Capunet with rice

Name: Capunet with rice
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 5
Ingredients: Verza (savoy cabbage) (already cleaned) 1.1 lbs; Sausage 9 oz; White onions 1; Carrots 1; Celery 1; Eggs 1; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese (to grate) 2 oz; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Roma rice 2 cups; Whole milk 1 ¼ cup; Water 1 ¼ cup; Fine salt to taste; Tomato purée 0.625 cup; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese to taste; Butter to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste

it es fr de br

Gluten Free

Difficulty: Average
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 60 min
Serving: 5
Cost: Average

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Cooker Girl

Capunet from Piedmont really brings out the warmth and comfort of Northern Italian home cooking. Perfect for chilly days, right? These Italian stuffed cabbage rolls are all about that rustic, homemade vibe—the kind you'd totally find on a family table out in the countryside. For this capunet recipe, you'll see Savoy cabbage leaves wrapped around a soft, rice filling. It's cooked in milk. And you know what? The milk gives the rice a creamy texture you just do not find everywhere, making each bite super cozy. When these are baking, the whole kitchen fills with a rich, inviting smell that's so so tempting.

In Piedmont, folks keep things simple yet flavorful. So you won’t find anything too fancy here—just good, honest ingredients put together with care, like they've done for generations. Really, really classic stuff.

And look, what’s cool is seeing how rice-stuffed cabbage is a thing all across Northern Italy. The "capù" from Bergamo in Lombardy? Super close cousin to Piedmont’s version. Each area adds its own twist, but the feeling stays the same: food that feels like home. Which is great.

Serving capunet as a main or second course is pretty common at special gatherings or Sunday lunches, especially when you want something hearty and moist. The Savoy cabbage gets all tender and soaks up the flavors from the filling, while the oven-baked finish adds a bit of golden color and a crispy edge here and there. Seriously good.

This dish is what traditional Italian recipes are all about—making something amazing out of simple ingredients, taking your time, and sharing it with those you care about. Every bite feels like a little slice of Italian comfort food straight from Piedmont, bringing families together around the table—like they've done for centuries, for real.

INGREDIENTS

for 10 rolls: Verza (savoy cabbage) 1.1 lbs (500 g) - (already cleaned); Sausage 9 oz (250 g); White onions 1; Carrots 1; Celery 1; Eggs 1; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 2 oz (60 g) - (to grate); Extra virgin olive oil to taste

for the rice: Roma rice 2 cups (130 g); Whole milk 1 ¼ cup (300 g); Water 1 ¼ cup (300 g); Fine salt to taste

for seasoning: Tomato purée 0.625 cup (150 g); Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese to taste; Butter to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Capunet with rice

To prepare the capunet with rice, start with the latter: in a saucepan, combine the water and milk 1, add a pinch of salt 2, and heat over moderate heat. When it begins to simmer, pour in the rice 3 and cook for 12-15 minutes.

The rice should be well-cooked, not al dente 4. Drain it 5 and let it cool, being careful to keep the cooking liquid aside 6.

Take care of the cabbage: eliminate the outer and tough leaves, then set aside 10 whole leaves, which will be used to wrap the filling 7. Chop the inner core, which will be used in the filling of the roll 8. Blanch the whole leaves for a couple of minutes 9.

Drain them in ice water to stop the cooking 10. Now cut off the end of the central rib of the leaf, which is the toughest part 11, then lay them on a cloth 12.

Dry them well 13 and set them aside. Prepare the filling: chop onion, celery, and carrot 14. In a saucepan, pour some oil and add the chopped onion 15.

Add celery and carrot 16 and sauté for 5 minutes, then add the chopped core of the cabbage 17 and salt 18.

Season with ground pepper 19 and let it brown for 5 minutes. Now pour in some of the rice cooking liquid, just enough to soften the cabbage and aid the cooking. When the cabbage is soft, add the cooked rice 21.

Stir and cook for another 5 minutes, just enough to dry everything well 22. Remove from the heat and let it cool. Then complete with the egg, grated cheese 23, and crumbled sausage 34.

Stir to combine everything 25. Now assemble the capunet: spread the cabbage leaves on a cutting board 26, take a portion of filling and compact it in your hands to form a sausage shape 27, then place it in the center.

Fold over the side flaps 28 and then roll it from the bottom 29, keeping the seam facing down. Set aside the 10 rolls. Separately, season the tomato sauce with salt 30 and oil.

Take a baking dish and spread the tomato sauce at the bottom 31, then place the rolls 32 and distribute some butter chunks on top 33.

Sprinkle with grated cheese 34 and bake in a preheated convection oven at 350°F for 20 minutes. Take out your capunet with rice 35 and let them cool slightly before serving them 36!

Storage

You can store the capunet with rice in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, in an airtight container.

It is possible to freeze them if you have used very fresh ingredients.

You can prepare the capunet with rice in advance, keep them in the refrigerator, and then bake them as needed.

Advice

To obtain compact capunet that do not open during cooking, tightly wrap the roll while rolling the leaf and place them in the dish with the seam facing down.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.