Tortellini in Chicken Broth

Tortellini in chicken broth is a classic dish of Italian cuisine, particularly from the Emilia region. Here is a traditional recipe you can follow:

Ingredients

For the broth:

• 1 kg of chicken (carcass, wings, breast, or thighs)
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• 1 stalk of celery
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt
• Water

For the tortellini:

• 300 g of soft wheat flour
• 3 eggs
• 200 g of ground pork meat
• 100 g of raw ham
• 100 g of mortadella
• 100 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• Nutmeg to taste
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

The broth:

1. In a large pot, place the chicken, clean and chopped carrot, peeled onion, clean and chopped celery, bay leaves, and a pinch of salt.
2. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 2-3 hours, skimming occasionally.
3. Strain the broth through a fine sieve and keep it warm.

The tortellini:

1. Prepare the pasta by kneading the flour with the eggs until you have a smooth and homogeneous mixture. Let it rest covered for about 30 minutes.
2. For the filling, mix the ground pork meat, finely chopped raw ham, and mortadella with the Parmesan, a pinch of nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
3. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin or pasta machine until it is thin.
4. Cut the sheet into squares of about 4 cm on each side.
5. Place a small amount of filling in the center of each square and close the tortellini giving it the characteristic navel shape.
6. Bring the broth back to a boil and cook the tortellini for about 3 minutes or until they float to the surface.

Serve the tortellini hot in the chicken broth and, if desired, sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.

Curiosity

Tradition has it that tortellini were inspired by the navel of the goddess Venus and were born in Emilia, specifically between Bologna and Modena. Furthermore, there is an Accademia del Tortellino that oversees the tradition and quality of their preparation.