Chef Michael White’s Tortellini in Brodo

Directions

1. Chicken Stock/ Meat Filled Tortellini
2. Chicken Stock: Put carrots, onion, celery, parsley stems and bay leaf in a large heavy pot. Add the chicken bones, parmigiana rind, and enough cold water to cover the bones. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, lower the heat, and simmer for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Season with salt and pepper. Remove and discard the bones. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl and discard the solids. Set aside to coo
3. Meat Filled Tortellini: Heat a medium heavy sauté pan over medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt, tipping and turning the pan to coat it. Add the bay leaves and cook for 1 minute to infuse the butter with their flavor. Add the pork shoulder and sausage and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the meats are browned all over and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool: remove and discard the bay leaves. Once they are cooled, transfer the meats to the bowl of a food processor, add the prosciutto and mortadella, and pulse until coarsely ground and amalgamated. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl: add the cheese, egg, and nutmeg; and mix with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Season with salt and a few grinds of pepper and mix in. Fill a spray bottle with water and set it so that it produces a fine mist when the trigger is pressed. Set your pasta machine to the thinnest setting and roll the pasta sheets through it. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly rust with rice flour. Lay the pasta sheets on a floured surface and use a wheel cutter or sharp chef’s knife to cut them into 1 ½ inch wide strips, then into about 125- 1 ½ inch squares (use a ruler or straight edge to guide you). Working with 12 squares at a time, and keeping the other squares hydrated under a damp kitchen towel, use a teaspoon to spoon a scant amount of filling into the center of each square. Hold the spray bottle a foot or 2 above the pasta and press once to release a mist of water over the squares, then form the tortellini: Working with one square at a time, fold the square in half to form a triangle and press the edges together to seal them. Hold the triangle with the center point facing down and bend the two ends around, overlapping the ends by about ¼ inch and pressing them together. As they are done, arrange them point side up on the rice-flour-dusted baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough and filling: there may be less than a dozen squares in the last batch.

1. Tortellini in Brodo
2. Tortellini in Brodo: Pour the stock into a large pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat so the broth simmers gently, add the tortellini, and cook until they float to the surface, about 2 minutes. While the tortellini are cooking, put 1 tablespoon of butter in the bottom of each of 4-6 wide shallow bowls. Ladle the tortellini and broth in the bowls: the hot broth will melt the butter. Grate some cheese over each serving and serve immediately.