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ByRosemary
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This Traditional Tortellini in Brodo (in broth) s a delicious way to serve your favourite tortellini. Whether you make them yourself or use store bought. This easy soup will become one of your favourite recipes.
Tortellini in Brodo is usually made during the Christmas Holidays, although I could eat this anytime of the year! It really is that good. Making your own broth is easier and much healthier than store bought. This way you can also control the salt, I find pre-made extremely salty.
Table of Contents
How to make it
In a large pot add a piece of stewing beef, bone with marrow, carrot, onion, celery, spices and water.
Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for about three hours.
Pour the broth through a sieve, place the liquid back in the pot, bring to a boil and add the tortellini, cook until cooked through.
Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.
What to make with the meat and vegetables?
My mother-in-law would place the meat and vegetable in a bowl and it was delicious that way, but I like to roast them for a bit in the oven on high heat. I sprinkle some oregano and a little extra salt if necessary.
This can easily become a vegetarian dish by removing the meat and substituting with a cheese tortellini rather than a meat type. You can also substitute the beef for with chicken if you prefer.
Where did it originate?
In 1790 the first recipe for Tortellini alla Bolognese was written in “L’Apicio Moderno” by Francesco Leonardi. They were very different from today’s tortellini. The filling was made of roasted chicken breast, beef marrow, Parmesan cheese, butter, nutmeg, cinnamon and egg yolks. Also the shape was not the same as it is today. It was formed by two overlapping round pieces of dough that held the filling.
From that moment this delicious dish “Tortellini alla Bolognese” will always be part of the Italian cuisine. Although the shape has changed over time, the way it is served has stayed basically the same. As a soup or broth and accompanied by a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.
How to store it
The cooked Tortellini in Brodo should be eaten when made. If not the tortellini can become mushy and and soft. If you do have left overs then be sure to store it in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within a day.
Any leftover broth should be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge. It will keep for up to 4-5 days. It can also be frozen in a freezer safe container. It will keep for up to six months.
More Delicious Italian Soups
Classic Minestrone Soup
Hearty Chickpea Soup
Slow Cooker Italian Meatball Soup
Easy Homemade Italian Fish Soup
So if you have never tried one of the more Classic Italian Soups then I hope you take a taste of this Traditional Tortellini in Brodo (in broth) and let me know what you think. Buon Appetito!
This Traditional Tortellini in Brodo (in broth) is a delicious way to serve your favourite tortellini.This easy soup will become one of your favourites.
Prep Time 20 minutesmins
Cook Time 3 hourshrs
Total Time 3 hourshrs20 minutesmins
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6servings
Calories 318kcal
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Ingredients
10 ½ouncesbeef (stewing) (300 grams)
1-2beef bones with marrow
1largecarrot (quartered)
1mediumonion (halved)
1stalkcelery (halved)
1bay leaf
3-4black whole peppercorns
¼-½teaspoonsalt (or to taste)
12cupswater(3 litres)
1poundtortellini (I used the smaller type with meat)(500 grams)
Instructions
In a large pot add the beef, bone with marrow, the carrot, onion, celery, spices and water. Bring to a boil on medium high heat, then lower the heat and simmer for about three hours half covered, stirring occasionally, remove any foam that appears on the top of the broth.
Pour the broth through a sieve, then place the liquid back in the pot (taste for salt), bring to a boil and add the tortellini, cook until cooked through. Serve immediately with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.
WHAT TO MAKE WITH THE MEAT & VEGETABLES
My mother-in-law would place the meat and vegetable in a bowl and it was delicious that way, but I like to roast them for a bit in the oven on high heat. I sprinkle some oregano, a drizzle of olive oil and a little extra salt if necessary.
Notes
This can easily become a vegetarian dish by removing the meat and substituting with a cheese tortellini rather than a meat type. You can also substitute the beef with chicken if you prefer.
When I made this I made half the pasta and half the broth, the remaining broth I froze.
They are particularly associated with the provinces of Bologna and Modena; each has claimed for centuries that they originated the dish and that their version reigns supreme. There are many differences between the tortellini of these two provinces, in fillings and even in how they are made.
If the recipe has been followed correctly, all the single flavors of the different kinds of meat should be perceived. Traditions want tortellini to be served in capon's or hen's broth and eaten with a spoon.
Brodo (literally meaning 'broth') is essentially a beef or vegetable stock that is often used on its own as a broth, such as in the beloved tortellini in brodo, or as the base for sauces, stews and more.
For the most basic brodo di carne, you will use 3-4 kinds of meat, onion, carrot, celery, and a pinch of salt. That's it. This is what I use for my Tortellini in Brodo, where the meat filling is so complex and highly seasoned that no other aromatics are needed. (This advice comes from my Bolognese butcher.)
Hailing originally from the Italian region of Emilia, tortellini are also traditionally stuffed with ricotta cheese. But history has shown a willingness for Italian cooks to go well beyond cheese, with various meats like prosciutto, mortadella, and pork loin finding a home inside of the ring-shaped pasta.
The pasta is unmistakably Italian from the region of Emilia-Romagna but there is an ongoing quarrel between the beginnings originating from Bologna or Modena.
Pasta is best served hot and freshly cooked. You can enhance the flavour of your dish by adding grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, or chopped fresh herbs such as basil or parsley. Pasta is traditionally eaten by itself, not as a side for meat or fish.
Typical from the Emilia Romagna region, tortellini is the world most famous filled pasta. Tortellino comes etymologically from tortello, a diminutive of torta, which means pie in italian. Tortellini are called so because they are filled just like little pies.
Why is it called Brodo? Simple: Brodo is the italian word for “broth.” Historically, Italians have made broth a bit differently from their French counterparts, simmering both meat and bone, not just bones.
Usually, but not always, meat-based: bones, vegetables, and fragrant herbs are simmered in water. The resulting liquid is called broth or stock in English, brodo in Italian, and bouillon in French. Consommé is a clear version of bouillon that uses egg whites to collect the excess fat and sediment from the broth.
For now, calling Brodo a “bone broth” distinguishes it as a homemade, long-simmered, nutritious broth. At Brodo, we make broth the traditional way, with real bones from real animals raised on real pastures. Well-made broth, slow-simmered the traditional way, is real food in its purest liquid form. No concentrates.
Brodo takes bone broth back to its roots—with a simple combination of time and real ingredients, like meaty grass-fed bones and organic whole cut vegetables. The result is a tastier, more nutritious broth akin to what your grandma used to make. Brodo is the only broth so delicious, it can be sipped on its own.
Brodo is a natural detox aid. The glycine in our broth supports your liver's ability to remove toxins, ranging from pesticides and mercury to prescription drugs and alcohol. Glycine is also a key building block for glutathione, a helpful antioxidant for anti-aging, fighting chronic disease, and cleansing your liver.
Created in the Castelfranco Emilia region of Modena, tortellini's were inspired by the beautiful naval of a woman. The creator of the tortellini was an innkeeper that housed the lovely daughter of Pope Alexander IV, Lucrezia Borgia.
Tortellino comes etymologically from tortello, a diminutive of torta, which means pie in italian. Tortellini are called so because they are filled just like little pies.
Legend claims that Tortellini was inspired by the goddess Venus' navel. An Italian medieval legend tells how Venus and Zeus, weary one night after their involvement in a battle between Bologna and Modena, arrive at a tavern in a small town on the outskirts of Bologna.
When it comes to pairing wine with tortellini in brodo, a delicate and aromatic white wine is ideal. The subtle flavors of the broth require a wine that complements rather than overpowers the dish. A local Italian choice would be a crisp, slightly fruity Verdicchio from the Marche region.
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