Tortellini in Broth
By America's Test KitchenPublished on March 18, 2020
Time
1¾ hours, plus 30 minutes drying
Yield
Serves 8 to 10
Italian Name:
Tortellini in brodo
Ingredients
Broth
8 ounces ground chicken 2 cups chicken broth ½ onion, peeled3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed4 parsley stems ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground nutmegTortellini
4 ounces ground chicken 2 ounces mortadella, chopped coarse1 ounce Prosciutto di Parma, chopped coarse2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 tablespoon saltBefore You Begin
Be sure to use ground chicken, not ground chicken breast (also labeled 99 percent fat free). Our favorite pasta machine is the Marcato Altas 150 Wellness Pasta Machine; the pasta will be thin and semi-transparent when rolled to setting 7.
Instructions
- For the broth: Bring all ingredients to simmer in small saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until flavors meld, about 15 minutes. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into bowl, pressing on solids with rubber spatula to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. (Broth can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.) Return broth to now-empty saucepan, cover, and keep warm over low heat.
- For the tortellini: Process ground chicken, mortadella, prosciutto, Parmigiano, parsley, oil, nutmeg, and 1 tablespoon warm broth in food processor until smooth, 30 to 45 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer mixture to bowl, cover, and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
- Transfer dough to clean counter, divide into 3 pieces, and cover with plastic wrap. Flatten 1 piece of dough into ½-inch-thick disk. Using pasta machine with rollers set to widest position, feed dough through rollers twice. Bring tapered ends of dough toward middle and press to seal. Feed dough seam side first through rollers again. Repeat feeding dough tapered end first through rollers set at widest position, without folding, until dough is smooth and barely tacky. (If dough sticks to fingers or rollers, lightly dust with flour and roll again.)
- Narrow rollers to next setting and feed dough through rollers twice. Continue to progressively narrow rollers, feeding dough through each setting twice, until dough is very thin and semi-transparent. (If dough becomes too long to manage, halve crosswise.) Transfer sheet of pasta to liberally floured sheet of parchment paper. Cover with second sheet of parchment, followed by damp kitchen towel, to keep pasta from drying out. Repeat rolling with remaining 2 pieces of dough, stacking pasta sheets between floured layers of parchment.
- Liberally dust rimmed baking sheet with flour. Cut 1 pasta sheet into rounds on lightly floured counter using 2½-inch round cookie cutter (keep remaining sheets covered); discard scraps. Place ½ teaspoon filling in center of each round. Working with 1 pasta round at a time, lightly brush edges with water. Fold bottom edge of pasta over filling until flush with top edge to form half-moon shape. Press to seal edges flush to filling.
- With folded edge of filled pasta facing you, pull corners together below filling until slightly overlapped to create tortellini with cupped outer edge and dimpled center. Press to seal overlapping edges and transfer to prepared sheet. Repeat cutting and filling remaining pasta (you should have about 60 tortellini). Let tortellini sit uncovered until dry to touch and slightly stiffened, about 30 minutes. (Tortellini can be wrapped with plastic and refrigerated for up to 4 hours or chilled in freezer until firm, then transferred to zipper-lock bag and frozen for up to 1 month. If frozen, do not thaw before cooking; increase simmering time to 3 to 4 minutes.)
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add tortellini and salt and simmer gently, stirring often, until edges of tortellini are al dente, 2 to 3 minute. Using slotted spoon, transfer tortellini to individual bowls. Spoon warm broth over top and serve.
Time
1¾ hours, plus 30 minutes dryingYield
Serves 8 to 10Italian Name:
Tortellini in brodoIngredients
Broth
8 ounces ground chicken
2 cups chicken broth
½ onion, peeled
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
4 parsley stems
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Tortellini
4 ounces ground chicken
2 ounces mortadella, chopped coarse
1 ounce Prosciutto di Parma, chopped coarse
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon salt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Broth
8 ounces ground chicken
2 cups chicken broth
½ onion, peeled
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
4 parsley stems
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Tortellini
4 ounces ground chicken
2 ounces mortadella, chopped coarse
1 ounce Prosciutto di Parma, chopped coarse
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon salt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Broth
8 ounces ground chicken
2 cups chicken broth
½ onion, peeled
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
4 parsley stems
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Tortellini
4 ounces ground chicken
2 ounces mortadella, chopped coarse
1 ounce Prosciutto di Parma, chopped coarse
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon salt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Deceptively simple, this dish is nothing more than filled pasta barely swimming in a basic broth. But it achieves complexity for a few reasons: The delicate pasta shapes are tiny and intricately folded, the flavors inside are rich and meaty, and the broth is light but has a nuanced flavor. This preparation might be the best way to fully appreciate the eggy softness of fresh pasta and the meaty, rich flavors of the region's prime ingredients in its filling. Tortellini, when prepared at home, is typically served as a special occasion primo, although it's a staple on many trattoria menus at all times. Both pork loin and chicken are traditional filling ingredients; we opted for ground chicken because it offered a good balance of fatty and lean meat. In addition, the rich, salty qualities of the region's cured meats, Prosciutto di Parma and mortadella, helped create a smooth, robust filling. Parmigiano, parsley, and nutmeg rounded out the flavors. Letting the raw tortellini dry for 30 minutes helped them hold their shape once cooked. You can make homemade broth, but given that shaping tortellini is a time-consuming process, we found we could infuse store-bought broth with some of our ground chicken, onion, garlic, and more nutmeg for superb flavor.
Before You Begin
Be sure to use ground chicken, not ground chicken breast (also labeled 99 percent fat free). Our favorite pasta machine is the Marcato Altas 150 Wellness Pasta Machine; the pasta will be thin and semi-transparent when rolled to setting 7.
Instructions
- For the broth: Bring all ingredients to simmer in small saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until flavors meld, about 15 minutes. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into bowl, pressing on solids with rubber spatula to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. (Broth can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.) Return broth to now-empty saucepan, cover, and keep warm over low heat.
- For the tortellini: Process ground chicken, mortadella, prosciutto, Parmigiano, parsley, oil, nutmeg, and 1 tablespoon warm broth in food processor until smooth, 30 to 45 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer mixture to bowl, cover, and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
- Transfer dough to clean counter, divide into 3 pieces, and cover with plastic wrap. Flatten 1 piece of dough into ½-inch-thick disk. Using pasta machine with rollers set to widest position, feed dough through rollers twice. Bring tapered ends of dough toward middle and press to seal. Feed dough seam side first through rollers again. Repeat feeding dough tapered end first through rollers set at widest position, without folding, until dough is smooth and barely tacky. (If dough sticks to fingers or rollers, lightly dust with flour and roll again.)
- Narrow rollers to next setting and feed dough through rollers twice. Continue to progressively narrow rollers, feeding dough through each setting twice, until dough is very thin and semi-transparent. (If dough becomes too long to manage, halve crosswise.) Transfer sheet of pasta to liberally floured sheet of parchment paper. Cover with second sheet of parchment, followed by damp kitchen towel, to keep pasta from drying out. Repeat rolling with remaining 2 pieces of dough, stacking pasta sheets between floured layers of parchment.
- Liberally dust rimmed baking sheet with flour. Cut 1 pasta sheet into rounds on lightly floured counter using 2½-inch round cookie cutter (keep remaining sheets covered); discard scraps. Place ½ teaspoon filling in center of each round. Working with 1 pasta round at a time, lightly brush edges with water. Fold bottom edge of pasta over filling until flush with top edge to form half-moon shape. Press to seal edges flush to filling.
- With folded edge of filled pasta facing you, pull corners together below filling until slightly overlapped to create tortellini with cupped outer edge and dimpled center. Press to seal overlapping edges and transfer to prepared sheet. Repeat cutting and filling remaining pasta (you should have about 60 tortellini). Let tortellini sit uncovered until dry to touch and slightly stiffened, about 30 minutes. (Tortellini can be wrapped with plastic and refrigerated for up to 4 hours or chilled in freezer until firm, then transferred to zipper-lock bag and frozen for up to 1 month. If frozen, do not thaw before cooking; increase simmering time to 3 to 4 minutes.)
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add tortellini and salt and simmer gently, stirring often, until edges of tortellini are al dente, 2 to 3 minute. Using slotted spoon, transfer tortellini to individual bowls. Spoon warm broth over top and serve.
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