Tortellini in brodo

Name: Tortellini in brodo
Prep time: 120 min
Cook time: 190 min
Total time: 340 min
Yield: 6 bowls
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 300 g Wheat flour, 00 flour; 4 piece Egg, 3 for the pasta, 1 for the filling; 100 g Pork, loin, diced; 100 g Prosciutto, crudo; 100 g Mortadella; 150 g Parmigiano Reggiano, Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated, plus more to serve; 10 g Butter; 1 pinch Nutmeg, freshly grated; 1000 g Chicken, capon or boiling hen, in pieces; 500 g Beef, shin or brisket, with a bone; 1 medium Onion, halved; 1 medium Carrot; 1 stalk Celery; 4 l Water, cold; 2 tsp Salt

Bologna's Christmas first course: tiny rings of egg pasta filled with pork loin, prosciutto, mortadella and Parmigiano, served in clear capon and beef broth.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.

Start cooking

Prep: 2 hr
Cook: 3 hr 10 min
Rest: 30 min
Total: 5 hr 40 min
Difficulty: A bit of work
Spice: No chilli
Cost: Treat yourself$28+ USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

About

Tortellini in brodo is the first course of Christmas Day in Bologna: tiny rings of very thin egg pasta filled with meat, cooked and served in clear broth. The filling is pork loin browned in butter, prosciutto crudo, mortadella, Parmigiano Reggiano, egg and nutmeg, ground very fine. The broth is made from capon or a boiling hen with beef, simmered barely for hours and strained clear. Roll the pasta so thin you can see your hand through it, cut 3–4 cm squares, put a little filling on each, fold into a triangle and wrap it round your fingertip, pressing the ends together. It takes time, so make it a shared job. Cook them in the boiling broth for 2–3 minutes. Done is a bowl of steaming golden broth with small, firm tortellini, rich with pork and cheese, and nothing else in it.

What you'll need

15 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 15 ready

6 servings

Ingredients

Servings

Wheat flour, 00 flour300 g
Egg, 3 for the pasta, 1 for the filling4
Pork, loin, diced100 g
Prosciutto, crudo100 g
Mortadella100 g
Parmigiano Reggiano, Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated, plus more to serve150 g
Butter10 g
Nutmeg, freshly grated1 pinch
Chicken, capon or boiling hen, in pieces1 kg
Beef, shin or brisket, with a bone500 g
Onion, halved1 medium
Carrot1 medium
Celery1 stalk
Water, cold4 l
Salt9.9 ml

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Put the chicken, beef, onion, carrot and celery in the cold water with the salt. Bring slowly to a simmer, skimming, then keep it barely trembling for 3 hours. Strain through a cloth; chill and lift off the fat if you have time.
180 min
Step 2
Brown the pork in the butter for 5 minutes and cool. Mince it very finely with the prosciutto and mortadella, then mix with the Parmigiano, 1 egg and nutmeg. Chill the filling, overnight if you can.
20 min
Step 3
Knead the flour and 3 eggs for 10 minutes into a smooth, firm dough. Wrap and rest 30 minutes, then roll it out in batches as thin as you can, until you can see your hand through it.
40 min
Step 4
Cut 3–4 cm squares and put a chickpea-sized ball of filling on each. Fold into a triangle and press the edges shut, then wrap the long side round your fingertip and press the two corners together. Keep the dough you are not using covered.
60 min
Step 5
Bring the broth to the boil, add the tortellini and cook 2–3 minutes until they rise. Serve in their broth, with Parmigiano at the table.
5 min

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 1013 kcal
Protein: 103.7 g
Carbs: 50.8 g
Fat: 39.8 g
Saturated fat: 16 g
Fibre: 2.5 g
Sugar: 4.9 g
Sodium: 2828 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Wheat
Eggs
Milk

Nut-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.

Substitutions

Capon → A boiling hen or chicken wings and backs
Hen gives the closest broth; add a beef bone for depth.

Tips

A day's rest lets the filling firm up and the flavours blend, and makes folding easier.
Freeze tortellini on a floured tray, then bag them; cook from frozen in boiling broth.

History & culture

Bolognese families make tortellini together in the days before Christmas, and serving them in anything but broth, above all with cream, is considered heresy in the city. Modena makes the same claim on them, and the two cities have argued over the recipe for centuries.

Legend places the invention in Castelfranco Emilia, between Bologna and Modena, where an innkeeper is said to have glimpsed Venus through a keyhole and shaped pasta like her navel. To end the arguments, in 1974 Bologna's Dotta Confraternita del Tortellino and the Accademia Italiana della Cucina deposited the official filling with the city's Chamber of Commerce.

Traditional — The 1974 Bologna filling, scaled down: pork loin, prosciutto, mortadella, Parmigiano Reggiano, egg and nutmeg, in capon and beef broth.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Tortellini in brodo take?

5 hr 40 min all in — 2 hr prep, 3 hr 10 min cook, 30 min rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 6 bowls. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

A bit of work.

How spicy is it?

No chilli.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Eggs, Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Nut-free.

7 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

Treat yourself — about $28+ USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Stockpot, Rolling pin, Mixing bowl, Frying pan, Chef's knife.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at 2 tsp.

What can I use instead?

Capon → A boiling hen or chicken wings and backs. Hen gives the closest broth; add a beef bone for depth.

Any tips from this recipe?

A day's rest lets the filling firm up and the flavours blend, and makes folding easier. Freeze tortellini on a floured tray, then bag them; cook from frozen in boiling broth.

Can I prepare this ahead?

Brown the pork in the butter for 5 minutes and cool. Mince it very finely with the prosciutto and mortadella, then mix with the Parmigiano, 1 egg and nutmeg. Chill the filling, overnight if you can.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.