Tortellini

Tortellini in Brodo (Bolognese Christmas Tortellini in Capon Broth)

Tiny navel-shaped rings of egg pasta filled with a mixture of three meats and Parmigiano-Reggiano, served in a clear, golden capon broth — the classic Christmas dish of Bologna and Modena.

Prep

90 min

Cook

15 min

Total

105 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Hard

Recipe ingredients

• •200 g (7 oz) 00 flour, or all-purpose/plain flour
• •2 whole large eggs, plus 1 yolk if needed
• •100 g (3½ oz) pork loin, raw, cooked in the broth then minced
• •40 g (1¼ oz) prosciutto crudo, chopped
• •40 g (1¼ oz) mortadella, chopped
• •60 g (2 oz) Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
• •1 whole egg, for the filling
• •1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• •1 pinch fine salt
• •1 pinch white pepper
• •1.8 kg (4 lb) capon, for the broth; substitute a large free-range chicken (capon gives the traditional golden, clear broth)
• •1 whole onion, halved, skin on
• •1 whole carrot, scrubbed
• •1 stalk celery
• •2 L (8½ cups) cold water, to cover the capon
• •1 tsp fine salt, for the broth

Steps

1. 1 Make the broth: place the capon in a large stockpot, cover with 2 L / 8½ cups cold water, add the onion, carrot, celery and 1 tsp salt. Bring slowly to a bare simmer over low heat — never a rolling boil, or the broth will cloud. Skim any foam for the first 30 minutes.
2. 2 Simmer very gently for 2½–3 hours. The capon is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads at least 74°C / 165°F; the meat should pull easily from the bone. Lift out the capon, set aside the pork loin piece to cool (you will mince this for the filling), and strain the broth through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth. The finished broth should be clear and golden.
3. 3 Make the pasta dough: mound the 00 flour on a clean surface, make a well in the centre, crack in the 2 eggs (plus 1 yolk if the flour is very dry), and work into a smooth, firm dough. Knead 8–10 minutes until elastic. Wrap in cling film and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
4. 4 Make the filling: finely chop the cooled pork loin, prosciutto and mortadella together by hand or pulse briefly in a food processor — texture should be minced, not puréed. Transfer to a bowl, add the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, the 1 egg, nutmeg, salt and white pepper, and mix to a uniform paste.
5. 5 Roll the pasta: cut the dough into quarters. Keep unused portions covered. Roll each piece by hand with a long thin rolling pin (or use a pasta machine) into a sheet about 1 mm / 1/32 inch thick — thin enough that you can almost see your hand through it.
6. 6 Shape the tortellini: cut the sheet into 3 cm / 1¼ inch squares. Place a scant teaspoon (about 4 g) of filling in the centre of each square. Fold each square into a triangle by bringing two opposite corners together to meet the third, pressing out any air and sealing the edges firmly. Then wrap the two outer corners of the triangle around your fingertip and press them together to form the navel ring. Place on a floured tray.
7. 7 Cook the tortellini: bring the strained capon broth back to a gentle simmer. Lower the tortellini in and cook for 3–4 minutes — they are done when they float to the surface and the pasta is tender but still has a faint bite at the centre (al dente). Do not boil hard, or the pasta will tear.
8. 8 Serve: ladle a generous cup of clear broth into warmed shallow bowls, place 8–10 tortellini per portion in the broth, and serve immediately. Traditionally no grated cheese is added at the table.