I really only came up with this dish because I had a lot of oxtail and oxtail broth leftover, and wanted to use it in something. So I came up with this idea to make a stuffed pasta with the leftover oxtail meat, and serve it in the broth to finish. But that just felt like a fresh element was missing. So I went with a fennel gremolata, using Meyer lemon, poppy seed, and sumac, to help brighten it up and give it that rustic and comforting feel to it! The fennel garnish is technically a gremolata, but it also acts like a salad too. But what I love about it is that since fennel is so fibrous like celery, it holds up to being paired with a warm broth really well, and remains crunchy despite that. Overall, this is the kind of dish I would expect to be served in a cute little bistro or cafe, especially when I am feeling a little under the weather. Nothing makes you forget that the world can suck at times like a warm bowl of broth, some delicious ravioli(or in this case, cappelletti which are like the angular cousin of tortellini), and a little fennel gremolata on top.

For the brodo:
6 pieces of oxtail
1 shallot
1 bay leaf
a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups water
1 egg white

Roast the oxtail, shallot, bay leaf, salt, and olive oil in the oven for 30 minutes at 400 degrees F. Deglaze the pan with water and submerge the other ingredients. Simmer, covered, for 2 hours. Remove the oxtail pieces and reserve for the filling. Whisk the egg white until frothy and pour into the broth. Allow it to simmer until it solidifies. Pour through a strainer to remove all of the solids and fat to finish. Keep the brodo warm for finishing the pasta.

For the pasta filling:
reserved oxtail pieces
1/4 cup finely diced mozzarella
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
a pinch of black pepper

Remove the meat from the oxtail and mince into a paste. Mix with the other ingredients and transfer into a piping bag.

For the pasta dough:
1 egg
2/3 cups all-purpose flour with more for rolling
2 teaspoons olive oil
a pinch of salt

Mix into a dough. Roll out to the second-thinnest setting on a floured surface. Cut out 4-inch squares, re-rolling the dough as necessary. Pipe 1-inch rounds of the filling onto the dough, and brush water on the edges. Fold in half to form a triangle, then pinch the side points together to form a cap-shape. Boil in salted water for 2 minutes, then finish in the warm brodo.

For the fennel gremolata:
1/2 bulb fennel, fronds included
juice and peel from 1 Meyer lemon
1 teaspoon sumac
1 teaspoon poppy seed
a pinch of salt
a pinch of black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Thinly slice the fennel. Julienne the lemon peel. Toss everything together.

To assemble:
Place the pasta in the broth and garnish with the gremolata.