Time for tortellini, time for Christmas holidays, time to warm up from the cold of winter with a traditional Italian dish. Originally from the Emilia Romagna region, tortellini are a classic fresh egg pasta that holds a delicious filling inside.
Preparing tortellini at home can be tricky, but it's also fun, just like you can see in the video above: our Italian magazine Senior Editor Maria Vittoria Dalla Cia and our In-House Chef Joelle Néderlants have prepared traditional Italian tortellini in broth to celebrate La Cucina Italiana 90th birthday.
Don't be frightened by the dough closing technique, we explain it in the recipe below!
How to Make Home-Made Tortellini in Broth
Ingredients for 10
For the filling
1/4 lb. sliced pork loin 4 oz., prosciutto crudo (12 slices), 4 oz. mortadella (12 slices), 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated, 1 egg, nutmeg, sage, bay leaf, rosemary, butter, salt, peppercorns
For the dough
4 cups all-purpose flour, 5 eggs, salt
Additional Ingredients
21⁄2 qt. beef broth
Method
For the filling
Melt a pat of butter in a pan with a few sage leaves, one bay leaf and a rosemary sprig. Sauté the slices of pork on both sides with a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper until cooked. A liquid will form in the pan. Place the meat and liquid in the blender, and mix at high speed until blended. Next, add the mortadella and prosciutto crudo and blend again. In a large bowl, combine the blended mixture with the Parmigiano and egg, a pinch of grated nutmeg and mix until homogenous.
For the dough
Place the flour on the table, form a well in the center, pour in the eggs and add a pinch of salt. Beat the eggs with a fork, slowly incorporating the flour. Mix with a spatula and then knead with both hands until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for around 1 hour. Roll out the dough until it’s paper thin, and use a pasta cutter to cut into 11/4” squares. Place 1 tsp. filling, rounded, in the center of each square and fold the opposite corners into triangles. Press down around the filling to remove any air bubbles, then pinch them tightly to create a tortellini shape. Bring the broth to a boil and add the fresh tortellini and cook for 2 minutes. If the tortellini rested for longer than the indicated time, cook for 3-4 more minutes. Serve with the broth.