Cook wide or broad noodles 15 to 20 minutes in rapidly boiling salted water until tender, but not soft, and drain.  Pour 1/2 cup of tomato sauce in baking dish or pan, cover with about 1/2 of the noodles, sprinkle with grated Parmesan, a layer of sauce, a layer of Mozzarella and dabs of Ricotta.  Continue in this fashion, alternating layers and seasoning each, ending with a final spread of sauce, Parmesan and red pepper.  Bake firm in moderate oven, about 15 minutes, and served in wedges like pizza, with canisters of grated Parmesan, crushed red pepper pods and more of the sauce to taste.

 Little Hats, Cappelletti

Freshly made and still moist Cappelletti, little hats, contrived out of tasty paste, may be had in any Little Italy macaroni shop.  These may be stuffed sensationally in four different flavors with only two cheeses.

Brown slices of chicken and ham separately, in butter.  Mince each very fine and divide in half, to make four mixtures in equal amounts.  Season these with salt, pepper and nutmeg and a binding of 2 parts egg yolk to I part egg white.

     With these meat mixtures you can make four different-flavored
     fillings: 

     Ham and Mozzarella Chicken and Mozzarella Ham and Ricotta Chicken
     and Ricotta

Fill the little hats alternately, so you’ll have the same number of each different kind.  Pinch edges tight together to keep the stuffings in while boiling fast for 5 minutes in chicken broth (or salted water, if you must).

Since these Cappelletti are only a pleasing form and shape of ravioli, they are served in the same way on hot plates, with plain tomato sauce and Parmesan or reasonable substitute.  If we count this final seasoning as an ingredient, this makes three cheeses, so that each of half a dozen taste buds can be getting individual sensations without letting the others know what it’s doing.

 Dauphiny Ravioli

This French variant of the famous Italian pockets of pastry follows the Cappelletti pattern, with any fresh goat cheese and Gruyere melted with butter and minced parsley and boiled in chicken broth.

 Italian Fritters

1/4 cup flour 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 pound fresh Ricotta 2 eggs, beaten 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella Rind of 1/2 lemon, grated 3 tablespoons brandy Salt

     Stir and mix well together in the order given and let stand 1
     hour or more to thicken the batter so it will hold its shape
     while cooking.

     Shape batter like walnuts and hold one at a time in the bowl of a
     long-handled spoon dipped for 10 seconds in boiling hot oil. 
     Fritter the “walnuts” so, and serve at once with powdered sugar.

     To make fascinating cheese croquettes, mix several contrasting
     cheeses in this batter.

 Italian Asparagus and Cheese