Making homemade tortellini is so mesmerizing... It takes time and passion. I love cooking and I enjoy cooking for the people I love. Making this little stuffed pasta and the care and dedication you have to put to achieve that bowl of hearty tortellini in broth is worth the time and the effort. Tasting that first full spoon of homemade tortellini and feeling the broth inundating your mouth is such a joy... No doubt it would make any nonna proud…
Recipe
How much time do you need?
Preparation time: 3 hr
Cooking time 15 min the pasta and 2 hours the broth
Total time: 5 hrs 15 min
Material:
Bowls
Kitchen scale
Cheese grater
Pasta rolling pin (or a pasta maker)
Pasta cutter (or a knife)
Kitchen towel, cutlery, knife
Spatula
Frying pan
Large saucepan
Cutting board
Ingredients (serves 4-6): For the broth: 400grs of chicken bones or pork sirloin bones 3 L water 1 onion, peeled and halved 1 carrot, peeled and halved 1 stick of celery 1 spring onion, halved 1 potato, peeled and halved salt For the pasta dough: 400 grs of plain flour '00'' sifted 4 eggs For the tortellini filling 200 grs of pork loin, finely diced 2 tbsp of unsalted butter 100 grs of prosciutto, thinly sliced 100 grs of mortadella, thinly sliced 80 grs of Parmesan, finely grated 2 eggs nutmeg, freshly grated freshly ground black pepper fine salt (I suggest not adding salt if the prosciutto is too salty) Method: Start with the broth. In a large sauce pot set over a medium heat, combine all the ingredients for the broth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 hours. Allow the broth to cool slightly, then remove the bones and vegetables and pass through a fine sieve. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Reserve to one side. Pasta: Form a crown with the flour, arrange eggs and the olive oil in the centre. Start taking the wet ingredients from dough from the centre to the edges until the ingredients are joined. Knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth. Let the covered dough rest for 20-30 minutes. This step is essential and will make the rolling and stretching process much easier. While the pasta is resting, make the tortellini filling (see section 'Filling' below). To finish the pasta, roll out the dough until thin sheets are obtained. If you are using an automatic pasta maker, start with the widest setting (0) and continue until you reach setting #8. It has to be very thin.
Filling:
Melt the butter in a frying pan set over a medium heat. Brown the thinly diced pork for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and use a knife to mince it together with the prosciutto and mortadella. Add the parmesan and eggs, then season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Assembling and shaping:
Spread a thin sheet of dough on the counter and using a pasta cutter cut into 2.5-3cm squares. If you would like them bigger to hold more filling, go for 5cm squares but then you have to call them tortelloni =) Usually 5-6 tortellini would fill one tablespoon and that is equivalent to 2-3 tortelloni. The 2.5-3 cm squares can hold half a teaspoon of filling. I cut all the squares to have them ready and then I worked filling and shaping batches of 8-10 tortellini. I covered the remaining squares with a slightly wet kitchen towel so they don’t dry out. Shaping will be difficult if the squares have dried out. To make the tortellini, place a half a teaspoon of the filling in the centre of a square and slightly moisten the edge with a very small amount of water using a pastry brush or your fingers. Gently fold the pasta over and seal at the top forming a triangle. Work your fingers down the edges to seal, pushing out any air bubbles as you go. Take the corners of the little tortellini and bring together around your little finger and press together to seal. Try making one and adjust the amount of filling if needed. Check the highlight on my Instagram for a step by step video! Repeat until you have used all the pasta and filling, storing them on a tray dusted with semolina until you are
ready to cook them.
Cooking:
Cook in boiling water for 5 minutes and then transfer to a sauce pan with the broth and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Try one and test if it’s cooked, especially in the folded corners. Serve the tortellini and broth in serving bowls and top with grated parmesan or any type of hard cheese you like.
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