Emilia-Romagna · Castelfranco Emilia
Tortellini in brodo
Tortellini in meat broth
Tiny pork-filled pasta from the land between Bologna and Modena, served in a clear meat broth — in the recipe the Dotta Confraternita del Tortellino deposited in 1974.
- Course
- Primo piattoPasta & rice
- Serves
- 40
- Prep
- 4 h
- Cook
- 3 h 10 min
La provenienza
Where this recipe comes from
Bologna and Modena both claim the tortellino. A legend places its birth in Castelfranco Emilia, halfway between the two, where an innkeeper is said to have shaped the pasta after the navel of a sleeping Venus — a story, not a document.
The documents are more recent. On 7 December 1974 the Dotta Confraternita del Tortellino and the Bologna delegation of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina deposited ‘Tortellini in brodo di carne’, written by Maria Lanzoni Grimaldi, with the Bologna Chamber of Commerce. On 15 April 2008 the Confraternita added a second deed describing the classic tortellino, down to a finished weight of about 5 grams.
In October 2026 the Confraternita deposited a dedicated broth recipe. As reported in the press, it uses half a capon at least five months old, a kilo of beef, a beef femur bone, onion, carrots, celery, half a tomato and a rind of 24-month Parmigiano Reggiano, cooked slowly for four hours. The recipe below follows the 1974 text until the official broth text is published.
Broth is the classic way to serve them. The Confraternita also accepts tortellini ‘alla panna’, provided the cream is fresh, skimmed from milk — never industrial cream.
- Provenance
- Deposited recipeAn official recipe filed with an Italian Chamber of Commerce or a notary by a recognised culinary body.
- Defined by
- Dotta Confraternita del Tortellino with the Accademia Italiana della Cucina
- Reference
- Recipe deposited with the Chamber of Commerce of Bologna; further deeds in 2008 (the tortellino) and 2026 (the broth), 1974
Ingredienti
Ingredients
For the filling (about 1,000 tortellini)
For the pasta
For the broth
To serve
Preparazione
Method
Tap a step to mark where you are.
Errori comuni
Common mistakes
- Rolling the pasta too thick — the deposited recipe asks for a very thin sheet.
- Skipping the rest: the filling needs at least 12 hours in the fridge.
- Serving them ‘alla panna’ with industrial cream. If you serve them with cream rather than broth, the Confraternita asks for fresh cream skimmed from milk.
Fuori dall'Italia
Cooking it outside Italy
- ‘Doppione’ is a traditional Bolognese cut for boiling; outside Italy, brisket or shin gives a similar broth.
- Look for mortadella labelled ‘Mortadella Bologna PGI’ and for Parmigiano Reggiano PDO — both are named in the recipe.
