Cappellacci con Ricotta e Prosciutto e Tartufo

The roots of cappellacci lie in Emilia-Romagna, where the hat-shaped pasta is most famously filled with pumpkin. The variation **Cappellacci con Ricotta e Prosciutto e Tartufo** swaps the traditional squash for a filling of ricotta and prosciutto, then finishes the dish with shaved truffle, a nod to the Umbrian black truffle season. Key ingredients include fresh egg pasta, whole-milk ricotta, finely diced prosciutto cotto or crudo, and a generous grating of tuber—either black summer truffle or, for a more luxurious version, the prized white truffle from Alba.

A great version balances the creamy, slightly salty ricotta and prosciutto against the earthy, aromatic truffle without overwhelming the pasta’s delicate bite. The sauce is typically kept minimal—brown butter or a light cream—to let the truffle shine. In Valtopina, Italia, the dish is available at **Il Tartufaro**, though creator **JustUs** reports a negative experience (“👎”), suggesting execution can falter—perhaps the pasta was too thick or the truffle too scant. When done well, the cappellacci should be cooked al dente, the filling smooth, and the truffle aroma pronounced.

Regional variations in Umbria sometimes add a touch of nutmeg to the ricotta, while in Emilia the same filling might be folded into tortelloni. The dish remains a celebration of two regions: the stuffing tradition of the north and the truffle‑hunting culture of central Italy.