Tortellini in brodo

Two days ahead — season the pork loin

This step follows the Confraternita's own method for the loin: the seasoning flavours the meat, then is wiped off before cooking.

1. 1Season the loin
   Hands-on 10 min

   Weigh the loin and the salt (1.5% of the meat's weight: 4.5 g for 300 g). Mix the salt with the pepper, the chopped rosemary and the crushed garlic, and rub the mixture all over the meat.

   Tip Weighing the salt as a percentage of the meat makes the result identical every time, whatever the size of your piece.

2. 2Leave it to cure in the fridge
   Rest 2 daysTemp 4 °C

   Wrap the loin tightly in film or put it in a sealed container and leave it on the bottom shelf of the fridge, at 4 °C, for two days. Turn it once halfway.

The day before — the filling

1. 3Clean the loin
   Hands-on 5 min

   Take the loin out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Wipe off the garlic and rosemary completely with kitchen paper — they would burn in the butter and leave bitter specks in the filling.

2. 4Brown the loin in butter, slowly Official text
   Cooking 25–30 minTemp 68 °CHeat medium-low — the butter should foam, never smokeStart 25 min timer

   Melt the butter in the heavy pan over medium-low heat until it foams. Add the loin and cook it slowly, turning it every 5 minutes so every side colours evenly to light gold, until the centre reaches 68 °C. A 300 g piece about 6 cm thick takes 25–30 minutes.

   Check Probe the thickest part: 68 °C. The juices run clear and the surface is golden, not dark brown.

   Tip ‘Rosolato al burro’ means lightly golden. A dark crust tastes bitter once it is ground into the filling.

3. 5Cool the meat completely
   Rest 1 hStart 1 h timer

   Let the loin cool on a plate at room temperature for 30 minutes, then put it in the fridge, with the prosciutto and mortadella, for another 30 minutes. Cold meat grinds into a clean paste instead of smearing.

4. 6Prepare the cheese, nutmeg and meats
   Hands-on 15 min

   Grate the Parmigiano finely (450 g) and the whole nutmeg (about 5 g). Cut the loin, prosciutto and mortadella into cubes of about 2 cm.

   Tip A whole nutmeg is the deposited quantity, and it is right: it seasons about 1.6 kg of filling.

5. 7Grind the meats very finely Official text
   Hands-on 15 min

   Pass the loin, prosciutto and mortadella through the grinder twice with the fine plate, or pulse them in a food processor in batches until they form a fine, even paste. Keep the meat cold — below 10 °C — so the fat does not separate.

   Check No visible pieces of meat or fat; the mixture looks like a smooth, pale pink paste.

6. 8Mix the filling Official text
   Hands-on 3–5 min

   Beat the eggs and add them to the meat with the Parmigiano and the nutmeg. Knead by hand for 3–5 minutes until completely even.

   Check Squeeze a little in your fist: it holds its shape, feels compact and barely sticks to your hand.

   Tip Do not add salt. The prosciutto, mortadella and Parmigiano season it fully; taste a teaspoon fried in a pan if in doubt.

7. 9Rest the filling Official text
   Rest 12–24 hTemp 4 °C

   Press film directly onto the surface and leave the filling in the fridge at 4 °C for at least 12 hours. The Confraternita recommends a full day: the flavours blend and the filling firms up, which makes shaping much easier.

The day before — the broth

Make the broth on the same day as the filling. Chilled overnight, its fat sets on top and can be lifted off cleanly.

1. 10Start the meats in cold water Official text
   Cooking 30–40 minHeat medium

   Put the beef and the half hen in the stockpot with 4 litres of cold water. Heat over medium heat so that it comes to the boil slowly, in about 30–40 minutes.

   Tip Starting cold draws the flavour out of the meat and lets the proteins rise gradually as foam you can skim, for a clearer broth.

2. 11Skim the foam Official text
   Hands-on 10 min

   As the water approaches the boil, grey foam rises. Lift it off with the skimmer, repeatedly, until the surface stays clean — about 10 minutes.

   Check The surface is clear, with only small drops of fat.

3. 12Add the vegetables and salt Official text
   Hands-on 2 min

   Add the celery, carrot and onion, and about 20 g of coarse salt to start. You will adjust it at the end, once the broth has reduced.

4. 13Simmer very slowly Official text
   Cooking 3 hTemp 90 °C–95 °CHeat lowest — barely tremblingStart 3 h timer

   Lower the heat until the surface barely trembles — 90 °C–95 °C, never a rolling boil — and set the lid ajar. Simmer for at least 3 hours.

   Check The broth is clear and golden and the beef is tender. A rolling boil would emulsify the fat and make it cloudy.

   Tip The October 2026 broth deposit, as reported, simmers for four hours and lets the broth rest for 30 minutes before straining it through a cloth.

5. 14Strain
   Hands-on 10 min

   Lift out the meats (they make an excellent ‘bollito’ with green sauce) and the vegetables. Pass the broth through the sieve lined with damp muslin. Taste and adjust the salt. Expect about 3 litres.

6. 15Cool quickly and chill
   Rest 8 hTemp 4 °C

   Stand the pot in a sink of iced water and stir until the broth is below 20 °C, then refrigerate overnight. Next day, lift off the solid fat on top, leaving a few flecks for flavour.

   Tip Cooling broth quickly — below 20 °C within 2 hours — keeps it safe.

The day — the pasta

1. 16Make the dough
   Hands-on 10 min

   Heap the flour on the board and make a wide well. Break the eggs into it (about 550 g without shells, at room temperature) and beat them with a fork, drawing in flour from the inner wall little by little until the mixture is too stiff to stir.

   Tip The ratio is one large egg per 100 g of flour. Eggs vary: if the dough stays crumbly, add a teaspoon of water at a time; if it sticks, add flour a spoonful at a time.

2. 17Knead
   Hands-on 10–15 minStart 10 min timer

   Knead with the heel of your hand, folding and turning, for 10–15 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic and evenly yellow.

   Check Press a finger into it: the dent springs back slowly. The surface looks satin-smooth and does not stick to your hands.

3. 18Rest the dough
   Rest 30 minStart 30 min timer

   Wrap the dough in film and leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes. The gluten relaxes, so the dough rolls out thin without shrinking back.

4. 19Roll the pasta very thin Official text
   Hands-on 15 min

   Work with a quarter of the dough at a time, keeping the rest wrapped. On the wooden board, roll it out with the long rolling pin, turning the sheet a quarter turn every few strokes, until it is very thin — about 0.6 mm.

   Check Hold the sheet up to the light: you can see the shadow of your hand through it.

   Tip Roll and shape one sheet at a time: a sheet left uncovered dries in 10–15 minutes and then will not seal.

   Tip A pasta machine works (second-thinnest setting), but the rolling pin and wooden board leave a slightly rough surface that holds the broth better.

The day — shaping the tortellini

1. 20Cut the squares Official text

   Trim the sheet and cut it into squares of 3 cm a side with the knife or pastry wheel. Use a ruler for the first rows until your eye is set.

2. 21Place the filling Official text

   Put a small ball of filling — about 1.5–2 g, the size of a hazelnut — in the centre of each square. The deposited quantities give about 1.6 g of filling per tortellino for 1,000 pieces.

   Tip Roll a tray of filling balls before you start cutting: shaping goes twice as fast.

   Tip Weigh your first ten tortellini. For reference, the Confraternita's 2008 deed gives a finished weight of 5 g each.

3. 22Fold into a triangle Official text

   Fold each square in half diagonally so the edges meet exactly, and press them together firmly, pushing out any air around the filling.

   Check No air pocket around the filling — trapped air makes tortellini burst in the broth.

4. 23Wrap around your finger Official text
   Hands-on 3–4 h

   Hold the triangle with the long side towards you, wrap it around the tip of your index finger and overlap the two corners of the long side. Press the corners together firmly so the pasta seals and the tortellino keeps its shape.

   Check The corners are stuck firmly and the ring holds when you slide it off your finger.

   Tip The time shown is for all 1,000 tortellini, cutting, filling, folding and wrapping, by one person. Two or three people at the board — the Bolognese way — cut it to an hour or so.

   Tip If the pasta has started to dry and will not stick, touch the corners with a slightly damp fingertip — no more.

5. 24Lay them out to dry a little Official text
   Rest 30 min – 1 h

   As they are ready, set the tortellini on the floured cloth-lined trays in a single layer, not touching. Leave them at room temperature for 30–60 minutes so the surface dries slightly and they hold their shape when cooked.

   Tip To keep the rest: freeze the trays for 1 hour, then transfer the tortellini to bags. Cook them straight from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes.

The day — cooking and serving

1. 25Bring the broth back to the boil Official text
   Cooking 15 min

   Heat the strained, skimmed broth in a wide pan. For ten people you need about 2.5–3 litres — about 250 ml per bowl.

2. 26Cook the tortellini gently Official text
   Cooking 3–4 minHeat medium — a gentle boil, not a rolling oneStart 3 min timer

   Slip the tortellini into the boiling broth a handful at a time — about 25 per person — and let them cook over medium heat, at a gentle boil, for 3–4 minutes.

   Check They float, and the pasta at the folded corners is tender when you bite one.

   Tip A fierce boil tears the tortellini open. Fresh ones are ready soon after they float.

3. 27Serve at once Official text
   Hands-on 3 min

   Ladle the tortellini and broth into warmed bowls and serve piping hot, with plenty of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano at the table.

   Tip Warm the bowls with hot water first: the broth should arrive at the table steaming.