down to be able to slide into your pasta Machine.  Set on 2 than 3 then 4..

After dough is mixed take from mixer and put on floured cutting board. (I use an acrylic board)

Mix together with hands into it forms into a ball

Slice in sections and press slightly so it will go into pasta machine easily

I start with #2 and proceed to 3(my pasta machine reading) on side of machine

Easily goes through

Cut into small sections.  I had doubled the recipe and I made 300 cappelletti's.. I bagged the rest of the filling in small bags and froze..(approx 5 bags)I will make them between now and Thanksgiving..

Fold in half and then , twist the pasta between index and forefinger, crossing hands and pressing pasta ends together..

I place cappelletti on cookie sheet and freeze until set .

Place cappelletti after frozen in bag and put in freezer until ready to use..Bon appetite!

Happy Holidays from my kitchen to yours,


M.j.

10/26/11

Chicken stuffed Rigatoni

This recipe fills approximately 20 jumbo rigatoni.

3/4 lb ground chicken cooked

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup cooked spinach

1/4 cup seasoned Breadcrumb's

1/4 cup Grated pecorino Romano

1qt. Jar sauce for convenience or homemade sauce 

Sauté chicken until lightly browned in olive oil ,salt and pepper.  Add cooked spinach,bread crumbs and cheese until blended. Allow to cool completely.  Place all in food processor until

Slightly crumbly.  If too dry add a teaspoon of water.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add large rigatoni and cook approximately 10 to 12 minutes until

A dente’.  Do not overcook.  Drain rigatoni and rinse slightly with cool water not to have rigatoni stick together.

Layer some red sauce in a 13” x 9” baking pan or a pan of similar size. Place filled rigatoni in pan and top with more sauce , grated cheese and grated mozzarella.

Bake covered  350° for appt 30 minutes. Remove cover .  Check to see if mozzarella is melted and serve.  If mozzarella isn’t melted bake uncovered another 5 minutes.

Add a healthy salad to make it a meal,

Enjoy!

Easy Macaroni Soup!

Todays macaroni soup I added a little extra elbows so it’s pretty thick. ****  If necessary when it’s reheated I may add a little extra chicken or beef broth. Updated photo. 4/1/2024

Any day is a good day for this soup! Kiddo's will love this back to school recipe and it's so easy!

I've caught a "cold" and a bit under the weather so this Macaroni Soup will hit the spot for me.  I'm re-posting my blog post from last winter if you haven't checked it out.  A great dish for anytime but it hits the spot when you have a cold.  I add a little red pepper to it to open up those sinuses. Enjoy!

 I'm back in the kitchen and I totally surprised myself.  I thought I wouldn't touch a pot or pan for a week..  Guess I overlooked the fact that there weren't any leftovers so today I heard the weather guy say rain changing to snow in our forecast so soup's on..Macaroni soup that is!!!!

This recipe is one I have made and it's very easy...It's a basic recipe which takes no time to put together to warm you up on a chilly day.  You can add extra black pepper to spice it up..

Happy Cooking!

  

 1 lb. beef ground (I use 85 % ) so It'll give your soup good flavor..If you are worried about fat content use 90 %+.
1/4 +tsp. onion powder
1/4 +tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. parsley

1/2 tsp. Basil
1- 15 oz. can Hunts Sauce
1- large 32 oz. Beef Broth

1- large 32 oz. Chicken broth 
****1/2 lb. + elbow macaroni cooked rinsed and drained 
****salt and pepper to taste
grated Italian cheese


In a medium to large pot place about 3 tablespoon canola oil , add  ground beef, onion powder, garlic powder,  parsley, basil ,salt and pepper.  Saute until slightly browned....After browning, add sauce and beef and chicken broth. Cook over medium heat for approximately 30 minutes..Add cooked elbow macaroni and grated cheese....(for a thicker soup add extra pasta)  Note:  Do not overcook elbow pasta.

Note:  cook pasta separately (drain, rinse and cover in a bowl)if you like a more broth like soup and add the desired amount to broth. 

From my kitchen to yours,

9/16/12

1/19/16
8/21/16

10/4/2017

Cappellini Pomodoro from my kitchen to yours,

Tonight’s pasta with diced tomato sauce.  4/1/2024

I sautéed a generous amount of  olive oil and (2) minced garlic on low heat in a medium pot until garlic was sizzling.  Watching not to burn garlic.

 I then added one(1 can) 15 oz. diced petite tomatoes with juice.

Simmer of low until juice starts to get slightly absorbed.

Add salt, pepper and basil while simmering.

Cook about 1/2 lb. Pasta  according to directions( reserve a little pasta water if you need to thin the pasta )then drain pasta and add to tomato sauce.  Garnish with pecorino!

Hi Everyone:  I'll be re-posting some of my very first blog post recipes this week.  Enjoy!

Updated photos 8/30/2023

Good Morning:). It's Wednesday and the skies are beautiful.  At the moment I see the sun perking through the trees . 

We will be seeing some family we haven't seen in years Sunday. 

  Hope your week is fantastic! I've been thinking of making some Cappellini  Pomodoro for sometime and I bought the cherry tomatoes yesterday so at the moment that's going to be dinner.

This is an easy recipe you may want to jot down. In a medium skillet on low heat place approx. 1/2 cup olive oil, approx. 3 cloves garlic sliced thin.

Saute slowly so as not to add burn for a few minutes or until you smell the aroma of garlic.  Add the halved tomatoes and sauté until they have softened.

In a separate pot boil approximately 3/4 lb. Cappellini pasta in salted water. Cook until tender. Drain reserving a slight amount of water. Set aside.

Finally Add cooked pasta to garlic tomato mixture some salt and pepper and grated cheese.  Toss and sprinkle with more pecorino romano cheese. 

Note:  add some pasta water if needed to thin.

 Yum!

A  note.  I couldn’t have said it better.  Thanx google!

***WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Letting the tomato mixture sit briefly after seasoning allows salt to draw out moisture from the tomatoes to help build the sauce and allows the aromas of the garlic and basil to infuse the olive oil.
• Ripe summer tomatoes are the name of the game here: This pasta will only be as good as the tomatoes you use.

11/1/13

9/9/2018

Mama's Chicken Parmesean!

Today chicken Parmigian. 8/28/2023

Same recipe just new photos.  Will top with some mozzarella.

I will serve tonight with scalloped potatoes and not sure of our side.  Probably a small salad.  Ummm

Golden chicken encrusted with light bread crumbs gently fried in olive oil.  That's how I remember it. Olive oil was a staple in Mom's (under the counter cupboard) as I was known to call it. Huge and I mean huge Tin of olive oil was the only oil she would use for everything.  From salad to chicken or pasta sauce she would begin with her favorite ingredient which she said was the golden gift to all Italians, Pure Olive oil!   

Mom would dip her chicken breasts in beaten egg (which had been lightly salt and peppered) and then either use her fresh breadcrumbs or yes store bought to coat the chicken thoroughly.  Then place the chicken into hot olive oil.  Quick fry until golden brown on each side and then she'd turn down the stove to low, cover, and cook until tender.  She didn't use the oven at all.  She did her pork chops the same way and they were always tender.

When I make my chicken cutlets I also do it Mom's way(gently frying them in olive oil) , placing them in a baking dish adding some of my warm red sauce; either marinara or plain, topping with some shredded mozzarella and serving.  You can bake if desired (350)until cheese melts or is bubbly.  Approx. 10 minutes.

Note:  Most times my sauce is hot so the cheese starts to melt (I use shredded mozzarella) without having to bake. I have found that if you bake in the oven sometimes cheese melts too much.  Just sayin!

Happy Cooking from my kitchen to yours,

M.J.

Ingredients:

2 to 4  chicken breast cutlets (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds total) 
Salt and pepper  to taste (1/2 to 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper)
1 to  2 eggs beaten
1 cup breadcrumbs ) (Panko works great)
* 1/2  cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese 
1/4 cup olive oil 
2 Tbsp parsley 
* 4 to 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded(light cheese or lots of cheese) you decide
Cooked pasta

Beat egg with salt and pepper.  Dip chicken breasts into breadcrumb/parsley mix).  Heat oil to medium heat.  Place breaded chicken into oil.  Fry until golden brown and crispy, turn over and do the same on the other side.  Lower heat, cover chicken(if necessary add 1 to 1 T. water).  Cook on low heat approx. 10 minutes more.  Transfer chicken to plate top with hot pasta sauce, sprinkle with both cheeses. Add your favorite cooked pasta on the side and top that as well with pasta sauce top with cheese and serve immediately.  Note:   If your prefer transfer chicken to baking dish.  Place in 350 degree oven after topping with red sauce  Red Sauce

and both *cheeses.  

 Note:  If desired you can use your favorite jarred sauce.

2/10/2013 original 

Campanelle, ricotta casserole

1 lb. Campanelle  or ziti pasta 

1 lb. Whole milk Ricotta 

5 or more cheese blend 

2 quarts meat sauce

Instead of using traditional penne pasta for this casserole I decided to change it up and add some interest to today’s  casserole. This type pasta reminds me of a seashell with deep indenting to allow the sauce to seep in.  We found it to be a nice twist to a basic penne pasta.

While pasta is cooking heat your meat sauce.

I cooked this pasta according to directions and drained well.

In the pot the pasta was cooked add half of sauce and the ricotta mixing to combine.  Add drained pasta.

In a large casserole dish spoon a few tablespoons of the sauce. Add mixed pasta and top with remainder of sauce and cheese.

Bake 350 degrees uncovered 20 to 30 minutes until cheese melts.

Don’t over bake or it will dry the top cover of your pasta.

I baked mine 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

I