Paola's Tortellini
I tortellini, the famous egg pasta stuffed and folded in the characteristic ring shapes, originated in Emilia Romagna, between Bologna and Modena, both of which still jostle for their ownership. It appears to date back to the XII century, traditionally served at Christmas and, in fact, called ‘Tortellorum ad Natale’.
There are several legends about the birth of the tortellini; one of the most famous, steeped in myth, tells that following a fierce battle between Modena and Bologna, the gods of Olympus came down to earth and stopped at the “Corona” tavern for refreshments. The owner of the inn, spying through the keyhole, was struck by the beauty of Venus and the perfection of her navel, and was thus inspired to recreate its shape with the tortellino.
Despite the fact that this is not a Neapolitan dish, it has been part of my family’s culinary tradition for generations because my great-grandmother Giuseppina Blisica, was from the Emilia Romagna region and so the recipe has been handed down from mother to daughter until it reached me.
Traditionally, my family also prepare this dish for Christmas lunch. Indeed, the sight of my grandmother, then of my mother, sitting at the table for hours covered in flour while making these little pasta jewels is associated with Christmas as much as the Christmas tree or roast turkey.
Our recipe follows the Bolognese’s version; with a filled of pork loin, veal, parmesan, eggs, mortadella, ham and nutmeg although we seem to close the pasta in the Modenese’s fashion - around the index finger rather than the little finger.
Tortellini date back to the X11 century
Paola’s mother, who was given the recipe for tortellini by her grandmother.
This Christmas, like so many other millions of families around the world, Covid forced my family to celebrate a reduced Christmas, unable to travel and join extended family and friends. My reaction to this was – and still is - to cook a lot (regardless of the fact were only three of us around the table), following my family’s traditional menu – fish on Christmas Eve and of course, tortellini in brodo and turkey on Christmas day- because the very act of engaging in this traditional culinary ritual made me feel closer to home, to my loved ones and to my roots.
So, among the various dishes I cooked the tortellini for the first time with my children, teaching them what my mother taught me. This simple act of ‘handing down’ contains so much love - like giving a precious gift. In fact, the word ‘tradition’ derives from the Latin ‘tradere’ which means ‘to deliver’.
A gift of what has been learned and preserved, in order to provide a reassuring sense of continuity and a sense of belonging in the ever-changing flow of life, a grounding feeling, which we all need at times such as this.
Tortellini di Nonna Ansalda
INGREDIENTS (for 6)
FOR THE FRESH PASTA
400gr flour “00”
4 eggs
FOR THE FILLING
150 gr of pork loin
75gr veal
70gr turkey breast
75gr mortadella
50gr Prosciutto Crudo
50gr Grated Parmesan
35 gr Butter
1 Egg
1 pinch nutmeg
Salt & Pepper
FOR THE BROTH
600 gr Chicken or Beef
660 gr 3 L water
2 Celery Sticks
5 Carrots
1 Big Onion
5 small Cherry Tomatoes
Potatoes
Bunch of Thyme e& Parsley
3 tsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
METHOD
1) Make the broth by adding all the vegetables cleaned and chopped in half, together with the meat, water, olive oil, herbs and salt in a saucepan. Cook for several hours (4 -5) over low heat until it reduces by a third and takes on a golden yellow colour.
2) Make the egg pasta, working it well for a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Let it rest for an hour.
3) Place the butter in a saucepan and when melted, add the pork, turkey and veal cut into chunks. Cook until it is browned and golden. Add the chopped ham and mortadella and cook for two more minutes. Allow to cool and then grind everything until it becomes a soft and smooth paste. Finally add to this mixture, the egg, the grated parmesan, salt, pepper and a pinch of grated nutmeg.
Now you can make the tortellini. Roll out the pasta with a rolling pin or a pasta machine into thin sheets of less than a millimeter, then cut into 4cm squares, onto which you add a little bit of the mixture.
Holding the tiny square of pasta in your hands, fold it diagonally in two, joining the two corners, press with your fingers on the edge to seal the two parts well and then wrap the two ends one on top of the other, sealing them by pressing the tortellino on the tip of the middle finger and thus obtaining the traditional ring shape. Place the tortellini as they are made on a lightly floured napkin. Let them rest for an hour before cooking them.
When ready, boil the tortellini in plenty of salted water. Cook for 5 - 10 minutes. Drain and add to a serving dish full of hot piping broth. Serve with grated Parmesan.
Paola is our in-house cook, here at the House of Talents. She is offering Italian inspired cookery classes for adults and kids.
£40 for one individual online class - but you can bring all the family or gather a group of friends, to learn how to cook the Italian dish of your dreams!
To get in touch with Paola to book a one-to-one session:
Email: paolacimmino3@gmail.com
Instagram: @cucina_cimmino
Paola is a member of the House of Talents , a community of professional writers, artists, actors, performers, yoga teachers, meditation and mindfulness coaches, who are offering affordable online creative courses for adults and children to learn at home. Classes include portrait painting, public speaking, creative writing, meditation, mindfulness, nutrition and more. 10% of what we earn goes to charity.
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