Cappelletti vs Tortellini
Cappelletti is circle or square folded and pinched into a little hat. Tortellini is small square folded over a filling and wrapped around the finger into a ring.
Side by side, to scale
10 mmCappelletti: 25 to 35 mm by 25 to 35 mm
Tortellini: 20 to 30 mm by 20 to 30 mm
Footprints from the length and width in each record, one scale for both. See every shape on the chart.
| Family | Stuffed | Stuffed |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Emilia-Romagna | Emilia-Romagna |
| Section | Circle or square folded and pinched into a little hat | Small square folded over a filling and wrapped around the finger into a ring |
| Length | 25 to 35 mm | 20 to 30 mm |
| Width or diameter | 25 to 35 mm | 20 to 30 mm |
| Wall or thickness | 0.5 to 0.8 mm | 0.5 to 0.8 mm |
| Surface | Smooth | Smooth |
| Hollow | No | No |
| Dough | Egg pasta | Egg pasta |
| Cook time | 3 to 5 min | 2 to 4 min |
| Brands with a page | not measured | Barilla |
| Cook time across brands | not measured | 11 min |
| Energy, dry, per 100 g | 288 kcal (fresh pasta) | 288 kcal (fresh pasta) |
| Protein, dry, per 100 g | 11.3 g | 11.3 g |
| Products catalogued | 7 | 1380 |
| Pairs with | In brodo, Meat ragu, Cream sauce, Butter and sage | In brodo, Cream sauce, Butter and sage |
Cappelletti
In broth, like tortellini. The Romagna cheese filling also takes a ragu or cream when served dry.
Tortellini
Made for broth. The small parcel cooks and is served in a clear capon or beef stock that carries the filling's flavour. Out of broth, a little butter or cream and parmesan is as far as tradition goes.
Can you swap them?
Tortellini for cappelletti: yes, the Bologna parcel.
Cappelletti for tortellini: yes, the Romagna parcel, the same in broth.
Both take In brodo, Cream sauce, Butter and sage.
Only cappelletti: Meat ragu.
Sources
- Dimensions, surface, dough, and cook time: each shape page names the brand page, spec sheet, or measured box behind every figure.
- Brands, catalogue numbers, brand cook times, and brand dimensions: the brand product pages linked on each shape page, read on 2026-08-25.
- Energy and protein: USDA FoodData Central, per 100 g of the dough, public domain.
- Products catalogued: Open Food Facts, Open Database License, read on 2026-08-25. A crowd database: a count is a floor.