Among the thousand reasons to visit our country, one of the main ones is definitely the food. From north to south, culinary excellences are countless. Each region offers fantastic dishes that will satisfy all tastes in all seasons. Among these, a prominent place certainly belongs toEmilia Romagna so much so that the Forbes magazine, in 2013, even proposes it as the best eating region in the world. One of the dishes that have allowed so much notoriety and so much appreciation is certainly i tortellini in broth.
The legends about tortellini in broth
As with many traditional dishes, the origins of tortellini in broth are shrouded in various legends and their paternity is disputed between Bologna and Modena. One of these tells of how in Castelfranco Emilia, a country disputed between the two cities, in 1200 a young and beautiful noble lady who stopped at the "Corona" inn to rest. The innkeeper, enchanted by the beauty of the young woman, once accompanied to the room, remained to spy on her through the keyhole being particularly impressed by his navel. So in the evening he gave the pastry sheet he had prepared for dinner the shape of that navel that had so captivated him. Then he filled it with meat and thus tortellini were born.
Another version of this legend, told in the nineteenth century by Giuseppe Ceri in his poem, wants the divinities Bacchus, Mars and Venus to refresh themselves at the "Corona" inn during a conflict between Modena and Bologna. Here, however, the innkeeper was inspired by the beauty (and navel) of Venus for his creation. This version of the legend probably originates from the poem the “Bucket kidnapped” by Alessandro Tassoni which, in twelve cantos, tells of the rivalry between Modena and Bologna that is also unleashed over a bucket of water stolen from the Bolognese by the Modenese. The war is attended by nobles, heroes and gods of Olympus. There are, then, other versions of this legend and other legends.
History
Even on a historical level it is not easy to find a shared truth. Traces of tortellini can be found since the Middle Ages. In some writings they appear as early as the twelfth century: there is talk of tortelli eaten at Christmas. Then, in a recipe book, sheets of pasta stuffed with herbs pop up. The testimonies follow one another in the following centuries. The first to associate a territorial denomination to this dish were the Lombards with Cristoforo Messisbugo who in 1549 proposed the Lombard tortellini resumed with variations in the following years.
The first recipe for tortellini alla bolognese appears in 1790 by Francesco Leonardi. In any case, over time they become a dish, in its many variations, present on the tables of all Italians. As has happened with many other dishes that we consider traditional in today's version, the recipe has changed a lot over the years. The definitive consecration arrives on 7 December 1974 when the “Learned Confraternity of Tortellino” deposits the original recipe tortellini in broth at the Bologna Chamber of Commerce.
The recipe for tortellini in broth
The registered recipe calls for the use of pork loin, raw ham, Bologna mortadella, Parmigiano Reggiano, eggs and nutmeg for the filling and flour and eggs for the pastry. They will then be cooked in capon and beef broth. Let's see how to prepare them starting with the broth.
In a large pot full of about three liters of water we put 600 gr. of capon, 200 gr. steak, 200 brisket, 1 broth bone, 2 carrots, 1 onion, 2 celery sticks and a little parsley. We slightly salt and bring to a boil. When it comes to a boil, skim, lower the heat and let it cook for about three hours. Once cooked, let it cool, remove the fat that will form on the surface and filter in order to eliminate the solid parts.
While the broth is cooking we prepare the filling. We will use 150 gr. pork loin, 100 gr. of mortadella, 70 gr. of raw ham, 150 gr. of parmesan and an egg. In a pan, brown the loin cut into strips of a couple of centimeters for a couple of minutes. We leave to cool and pass through the meat grinder together with Ham and mortadella. We add grated Parmesan, salt, nutmeg and an egg. Mix all the ingredients well with your hands (or passing through the meat grinder) and leave to rest.
Let's prepare the tortellini
So let's deal with the pasta. We will use three eggs, 250 gr. 00 flour and 50 gr. of semolina flour. We mix the all-purpose flour and form the classic fountain on a pastry board, put the eggs in the center and start mixing with a fork. We add a pinch of salt and knead by hand for at least 10 minutes. While working the dough it is advisable to pull it in all directions and beat it on the pastry board from time to time to increase the elasticity. The dough must be very smooth and homogeneous. We wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest for at least half an hour.
At this point we roll out the dough very thin (6/10 mm are considered the ideal thickness) and cut out many squares of about 3 cm per side. We place a knob of filling in the center of the squares, then fold them in half along the diagonal to form a triangle and close them around the finger by joining the opposite ends and pressing so as to weld the dough. Let's place them hand-by-hand on a tray sprinkled with a little durum wheat semolina flour. Let's cook them for three or four minutes in the broth and serve very hot.
