Name: Ferrara-style pumpkin cappellacci
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 5 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 500 g Flour; 4 pieces Eggs; Salt (q.b.; A pinch for the dough; season the boiling water to taste.); 4,000 ml Water (4 liters for boiling; a little extra for the dough only if needed.); 2,000 g Yellow pumpkin (The 2 kg is the whole pumpkin weight, before peeling and removing the seeds.); 170 g Parmigiano Reggiano (70 g grated Parmigiano for the filling; 100 g for finishing.); Nutmeg (q.b.; Grate to taste.); Black pepper (q.b.; To taste.); 130 g Butter; 4 leaves Fresh sage (For the butter sauce.)

Fold the filling into broad pasta parcels, boil them until they rise, then finish with butter, sage and Parmigiano.

By Italia Magnifica · Updated October 2026

Prep: 1 hr
Cook: 1 hr
Serves: 5
Difficulty: Medium

Ferrara-style pumpkin cappellacci

Prep 1 hr · Cook 1 hr · Serves 5 · Difficulty Medium

Ingredients

Skip to the method

5 servings

500 g4 cups
Flour
4 pieces4 pieces
Eggs
to tasteto taste
SaltA pinch for the dough; season the boiling water to taste.A pinch for the dough; season the boiling water to taste.
4,000 ml17 cups
Water4 liters for boiling; a little extra for the dough only if needed.17 cups for boiling; a little extra for the dough only if needed.
2,000 g4½ lb
Yellow pumpkinThe 2 kg is the whole pumpkin weight, before peeling and removing the seeds.The 4½ lb is the whole pumpkin weight, before peeling and removing the seeds.
170 g6 oz
Parmigiano Reggiano70 g grated Parmigiano for the filling; 100 g for finishing.2½ oz grated Parmigiano for the filling; 3½ oz for finishing.
to tasteto taste
NutmegGrate to taste.Grate to taste.
to tasteto taste
Black pepperTo taste.To taste.
130 g4½ oz
Butter
4 leaves4 leaves
Fresh sageFor the butter sauce.For the butter sauce.

Method

Heat the oven to 200°C. Combine the flour, eggs and a pinch of salt. Add a little water only if needed, kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic. Set it aside while the pumpkin roasts.Heat the oven to 400°F. Combine the flour, eggs and a pinch of salt. Add a little water only if needed, kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic. Set it aside while the pumpkin roasts.
Cut the pumpkin into wedges and roast until completely tender, about 45–50 minutes. Scoop out the flesh and mash it smooth; mix in 70 g grated Parmigiano, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Let the filling cool enough to portion.Cut the pumpkin into wedges and roast until completely tender, about 45–50 minutes. Scoop out the flesh and mash it smooth; mix in 2½ oz grated Parmigiano, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Let the filling cool enough to portion.
Roll the dough to about 1 mm thick and cut it into roughly 7 cm squares. Put a walnut-sized portion of filling in the center of each square. Fold each square diagonally into a triangle, press out the air around the filling, then bring the two acute corners together to form a hat-shaped cappellaccio.Roll the dough to about 1 mm thick and cut it into roughly 2¾ in squares. Put a walnut-sized portion of filling in the center of each square. Fold each square diagonally into a triangle, press out the air around the filling, then bring the two acute corners together to form a hat-shaped cappellaccio.
Bring 4 liters of salted water to a boil. Cook the cappellacci until they rise to the surface, then lift them out. Melt the butter with a few sage leaves, dress the pasta and finish with the remaining 100 g grated Parmigiano.Bring 17 cups of salted water to a boil. Cook the cappellacci until they rise to the surface, then lift them out. Melt the butter with a few sage leaves, dress the pasta and finish with the remaining 3½ oz grated Parmigiano.