Recipe by Angelo Torcigliani: Cappelletti in Capon Broth
Ingredients for 4 servings
For the broth
- 1 capon
- 6 liters of water
- 1 bouquet garni
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 clove
- 1 teaspoon of coarse salt
- Whole peppercorns
- Celery
- Carrots and onion
- For the pasta
- 500 gr. of all-purpose flour (often referred to as "00" flour in Italy)
- 10 egg yolks
- 2 whole eggs
For the filling
- 200 gr. of Piemontese beef neck and shoulder
- 150 gr. of pork loin
- 1 whole pigeon
- 100 gr. of mortadella
- 50 gr. of prosciutto crudo
- 100 gr. of Parmesan cheese
- 30 gr. of butter
- A pinch of breadcrumbs or white bread powder
- Nutmeg
- Salt
Method
For the broth
In a large pot, pour in the water and dissolve the salt. Add the vegetables and meat. Cover the pot and set it to high heat until the water boils. Then, reduce to the lowest heat keeping the pot partially covered, and let simmer for about 2.5 hours.
Occasionally during the cooking process, check the pot. Skim off the fat and any meat residues that rise to the surface using a fine mesh skimmer.
After cooking, turn off the heat, remove the meat and vegetables, and strain the broth through a fine sieve.
For the filling
Lightly warm the meats in a pot, moisten with some water and broth, and cook very slowly for around 2 hours. Remove the meats from the pot and grind them with a fine disc meat grinder.
Add the breadcrumbs to the meat cooking juices and slightly sweat in a pan. Then, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and season with Parmesan, nutmeg, and salt, mixing vigorously with your hands.
For the pasta
Using the given ingredients, prepare the pasta dough and cut into small squares, each with 3 cm sides. Place a small amount of filling in the center of each square.
Carefully fold the pasta around your pinky finger to shape into tiny tortellini.
Cook the tortellini in plenty of capon broth and serve them piping hot.
Photos by Lido Vannucchi
