Tortellini in brodo — the classic Bolognese recipe

Tortellini in brodo is one of the most beloved dishes of Bologna’s cuisine, in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region — small pasta parcels filled with meat and cheese, slowly simmered in a rich meat broth. It is the traditional dish of winter holidays, served hot and bringing an unmistakable aroma to the table. Below, the full classic recipe.

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 300 g “00” flour (or well-sifted all-purpose wheat flour)
• 3 fresh eggs
• 1 pinch of salt

For the filling:

• 150 g roast pork (or mixed roast meat)
• 100 g mortadella (or cooked ham)
• 100 g grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 egg
• 1 pinch of grated nutmeg
• Salt and black pepper to taste

To serve:

• 2 liters of homemade meat broth (beef or chicken)
• Grated Parmesan for serving

Preparation steps

1. Make the dough: spread the flour on the table in a well shape, crack the eggs in the center and add the salt. Work the dough 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap in cling film and let it rest 30 minutes.
2. For the filling: finely grind the roast meat and mortadella, mix with the grated Parmesan, egg, nutmeg, salt and pepper until a homogeneous mass forms.
3. Roll out the rested dough with a rolling pin or pasta machine into thin sheets (about 2 mm).
4. Cut the sheet into squares of about 4 cm. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each square, fold into a triangle sealing the edges well, then join the two long corners of the triangle around your index finger to form tortellini’s characteristic ring shape.
5. Bring the meat broth to a boil; drop in the tortellini and cook 3-5 minutes, until they rise to the surface.
6. Serve hot in the broth, with a little grated Parmesan on top if desired.

Prep time: ~60 minutes (+ 30 minutes dough rest). Cooking time: ~10 minutes. Servings: 4-6.