Tortellini in brodo recipe: Bologna’s registered filling

This tortellini in brodo recipe follows the filling Bologna wrote into law in 1974: pork loin browned in butter, prosciutto crudo, Mortadella di Bologna, Parmigiano Reggiano, egg and nutmeg, sealed in egg pasta rolled almost transparent. The key technique is restraint: a tiny amount of filling, squares of 3 to 4 cm and a broth that never boils.

The formula was deposited at the Bologna Chamber of Commerce by the city’s delegation of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina together with the Dotta Confraternita del Tortellino, and the city council now uses it for its De.Co. municipal label, which also asks for a sheet rolled with a rolling pin and a broth of beef, hens and capons. The registered quantities make about 1,000 tortellini; ours keep the proportions at a third of the size. The dish is in season: on Sunday 4 October 2026 the 13th Festival del Tortellino fills Palazzo Re Enzo with 21 chefs’ versions, from 11.30 to 21.45. For where to eat it in town, see our guide to what to eat in Bologna.

Ingredients

The filling is fixed by notarial deed; the broth is where a Bologna kitchen still shows its hand.

• 1 kg beef shin or brisket, on the bone
• ½ capon or 1 boiling hen, about 1.5 kg
• 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk and 1 onion, halved
• 4 litres cold water and coarse salt
• 100 g pork loin
• 15 g butter
• 100 g prosciutto crudo
• 100 g Mortadella di Bologna
• 150 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated, plus extra to serve
• 1 egg for the filling
• A third of a whole nutmeg, freshly grated
• 400 g 00 flour
• 4 eggs for the pasta and a pinch of salt

Method

1. Put the beef and capon in the cold water, bring it up slowly and skim the grey foam. A cold start draws flavour out of the meat, and skimming keeps the broth clear.
2. Add the vegetables and keep the pot at a bare tremble for 3 to 4 hours, salting towards the end. Boiling would emulsify the fat and cloud the broth.
3. Brown the pork loin in the butter over medium heat until cooked through, about 15 minutes, then let it cool. Browning adds the roasted note the registered recipe asks for.
4. Mince the loin, prosciutto and mortadella twice through the finest plate, or chop them to a paste. A smooth filling fits inside a 3 cm square without tearing it.
5. Mix in the Parmigiano, the egg and the nutmeg, cover and refrigerate overnight. Resting lets the flavours settle and firms the mixture for portioning.
6. Work the flour, eggs and salt into a smooth dough, knead for 10 minutes and rest it, wrapped, for 30 minutes so the gluten relaxes.
7. Roll one piece at a time as thin as you can, about 0.6 mm, keeping the rest covered. A thin sheet cooks in the time the filling needs to heat through.
8. Cut 3 to 3.5 cm squares, place a chickpea-sized dot of filling on each, fold into a triangle, press the edges, then wrap it round a fingertip and pinch the two corners together. Work fast: dry pasta cracks.
9. Strain the broth and lift off part of the fat. Bring 2 litres to a gentle simmer, cook the tortellini for 2 to 4 minutes until tender at the folded edge, and serve at once in warm bowls.

Broth first, then the cheese

In any tortellini in brodo recipe the broth decides the dish: taste it before the pasta goes in, since the tortellini will not add salt. Grate Parmigiano at the table rather than into the pot, so the broth stays clear. Use the boiled beef and capon for a second course, as Bologna families do, and later in the week try our tagliatelle al ragù recipe.

Tortellini in brodo recipe FAQ

Can I freeze homemade tortellini? Yes. Freeze them raw on a floured tray, then bag them, and cook from frozen for a minute longer.

Can I use chicken stock instead of capon broth? A mature boiling hen works; a young chicken or a stock cube gives a thinner, saltier broth.

What is the difference between tortellini and cappelletti? Cappelletti from Romagna and Reggio Emilia are usually larger and their fillings vary; Bologna tortellini are small, folded round a finger and filled with cured meats.