Tortellini in Broth (Tortellini in Brodo)
Tiny hand-folded pasta rings filled with pork, prosciutto, mortadella and Parmigiano, simmered gently in a deep, golden homemade broth. This is the dish Emilia-Romagna serves at every holiday table.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Build the broth
Put the , beef, onion, carrots, celery, tomato and parsley stems in a large pot with the cold water. Bring to a boil slowly, skimming off the grey foam that rises, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered, very gently, for 3–3.5 hours. The broth should barely bubble, just a few lazy bubbles breaking the surface, so it stays clear instead of turning cloudy.
- 1 or boiling hen
- 300 g beef shank or chuck
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 ripe tomato
- a few sprigs parsley stems
- 4 litres cold water
✅ Done when: the broth is deep golden, tastes rich on its own, and the meats fall easily off the bone
Strain and season
Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pot, discarding the vegetables and herbs (keep the meats for another meal, like a boiled-meat platter). Let the broth settle for a few minutes, then skim off the fat floating on top with a ladle or spoon. Season with salt to taste; it should taste pleasantly savoury but not strong, since it will reduce a little more later.
- to taste fine sea salt
✅ Done when: the broth is clear, lightly golden and well seasoned
Make the filling
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Make the dough
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Shape the tortellini
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Cook and serve
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Build the broth
Put the , beef, onion, carrots, celery, tomato and parsley stems in a large pot with the cold water. Bring to a boil slowly, skimming off the grey foam that rises, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered, very gently, for 3–3.5 hours. The broth should barely bubble, just a few lazy bubbles breaking the surface, so it stays clear instead of turning cloudy.
- 1 or boiling hen
- 300 g beef shank or chuck
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 ripe tomato
- a few sprigs parsley stems
- 4 litres cold water
✅ Done when: the broth is deep golden, tastes rich on its own, and the meats fall easily off the bone
Strain and season
Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pot, discarding the vegetables and herbs (keep the meats for another meal, like a boiled-meat platter). Let the broth settle for a few minutes, then skim off the fat floating on top with a ladle or spoon. Season with salt to taste; it should taste pleasantly savoury but not strong, since it will reduce a little more later.
- to taste fine sea salt
✅ Done when: the broth is clear, lightly golden and well seasoned
Make the filling
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Make the dough
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Shape the tortellini
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Cook and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Tortellini belong to a family of small filled pastas native to Emilia-Romagna, where cooks have long stuffed thin egg-pasta with rich mixtures of pork, cured meats and Parmigiano. Bologna and Modena both claim the dish as their own, and the rivalry over the exact filling and the perfect broth is still argued about at family tables today.
For generations, tortellini in brodo has been the dish that opens the Christmas and New Year's lunch across the region, made in the days before the holiday by hands fast enough to fold hundreds of them, one by one.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It is the dish that defines Emilia-Romagna's table: a humble, patient craft of folding tiny pasta parcels that turns into one of the most comforting soups in Italian cooking.
💡 Fun Fact
A well-loved local legend says the shape of the tortellino was inspired by a glimpse of a beautiful woman's navel, which is why it is still sometimes called the 'belly button of Venus.'
Bologna and Modena, Emilia-Romagna
44.49°N, 11.34°E
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