Italian Meat Tortellini in Broth

Italian Meat Tortellini in Broth

Pasta:

2 pounds white flour

9 eggs

Salt pinch

Filling:

1/2 pound Mortadella sausage

1/2 pound lean beef

1/2 pound lean pork

3 T. butter

Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to taste

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

Home-made chicken or beef broth 10 cups

Broth:

1 pound beef bones

1 pound Veal bones

Beef and veal knuckles 1 pound each

1 pound Chicken wings

1 pound Chicken necks

Onions 2

Celery stalks with leaves 3

Carrots 2

Fresh parsley small bunch

Tomato 1

Leek 1

Bay leaves 3

1 teaspoon Whole black peppercorn

Prepare the broth:

Wash all the bones and vegetables. Trim the fat from the chicken. Peel and roughly chop the vegetables. Place all the ingredients in a large stockpot. Cover with cold water (about 3 1/2 L). Bring to a boil. Skim the surface for a few minutes. Partially cover and simmer for 2 hours. Let cool. Strain through a fine sieve. Chill for 12 hours and discard the fat that rises to the surface.

Prepare the pasta:

Sift the flour and salt onto a work surface and make a well in the center. Break the eggs into the well and mix it with a fork. Draw in flour from the sides and continue to mix until it is well-combined. Sprinkle flour over the mixture and knead it with your hands for 10 minutes until it is elastic but still firm. It may be necessary to add more flour to achieve this. Shape the dough into a ball and cover it with a kitchen towel. Let it rest for 15 minutes. Knead the dough again for 5-10 minutes until it is very smooth and pliable. Cover the dough and let rest for 20 minutes.

Prepare the filling:

Cube the mortadella. Dice the beef and the pork. Saute the meats in butter in a large skillet until it is browned on all sides. Add the cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Transfer the ingredients to a food processor or finely grind them in a meat grinder.

Fill the pasta:

Roll out the pasta very thinly. This may be done with a pasta machine. Cut the dough, using a pasta wheel or knife, into 4 inch/10 cm wide strips. Using a piping bag or a teaspoon, drop small mounds of filling at 2 inch/5 cm intervals. Moisten the edges of the pasta. Fold the pasta over and press between the mounds with your hand. Cut between the mounds with a pasta wheel. Press the edges together to seal. Fold each square in half to form a triangle. Bring the two corners together by wrapping them around your fingertip. Pinch the corners together. Let them rest on a floured kitchen towel for an hour, rotating the pieces 2 or 3 times.

Bring the stock to a boil. Season to taste with salt. Cook the pasta in the broth. When they float to the top they are done. Spoon the pasta and broth into bowls and serve.