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    Pasta · Recipe · Bologna · Reference page

    Tortellini in brodo

    tortellini in brodo

    Tiny rings of egg pasta filled with pork loin, prosciutto, mortadella and Parmigiano Reggiano, served in capon broth. The filling follows the recipe deposited at the Bologna Chamber of Commerce; the classic tortellino weighs 5 grams.

    Small folded tortellini with pinched joined tips and triangular collars in clear golden broth, served in a plain white soup bowl.
    Editorial illustration of the documented recipe; not a photograph of a kitchen-tested result.
    Servings
    4
    Preparation
    2 h 30
    Cooking
    3 h
    Resting
    24 h
    Total
    29 h 30
    Difficulty
    Involved

    Equipment

    • Large stockpot for the broth; fine sieve
    • Small pan for the loin; mezzaluna or very sharp knife (or mincer)
    • Pastry board and long rolling pin
    Servings4

    Ingredients

    • Filling (about 180 tortellini)

    • Sfoglia

    • Broth

    • To serve

    Shopping list

    Method

    1. For the broth, put the capon, beef and vegetables in cold water, bring slowly to a simmer and keep it barely bubbling for about 3 hours, never letting it boil over. Skim, strain and season.

      Why Artusi's rule: cold water and a gentle simmer for a good broth; boiling water is for boiled meat.

      Timer · 3 h180:00

    2. Brown the pork loin slowly in a little butter until cooked through. (The deposit rests the loin for two days under salt, rosemary and garlic first, then wipes it clean.)

    3. Mince the loin, prosciutto and mortadella very finely, ideally with a mezzaluna. Mix at length with the Parmigiano, egg and nutmeg until smooth, then rest the filling in the fridge for at least 24 hours.

      Why The resting time lets the flavours merge and the filling firm up.

    4. Make the sfoglia: flour in a well, eggs and salt in the centre, mixed with a fork and kneaded until smooth and elastic. Rest it 15–20 minutes covered, then roll it very thin.

    5. Cut squares of 4–4.5 cm and put a small amount of filling in the centre of each. Fold each square into a triangle, wrap it round the tip of your index finger and press the ends together.

      Why They must be small: a soup spoon should hold several.

    6. Bring the broth to the boil, add the tortellini and cook until they rise and are tender, a few minutes. Serve in the broth with grated Parmigiano.

    To drink & serve with

    • Lambrusco di Sorbara

      Editorial suggestion: a light Lambrusco di Sorbara, the Bolognese and Modenese table wine.

    Substitutions

    • Capon → A boiling hen; the broth will be a little less rich.

    Common mistakes

    • Making the tortellini too big: the classic one weighs 5 g.

    Storage & reheating

    Cool the broth within 2 hours; it keeps 2 days in the fridge (UK FSA; USDA allows 3–4 days) or 3–4 months frozen. Bring it back to the boil before cooking the tortellini.

    Safety

    Cook the pork loin through before mincing it. Keep the raw filling in the fridge during its 24-hour rest. Contains gluten, egg, milk and celery.

    Allergens

    Gluten · Egg · Milk · Celery

    Check labels: stock, bacon and sauces can contain further allergens.

    Deposited in 1974 and 2008

    The filling of the Bologna tortellino was deposited at the Chamber of Commerce in 1974 by the Bologna delegation of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina together with the Dotta Confraternita del Tortellino, and the city of Bologna now uses it for its De.Co. (municipal designation) tortellino. Bologna Welcome publishes the same filling as decreed by the Confraternita on 19 February 2008 and deposited by notary on 15 April 2008: pork loin, prosciutto crudo and mortadella, 300 g of each, with 450 g of Parmigiano Reggiano, three eggs and nutmeg, for about a thousand tortellini.

    Pellegrino Artusi printed a simpler tortellini alla bolognese in 1891, with beef marrow instead of loin, and noted that a three-egg sheet made just under three hundred.

    [1][2][3]

    Five grams each

    The deposit is precise about form: squares of 4 to 4.5 cm, a dab of filling, folded into a triangle, wrapped round the index finger and closed with a light press. A finished tortellino weighs 5 g, small enough for several to fit in a soup spoon. The filling rests for at least a day, and the broth is made from a free-range capon with beef broth cuts.

    [2][1]

    How it connects

    Place

    • origin Bologna In preparation

    Pasta shape

    Recipe

    Wine region

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