Searching for Italy: Stanley Tucci in Rimini for a taste of magic and cappelletti!

In Season 1, Episode 3 of Searching for Italy, Stanley Tucci ventures into the culinary heart of Emilia-Romagna, a region famed for its rich traditions and comforting flavours. His journey culminates in Rimini, a seaside town steeped in nostalgia and cinematic charm. There, he meets Francesca Fellini, niece of the legendary filmmaker Federico Fellini, for a heartfelt exchange that blends food, memory, and magic.

Tucci’s encounter with Francesca is more than a family tribute, it’s a celebration of Rimini’s soul. The city, with its quiet piazzas and poetic atmosphere, becomes the perfect backdrop for a dish that embodies warmth and heritage: cappelletti in brodo.

Rimini through Tucci’s eyes

The segment unfolds in Piazzetta Teatini, a serene square tucked near Rimini’s Duomo. Tucci dines at Osteria Io e Simone, a cozy restaurant where tradition is served. Over steaming bowls of cappelletti, he and Francesca reminisce about Federico Fellini’s love for pasta and the quote that captures Rimini’s essence:
“Life is a combination of magic and pasta.” Federico Fellini

This visit isn’t about haute cuisine or culinary reinvention. It’s about roots, the kind you taste in every spoonful of broth and every fold of handmade pasta. Tucci’s reverence for authenticity shines through, making Rimini feel like a place where food and memory intertwine.

Cappelletti in brodo: Romagna’s hug in a bowl

Cappelletti in brodo is a ritual. These tiny pasta “hats,” filled with a savory mix of meats and cheese, float in golden broth like edible treasures. It’s the kind of meal that marks holidays (in particular Christmas), comforts on Sundays, and brings generations together around the table.

Here’s how to make it, the traditional way, just like we do in Romagna:

Ingredients:

For the filling: 50g minced veal 50g minced pork 50g mortadella, finely chopped 50g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated 1 egg Pinch of nutmeg Salt and pepper to taste
For the pasta dough: 200g Italian “00” flour 2 eggs Pinch of salt
For the broth: 1 whole capon or chicken 1 onion 1 carrot 1 celery stalk Salt to taste Water (about 2.5 liters).

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Step 1: Make the broth, place all ingredients and salt in a large pot. Cover with water and simmer for 2–3 hours. Skim off any foam. Strain and set aside.

Step 2: Prepare the filling sauté with the minced meats in a bit of butter until cooked. Let cool. Mix with mortadella, Parmigiano, egg, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.

Step 3: Make the dough on a clean surface, form a mound with the flour and create a well in the centre. Crack in the eggs and add salt. Mix and knead until smooth. Let rest for 30 minutes.

Step 4: Roll out the dough thinly. Cut into 3cm squares. Place a small amount of filling in the center of each. Fold into triangles, take the two ends, overlay them and pinch the them together.

Step 5: Bring the broth to a gentle boil. Add cappelletti and cook for 3–4 minutes. Serve hot with extra Parmigiano on top.

Mini Italian Cooking Vocabulary:

Connect with the language of the kitchen! Sprinkle in a few Italian terms from the recipe:

• Brodo = broth

• Ripieno = filling

• Sfoglia = pasta sheet

• Cappelletti = little hats (pasta)

• Parmigiano = Parmesan cheese

My family’s recipe kindly and proudly share by my aunt and mom!

In our family, making cappelletti is a team effort. One person rolls the dough, another fills the little pasta squares, someone folds, and inevitably, someone sneaks a few raw ones when no one’s looking. The broth simmers slowly, the kitchen smells like Sunday, and the conversation flows maybe too loudly, while we try to figure out how many kilos we are making and never being enough!

This is my aunt Perla’s recipe that she improved through time and became our favourite! The broth recipe is my mom’s, as she is always been in charge of making broth for every family’s occasion that requires it!

I am presenting this recipe in Italian, so that it can be a chance for you to practice the language and learn some new words maybe! If you make it at home, please let me know if you liked it and if sharing a picture tag me @learnitalianvita, I would love to see your cappelletti in brodo!

Ingredienti (per 8 persone):

Per la Sfoglia:
450gr Farina di Semola
50gr Farina di Farro
5 Uova
Acqua q.b.

Per il Ripieno:
300gr Macinato di manzo
100gr Parmigiano Reggiano
100gr Prosciutto Crudo (San Daniele)
Noce moscata (a piacere)
Scorza di limone (a piacere)

Per il brodo:
4 sovracoscie di pollo
un pezzo di manzo magro
1 cipolla
3 carote
2 gambo di sedano
2 patate
Sale q.b.
Acqua fino a coprire tutto abbondantemente

Istruzioni:

Prepara il brodo. Metti carne e verdure in una pentola con acqua. Cuoci per 2–3 ore.
Fai il ripieno. Mescola gli ingredienti e le spezie.
Prepara la pasta. Versa le farine sul tavolo, aggiungi le uova e impasta. Aggiungi un pochino di acqua alla volta in base alla necessità.
Stendi la sfoglia. Usa il mattarello o la macchina per la pasta.
Taglia la pasta in quadratini di circa 3 cm. Metti una piccola pallina di ripieno al centro di ogni quadratino. Chiudi i quadratini unendo un angolo al suo opposto, formando un triangolo, poi unisci le due punte della base del triangolo.

Cottura: Fai bollire il brodo, aggiungi i cappelletti e cuoci per 3–4 minuti (quando i cappelletti iniziano a salire in superficie tirali su con un colino).
Servili caldi. Metti del parmigiano a tavola per chi vuole aggiungerlo sopra e… buon appetito!

Note: we usually make a lot of them and freeze a part. To freeze them, place them on a tray, so that they don’t overlap or stick to each other, put the tray in your freezer, wait for them to be frozen and then move the cappelletti in a food bag, close it and leave it in the freezer. When you want a hot plate of cappelletti, prepare a hot broth, cook them and enjoy your cappelletti anytime you like!

Mini vocabolario in cucina:

• Impastare = to knead

• Bollire = to boil

• Tagliare = to cut

• Riempire = to fill

• Servire = to serve

• Cuocere – to cook

• Stendere – to roll out (the dough)

• Pentola – pot

• Mattarello – rolling pin

• Uovo / Uova – egg / eggs

• Farina – flour

• Sale – salt

• Noce moscata – nutmeg

• Carne – meat
  

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Rimini’s magic in a bowl

Tucci’s visit to Rimini reminds us that food is memory, emotion, and identity. Cappelletti in brodo is a story told through generations, a warm embrace from Romagna’s culinary soul. Whether you’re watching the episode or rolling pasta at home, you’re tasting a bit of that magic Federico Fellini spoke of. And maybe, you’ll find that life really is a combination of magic and pasta.


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