This Handmade Tortellini Recipe Is A Classic You Will Love

This handmade Tortellini recipe is an Italian classic that is so flexible that you can serve it with cheese, broth or any sauce you love with little planning.

Classic Handmade Tortellini Recipe

The reason this is my favorite homemade tortellini recipe is because it uses authentic ingredients, everything is made from scratch and the result is a batch of tortellini that can be used in a wide variety of dishes. This is not a quick meal, but nothing this good ever is easy. Making pasta by hand is a skill every cook who enjoys Italian food needs to master and this is a fantastic recipe for that.

Pasta Maker	Gnocchi Board	Pasta Board	Ravioli Maker
Ravioli Press/Stamper	Ricer	Bialetti Pasta Pot	Bamboo Cutting Board Set of 3
Silpat Baking Mat	Santoku Knife	Measuring Cups and Spoons	Stainless Mixing Bowls
Dutch Oven	Mesh Strainers	Stainless Colander	Stainless Steel Fry Pan

Handmade Tortellini Recipe Ingredients and Recommendations

Traditional Tortellini Pasta

Making the pasta for this tortellini recipe is both simple and challenging at the same time. There are only two ingredients, but creating the perfect pasta dough takes a bit of practice. One thing you can try when making the perfect homemade pasta is deciding which type of flour to use. In Italy, “00” flour is popular and readily available at the market. This is used for both pasta and pizza, so you can imagine how much is used here.

If you can’t easily find “00” flour at your local supermarket or specialty store, you can try using all-purpose flour, which is available everywhere in the US. You might also find a specialty blend that is specifically formulated for use in Pasta, but I’m not sure how accurate this would be since Italians use the “00” flour.

Handmade Tortellini Recipe In Broth

One of the most classic ways to eat tortellini is in a classic beef or vegetable broth, known as Tortellini in Brodo. This is a traditional first course in the Emilia Romagna region, and in particular you will find it everywhere in Bologna on your next visit.

Traditional Tortellini In Tomato Sauce

Tortellini with simple tomato sauce are a perfect first course, but because it is so complex, it can also be served on special occasions like holidays or anniversaries. It is a dish that is quick to prepare if you have already prepared the tortellini. It will be a dish with a very rich flavor, which everyone will like, even the children.

Handmade Tortellini Recipe Preparation Recommendations

1. Make sure that you don’t overstuff the tortellini because it will make it more difficult to seal the edges and without a good seal, they will open up when you boil them, which would be terrible.
2. While you are assembling the tortellini, which is a pretty slow process, be sure that you keep them covered with a towel so that they don’t dry out. One of the ways to ruin a fresh egg pasta like this is to have them dry out.
3. Another thing to keep in mind while you are assembling these is to keep them well dusted with flour so they don’t stick together. This is a drier pasta, but a light dusting will keep them from turning into one large tortellone.
4. The recipe describes using a rolling pin, but I would recommend using a pasta machine to get an even, thin dough. It makes life much easier than trying to get an even sheet of pasta with a rolling pin.
5. These tortellini freeze well, so you should definitely make a double batch and save the extra half for a future meal.
6. Make sure that you don’t oversalt the filling, because it is easy to do. If you used salted butter, salted prosciutto and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese there is a possibility that there is more than enough salt.

Classic Tortellini Recipe Variations

Because traditional tortellini is so popular across Italy, there are many variations that you can try once you master the classic recipe. Popular alternative fillings include using only cheese, adding mushrooms and even using Chicken. I’ve mentioned above that you can serve the tortellini in a tomato sauce or a broth, but you should also dry a simple butter and sage or olive oil and cheese toppings. Lastly, with the pasta dough you can try adding spinach, which is also a popular pasta, used typically in Lasagne in the same region.

Handmade Tortellini Recipe

• Difficulty: Hard
• Prep Time: 2 Hours, 30 mins
• Cook: 10 mins
• Servings: 6

Handmade Tortellini Ingredients

• For The Pasta
  • 4 eggs
  • 14 ounces (400 grams) of flour
• For The Filling
  • 2.5 ounces (70 grams) of Pork Loin
  • 2.5 ounces (70 grams) of Veal
  • 3 ounces (80 grams) of Mortadella
  • An egg
  • 1 ounce (20 grams) of Butter
  • 3 ounces (80 grams) of Prosciutto
  • A pinch of nutmeg
  • 5 ounces (150 grams) of grated Parmesan cheese

Tortellini Recipe Instructions

Making the Tortellini Pasta

1. On a large work surface like a pastry board add the flour making a volcano shape with a large hole in the center.
2. Break the eggs into the flour.
3. With a fork, break up the eggs and start mixing into the flour.
4. Once the eggs are fully incorporated into the flour (no longer running all over the place), begin mixing the dough by hand.
5. When fully mixed, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

Making the Tortellini Filling

1. Dice up the pork and the veal and set aside.
2. In a sauté pan, melt the butter and add the meat pieces.
3. Cook on medium high heat for 10 minutes stirring frequently.
4. Take the meat off the heat and add to a food processor, or a strong blender, along with the diced mortadella.
5. While grinding up the meat, add the egg, nutmeg and the cheese.
6. Continue grinding for a couple more minutes until the filling is fine and evenly mixed.

Assembling the Tortellini

1. Take the pasta back to your work surface and roll it out with a rolling pin until it is thin, but still workable. If you choose to use a pasta maker, which I recommend, I ended up on the #1 setting, which is around 1/16 of an inch.
2. Using a small wheeled pasta cutter, cut the pasta into squares, around 2 to 3 inches.
3. On each square, place 1/2 teaspoon of filling in the center.
4. For each Tortellini, bring two opposite corners togethers making a triangle.
5. Seal the edges by squeezing them lightly.
6. Take the triangle in your hand and bring the two ends of the folded side together, pinching them, making the traditional Tortellini shape.
7. Put the Tortellini on a dish towel with a dusting of flour.
8. These fresh pasta are ready for cooking and sauce.

Previous Recipes That Might Interest You

If you enjoyed this handmade tortellini recipe and are interested in some others, here are some of great Italian recipes that you might want to try:

• An Amazing Italian Lentil Soup Recipe.
• Bean and Potato Salad.
• This Is The Best Way To Make Roasted Vegetables.
• An Authentic Spaghetti alla Carbonara Recipe To Try At Home.
• This Bucatini all’Amatriciana Recipe Is A Roman Classic.
• An Authentic Italian Bolognese Sauce Recipe.
• This Roman Chicken Cacciatore Recipe Is Authentic And Simple.
• The Best Flour To Make Pasta Makes All The Difference.
• The Marcato Atlas 150 Is The Best Pasta Maker Ever Made.
• Try These 4 Delicious Italian Pasta Options.
• This Ricotta Ravioli Recipe Is A Homemade Italian Classic.
• A Ravioli Carbonara With Asparagus Recipe To Rule Them All.
• A Traditional Pasta Fagioli Recipe That Is Delicious.