Tortellini in brodo

A great classic hailing from the city of Bologna. ‘In brodo’ (with stock) is the most traditional way to serve tortellini but it will be easy to find them served with cream sauce or even with bolognese. For me, nothing beats the classic way, a nourish bowl for the stomach and the soul.

Serves about 4/5 // Prep time 2h++

For the stock:

• 500 gr of beef meat for stock (I used brisket)

• 500 gr of chicken tights

• 3 carrots

• 2 onions

• 1 celery stalks

• 1 garlic head

• (any other veg or herb trimming)

• 1 rind of Grana Padano cheese

• 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

 For the consommé (clear clarified stock)

• About 3 lt of chicken and beef stock, chilled

• 200 gr of chicken meat

• 1 celery stalk

• 1 onion, peeled

• 2 carrots, peeled

• 100 gr of egg whites

• Herbs you might want to add (like parsley stalks)

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 50 gr of Grated Grana Padano cheese (optional

For the tortellini

• 300 g of egg pasta dough

• 300 gr of minced pork meat

• 100 gr of minced prosciutto (parma ham) or mortadella

• 2 yolks

• 100 gr of grated Grana Padano cheese

• Salt and grated nutmeg to taste

Method

To make the stock, brown the meats and the onions in olive oil and season with salt and pepper (add the cloves into the onion so you don’t loose them). In about 4/5 minutes the meat shoud well golden on both sides, now you can add cold water enough to submerge well everything and add the rest of the ingredients for the stock making sure everything is well rinsed. Simmer on low heat for about 90 minutes to extract all flavour.

Now filter the stock through a sieve and keep on the side. Discard the onions, garlic, celery and herbs and cheese rind and keep the meat carrots and potatoes to either eat as they are or to make meat balls or meat loaf. Let the stock cool well in the fridge overnight.

To clarify the broth and turn it into a consommé, add to a cutter the , chicken, the egg whites with the grated Grana Padano and the vegs, and season with salt and pepper. Mix well until you have a paste. Add this egg white mixture to the cold stock and mix it only now that everything is cold. Now bring the stock very slowly to the boiling point without mixing it any more. When the egg white mixture starts to cook, it will slowly solidify and while doing so, collect all the impurities in the broth, making it crystal clear.

During the process, check very gently every now and then that the mixture hasn’t caught to the bottom of the pan with a spatula. When the mixture is cooked and floats to the surface, break it in the middle to let the consommé breathe while simmering. Simmer it for 45 minutes and let it reduce to intensify it’s flavour. Slowly and carefully pass it through a fine sieve lined with a clean kitchen cloth. Season to taste and keep it on the side.

For the filling simply mix and combine all the ingredients together unitl omogenous. It’s good practice to do a taste test and cook a little meatball of filling to properly taste it before proceeding with the tortellini making.

To create the pasta dough go watch my fresh pasta recipe HERE. It’s pretty easy and you can find all the details over there. Once the dough is done and rested proceed to roll it into thin pasta sheets. If you have a wooden board great, if you don’t a clean surface will work too.

Slice the pasta into thick sheets and flatten them with a rolling pin. With the help of a pasta machine, roll the pasta out. (This can also be done by hand using a rolling pin and elbow grease as well). It is good practice to fold your rolled pasta on itself and start over a couple of times, this process with give you a smoother and rectangular sheet that will be easier to work with at later stage.

Pass the pasta gradually from the largest setting to the narrower settings to make thin pasta sheets accordingly to the pasta shape you have to create. For these tortellini I like to use the second to last (passed twice) to have thin sheets that still retain a little bite.

Proceed to create the tortellini as shown on my social media video. Cut the pasta sheet into 3 to 4 cm squares and using your hands place little dollops of filling over the pasta sheet. Now fold the little parcel on itself in a triangle and eliminate as much air as possible to avoid air pockets. Now, with your hands bring the edges of the triangles together and press well to seal. Here you have them, trust me, it is easier than it sounds, watch the video for context.

Prepare all the tortellini and keep them in the fridge more maximum 1 days lightly floured. You can also place them on a tray with parchment and freeze them for a later use (cook from frozen).

Cook the tortellini in salted boiling water or directly into the stock (I prefer water to avoid making the stock too cloudy) for about 2 minutes or even less and serve them straight away with a good amount of hot consommè.