If you follow me on social media then you know that almost every Christmas day we have tortellini in brodo. Small rounds of stuffed pasta floating in a clear, rich broth. A hefty dusting of grated Parmigiano Reggiano and it’s pure heaven.
You are also probably one of the many people who have asked me for the recipe for this dish. So finally here it is, the post you’ve all been waiting for: the recipe for Tortellini in Brodo.
Or, rather, how I bring Tortellini in Brodo to our table.
The first big reveal is that I NEVER EVER make my own tortellini. Sorry. Just not happening. I’ve taken many lessons, made videos, eaten, watched and learned. But at the end of the day I’m very happy to farm this part of the recipe out to one of the many excellent fresh pasta makers in Rome, Umbria or Bari where we usually spend Christmas.
But since you may not be as lucky as I am, with pasta makers at your beck and call, I’m including a recipe below. This recipe was shared by Marisa who owns the hotel Zoello Je Suis just outside of Modena. She is known as one of the best tortellini makers in an area known for its tortellini so that’s saying something. You can see a video of her making tortellini here and read all about her in chapter 4 of my book Eating My Way Through Italy.
It’s definitely a recipe that requires dedication. And practice. I’d suggest watching as many videos showing how to form the little shapes as possible WAY before you plan to serve this to guests.
The brodo part of the equation is a bit easier. Like MUCH easier. Because my little secret to perfect rich clear broth is using an Instant Pot. Feel free to make your own broth any way you’d like, but I can safely say that even if you only ever use your Instant Pot to make broth, it’s worth the investment and counter space.
But even if you don’t use an Instant Pot, and you definitely can do this on top of the store, please please please make your own broth. This dish is ALL about the brodo, so no ready made store bought. Sorry. That’s my final word.
Instant Pot Brodo
1/2 chicken or capon, cut into 2 pieces
1 piece of beef (about 1 pound)
1 beef bone from the butcher
1 stalk celery
1 carrot
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp whole black pepper
1 bay leaf
a few sprigs of parsley
1 tablespoon of course salt
Place everything in the Instant Pot. Cover with water up to the line on the inside of the pot, about 2/3 of the way up. Close the pot and close the valve shut. Cook on high for 3 hours. Let it release naturally. Open and strain. It’s best if you leave it overnight in the refrigerator. That way, the next day once it is chilled, you can carefully remove the fat that has congealed on top. It will be the best brodo you’ve ever had. Promise.
Tortellini
Yield 8
The flavor of tortellini comes from a mixture of meats. Everyone has their own secret recipe, for both the filling and for the broth. This is the recipe that I learned from Marisa at Zoello Je Suis Hotel. It differs from traditional recipes in a few ways. Rather than use prosciutto, Marisa prefers culatello. And In addition to pork, she also uses a bit of beef as well as some sausage. Although she let me watch her make it, she refused to give me exact quantities. "I have to have some secrets!" she said.
This recipe is taken from my book Eating My Way Through Italy. If you'd like to know the full story Marisa, whose recipe this is, see chapter four
Ingredients
-
For the filling:
- 60 grams Mortadella
- 60 grams Cutatello
- 120 grams grated Parmigiano - 30 mesi
- 50 grams beef round, but in cubes
- 100 grams pork loin, cut in cubes
- 1 sausage
- nutmeg
- salt
- pepper
- Â
-
For the pasta:
- 800 grams "00" flour
- 8 eggs
Instructions
To make the filling:
Place the cut up meat and sausage in a pan and cook until done and well browned. According to Marisa, the meat should 'sing' and that's when you know it's done. Let the meat cool off completely, then put it in a food processor or grinder with the mortadella, culatello. Process until completely blended. Add the cheese and mix well, along with the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Let cool, and refrigerate over night.
To Make the Pasta:
Mix the eggs and the flour together, and knead until the dough is silky and smooth. Let rest, wrapped in plastic, for an hour. When ready to form tortellini roll out the dough with a rolling pin or pasta machine to the finest setting.
Using a knife cut the dough into 3-4 centimeter squares. Using your fingers, place a tiny bit of filling in the center of the square. Close the square to make a triangle, making sure the edges are well sealed. Then, using your little finger in the center, bring the two lateral corners to meet up, pinching them together, while leaving space in the middle where your finger was, forming a little navel shaped pasta. Repeat a million times until you've used up all the pasta and filling.
To serve, cook in drained broth, for about 4 minutes. Serve with abundant grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Hi Elizabeth,
I love the photo of the Tortellini en Brodo, not only because they look beautifully delicious,
but because of the wine glasses in the background! I bought some of these glasses 40 years ago.
I would love to know the ristorante, perhaps they would tell me how to purchase some.
Many thanks,
Paula Devon Raso [email protected]
Thanks so much for your kind words! The chunky wine glasses in the back are most likely Bormioli. They are a big Italian housewares company that make everyday table ware. https://www.bormiolirocco.com/en/
We had tortellini en brodo recently for the first time at a restaurant and I want to try to make it at home. I found some recipes that talk about store bought broth and I don’t want to go that route. I see this recipe does include how to make the broth (thank you!), but I don’t have an InstaPot. Any idea how to do this in a traditional slow cooker/crock pot?
Just cook it longer. 😉