Name: Anolini parmigiani
Prep time: 1 h 50 min
Cook time: 3 h 10 min
Total time: 6 h
Cuisine: Italian, Emilia-Romagna
Ingredients: 500 g beef shank; 600 g capon or bone-in chicken; 300 g pork ribs; 1 carrot, halved; 1 celery stalk, halved; 1 small onion, halved; 3 L cold water; fine sea salt to taste; 300 g 00 flour; 3 large eggs; 240 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated; include a well-aged portion; 80 g fine dry breadcrumbs; 2 large eggs; 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg; 60–90 ml hot broth, as needed to soften breadcrumbs; fine sea salt only if needed

Anolini parmigiani: wide hero view of the finished traditional dish

Prep1 h 50 min

Cook3 h 10 min

Total6 h

Yield6 servings

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The dish

About Anolini parmigiani

Parma Welcome specifies smooth discs about 2.8 cm wide, made from two overlapping layers of pasta.

Its Parma filling is defined by aged Parmigiano Reggiano, a little breadcrumb, egg and nutmeg; the official page explicitly notes that the filling does not contain meat, while reduced stracotto juice may contribute flavour in one formulation.

The pasta is traditionally cooked in a special three-meat broth, “brodo in terza.”

A clear broth and a compact filling matter more than oversized parcels: anolini should remain small enough to eat comfortably by the spoonful.

Technique

Three things that matter

Keep the filling cheese-led. The Parma version is not a generic minced-meat raviolo.
Use two pasta sheets. Stamping around spaced filling mounds produces the smooth round disc described by Parma Welcome.
Keep the broth clear. A bare simmer and regular skimming prevent emulsified fat and cloudiness.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Everything needed to prepare the dish, arranged for fast scanning before cooking.

Brodo in terza — home version

500 gbeef shank
600 gcapon or bone-in chicken
300 gpork ribs
1carrothalved
1celery stalkhalved
1small onionhalved
3 Lcold water
fine sea saltto taste

Egg pasta

300 g00 flour
3 largeeggs

Parmigiano filling

240 gParmigiano Reggianofinely grated; include a well-aged portion
80 gfine dry breadcrumbs
2 largeeggs
1/4 tspfreshly grated nutmeg
60–90 mlhot brothas needed to soften breadcrumbs
fine sea saltonly if needed

Step by step

Method

Make the broth and filling

Start the brodo cold. Put beef, poultry, pork and vegetables in cold water and bring up slowly.
Foam should rise gradually so it can be skimmed before vigorous boiling clouds the broth.
Simmer gently. Skim well, then maintain a bare simmer for about 2½–3 hours. Strain and season.
The broth should be clear, deeply savoury and free of floating scum.
Mix the filling. Moisten breadcrumbs with a little hot broth; cool slightly, then mix with Parmigiano, eggs and nutmeg.
The filling should be dense enough to roll into tiny portions, not wet.

Make the anolini

Knead and rest pasta. Knead flour and eggs until smooth, 8–10 minutes; wrap and rest 30 minutes.
The dough should roll thin without springing back.
Roll two sheets. Roll two similar thin sheets, keeping the second covered while spacing small filling mounds on the first.
Filling mounds should be small and separated by enough room for the cutter.
Seal and stamp. Lay the second sheet over, press around each mound to expel air and stamp smooth 2.8–3 cm discs.
Edges should be fully fused with no visible air pocket.

Cook in broth

Return broth to a simmer. Bring enough strained broth for serving to a quiet simmer.
The surface should tremble without a rolling boil.
Cook the anolini. Add anolini in batches and simmer 3–5 minutes, depending on sfoglia thickness.
The pasta edge should be tender and the filling hot through.
Serve in the broth. Ladle anolini and clear broth into warmed bowls and serve immediately.
Discs should remain intact and float freely in clear broth.

Practical guidance

Stracotto juice

Some Parma formulations enrich the filling with reduced juices from stracotto; the simpler official ingredient list can also be prepared with Parmigiano, breadcrumbs, eggs and nutmeg.

Freezing

Freeze stamped uncooked anolini in one layer, then bag; cook from frozen directly in simmering broth.

Broth

The traditional “in terza” idea is a three-meat broth. This home version uses beef, poultry and pork while keeping the method practical.

Troubleshooting

Filling leaks. It was too wet or air remained around the mound. Keep it dense and press outward before stamping.
Broth is cloudy. It boiled hard or was not skimmed early. Maintain a bare simmer and strain carefully.
Anolini feel thick. The pasta sheets were not rolled thin enough. The small diameter requires delicate sfoglia.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: about 15 anolini in broth
Calories: approximately 650 kcal
Carbohydrates: 60 g
Protein: 42 g
Fat: 26 g
Fibre: 3 g
Sodium: 980 mg

Nutrition depends strongly on how much broth fat is retained and the Parmigiano used.

Allergens and food safety

Contains gluten, egg and milk.

Keep raw meat for broth refrigerated until cooking and simmer broth continuously until all meats are thoroughly cooked.

Cool any broth not served immediately in shallow containers and refrigerate promptly.

FAQ

Do Parma anolini contain meat in the filling?

Parma Welcome explicitly describes the classic Parma filling as cheese-led and not containing meat, although reduced stracotto juices may contribute flavour in some versions.

What shape are anolini?

Small smooth-edged discs, about 2.8 cm in the Parma description.

What is brodo in terza?

A traditional broth made with three types of meat, used as the serving liquid for anolini.

Final note

What matters most

Result: Small, delicate pasta discs with a compact aged-cheese filling floating in a clear, deeply savoury three-meat broth.
Key: Keep the filling Parmigiano-led, stamp small smooth discs and never let the serving broth boil violently.