Light Cappelletti in Brodo — A 280-Calorie Christmas Eve Pasta (Asian Broth Twist)

Briefly blanch 150 g shredded cabbage for 1 minute, squeeze it dry, then mix with 120 g mashed potato, 1 tsp sesame oil and a pinch of white pepper. The cabbage keeps the filling light while the potato binds it — no egg, no pork, far fewer calories than the classic meat version.

Place 1/2 tsp filling in the center of each wonton wrapper, fold into a triangle, then wrap the corners toward you and press to seal. You want tiny parcels — cappelletti means little hats — small enough to eat in one warm spoonful of broth.

Wipe 10 cm dried kombu and 2 dried scallops, then simmer both in 1.2 L water for 20 minutes. Lift out the kombu before it boils and strain the scallop broth — this is the Eastern umami backbone that replaces a heavy meat stock.

Stir 1 tsp light soy sauce and a pinch of white pepper into the warm broth. Taste and adjust; the goal is a clean, savory clarity, not saltiness. Keep the broth at a bare simmer while you cook the pasta.

Boil 80 g small pasta until just tender, then drop the cappelletti into the broth for 3 to 4 minutes until they float and turn translucent at the edges. Cooking the hats in the broth lets them drink the umami instead of diluting it.

Ladle broth, pasta and hats into warm bowls, then scatter fresh dill and thin scallion threads on top. Serve immediately while the surface still steams — the rising vapor is the dish's best photo and its coziest promise.