Name: Tortellini in brodo
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 28 h 30 min
Cuisine: Italian, Bologna / Emilia-Romagna
Ingredients: 100 g pork loin; 100 g Prosciutto di Parma or similar cured ham; 100 g Mortadella Bologna; 150 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated; 1 large egg; 0.5 g freshly grated nutmeg; 400 g Italian 00 flour; 4 large eggs; 2 g fine salt; 1.2 kg capon or good free-range chicken, whole small bird or equivalent bone-in pieces; 700 g beef brisket and shank, mixed broth cuts; 150 g onion, halved; 120 g carrot, roughly chopped; 100 g celery, roughly chopped; 3.5 L cold water; 10 g fine salt, adjust at the end

Small tortellini rings served in clear golden broth

Prep1 h 30 min

Cook3 h

Total28 h 30 min

Yield4 generous bowls

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The dish

About Tortellini in brodo

Tortellini in brodo is one of Bologna’s most codified dishes. Bologna Welcome records that the filling was registered in 1974 and the classic Tortellini di Bologna recipe in 2008 at the Bologna Chamber of Commerce, with a filling based on pork loin, prosciutto, Mortadella Bologna, Parmigiano, egg and nutmeg.

The filling is deliberately made a day ahead. Resting at least 24 hours lets the minced meats, cheese, egg and nutmeg settle into one cohesive mass. That rest is part of the registered preparation, not idle waiting.

The pasta is rolled very thin and cut into 4 × 4 cm squares. A small amount of filling goes into each piece before it is folded into a triangle and wrapped around the fingertip to form the characteristic ring. Small scale matters: a classic tortellino is around 5 g.

The broth is not a background liquid. Bologna’s reference calls for an excellent capon broth supported by beef cuts. The pot is kept at a quiet simmer and skimmed carefully so the serving broth remains savoury and reasonably clear.

Tortellini are boiled only briefly in the strained broth. The photographed images show grated cheese and green garnish, but the canonical recipe here keeps the bowl focused on tortellini and broth; any extra table garnish is optional and not required for identity.

Technique

Three things that matter

Rest the filling overnight. The registered Bologna method calls for at least 24 hours, giving the mixture time to become cohesive.
Roll and cut small. Thin 4 cm squares keep the pasta delicate and the finished tortellino close to its classic scale.
Serve in excellent broth. A weak or cloudy broth diminishes a dish whose liquid is half of the eating experience.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

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

Filling

100 gpork loin
100 gProsciutto di Parma or similar cured ham
100 gMortadella Bologna
150 gParmigiano Reggianofinely grated
1large egg
0.5 gfreshly grated nutmeg

Fresh pasta

400 gItalian 00 flour
4large eggs
2 gfine salt

Capon and beef broth

1.2 kgcapon or good free-range chickenwhole small bird or equivalent bone-in pieces
700 gbeef brisket and shankmixed broth cuts
150 gonionhalved
120 gcarrotroughly chopped
100 gceleryroughly chopped
3.5 Lcold water
10 gfine saltadjust at the end

Step by step

Method

Prepare and rest the filling

Cook the pork loin. Brown the pork loin gently in a little butter or dry in a non-stick pan until cooked through, then cool completely.
The meat should stay moist enough to mince without becoming dry crumbs.
Mince and mix. Finely mince the cooked pork, prosciutto and mortadella. Mix thoroughly with Parmigiano, egg and nutmeg until cohesive. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
The rested filling should hold a small neat mound rather than crumble.

Make the broth

Start from cold water. Put capon or chicken, beef, onion, carrot and celery in the stockpot with 3.5 L cold water. Bring slowly toward a simmer and skim foam as it rises.
A slow approach to heat and regular skimming keep the broth cleaner.
Simmer and strain. Maintain a bare simmer for about 2½ hours, until the meats are tender and the broth is deeply flavoured. Strain carefully and season with salt.
The strained broth should taste concentrated enough to serve on its own, without a greasy surface.

Roll and shape the tortellini

Knead and rest the pasta. Knead flour, eggs and salt for 8–10 minutes until smooth. Wrap and rest 30 minutes.
The dough should feel supple and roll without springing back sharply.
Roll very thin. Work with small pieces, keeping the rest covered. Roll to about 0.7–1 mm and cut 4 × 4 cm squares.
The sheet should be thin but strong enough to seal around the filling.
Fill and form. Place about 2 g filling in the centre of each square. Fold corner to corner into a triangle, press out air, then wrap the two outer corners around a fingertip and pinch together.
The seam should be fully sealed and the centre should form a compact ring.

Cook in broth and serve

Bring broth to a gentle boil. Return enough strained broth for four bowls to a gentle boil. Add tortellini in batches if necessary.
The broth should bubble gently rather than violently enough to split the pasta.
Cook briefly and serve. Cook until the pasta is tender and the tortellini float and feel cooked through, usually 3–5 minutes depending on thickness. Ladle immediately into hot bowls with the broth.
The pasta should be tender at the folded seams while the filling stays juicy.

Practical guidance

Broth quantity

Make more broth than the bowls strictly need; pasta absorbs liquid and a generous serving is central to the dish.

Freezing

Freshly shaped tortellini can be frozen in one layer and bagged after firm. Cook from frozen, allowing a little extra time.

Image garnish

The supplied photographs show cheese and green garnish. They may be used as serving decoration, but the registered Bologna identity does not depend on them.

Troubleshooting

Tortellini open in the broth. Air was trapped or the edges dried before sealing. Work in small batches and keep unused pasta covered.
The filling is crumbly. It was minced too coarsely or not rested long enough.
The broth is cloudy. It boiled hard or was not skimmed. Maintain a bare simmer and strain carefully.
The pasta is thick at the folds. The sheet was rolled too thick; reduce thickness before cutting the 4 cm squares.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 1 generous bowl
Calories: approximately 530 kcal
Carbohydrates: 52 g
Protein: 37 g
Fat: 20 g
Fibre: 2 g
Sodium: approximately 1,050 mg

Estimate includes a portion of tortellini and broth; exact sodium and fat depend heavily on cured meats, Parmigiano and how much broth fat is removed.

Allergens and food safety

Contains wheat/gluten, egg and milk; filling contains pork and cured meats.

Keep the raw egg-and-meat filling refrigerated during its 24-hour rest and shaping.

Cook the pork used for filling thoroughly; refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 74 °C.

FAQ

Why must the filling rest for 24 hours?

The Bologna reference explicitly calls for at least a 24-hour rest; it also gives the minced filling a more cohesive texture.

How large should the pasta squares be?

The registered Bologna method uses small squares around 4 × 4 cm and a classic tortellino around 5 g.

Can tortellini be served without broth?

Many modern sauces exist, but this page is specifically tortellini in brodo, where excellent meat broth is part of the dish identity.

Final note

What matters most

Result: Small, delicate tortellini with a savoury pork, mortadella, prosciutto and Parmigiano filling floating in clear, deeply flavoured broth.
Key: Rest the filling, roll the dough thin and treat the broth as a principal ingredient.