Cappelletti in Broth (also known as Tortellini)

This is an old classical favorite of my Italian grandfather Frank. They say that you only make this dish for the ones you truly love because the time, effort and love put into making each little morsel of goodness. Here is to our loved ones still with us and those who have passed on. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

PASTA:
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (use if pasta is too dry)

 

FILLING AND BROTH:
1 ½  tablespoon unsalted butter
4 oz (1/4 lb) ground pork
2 oz ground veal
4 oz prosciutto ham, diced
4 oz  mortadella, diced (can find in a specialty meat store)
2  large eggs
1 cup freshly grated parmigiano cheese
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Salt & pepper to taste
6  cups chicken broth (can use store bought or homemade)

Instructions

FOR PASTA: In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Mound flour mixture and form a well in the center. Add eggs to the well. Using a fork, gently break up yolks and slowly incorporate flour from inside rim of well. Continue until liquid is absorbed, then knead in bowl until dough forms a complete mass. Transfer to a well-floured work surface and knead for 3 to 4 minutes more. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make filling.

FOR FILLING: In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, warm butter. Add pork, veal and sauté until cooked through (about 5 minutes), stirring and breaking up meat into bits with a wooden spoon. Transfer to a large plate and let cool to room temperature. Place pork, veal, prosciutto and mortadella in a food processor and process until well mixed. Place in a large bowl and add the eggs, parmigiano cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix well my hand and let stand for 30 minutes before stuffing your pasta.

FOR CAPPELLETTI: 
Divide pasta dough into four pieces. Cover 3 pieces with plastic wrap so it does not dry out (possibly even put a damp towel over if your environment is very dry. Roll the dough with a rolling pin to 1/16 inch thick. (If using a pasta roller, flatten dough so that it will fit through the rollers of a hand-cranked pasta machine. Feed pasta through rollers 3 or 4 times, folding and turning pasta until it is smooth and the width of the machine until pasta sheet is about 1/16 inch thick. Cut sheets into 1½” X 1½” squares (keep dough, sheets and squares covered with a clean damp dish towel while rolling and cutting to avoid drying).

Place 1/4 teaspoon filling in center of each square. Fold diagonally opposite corners to meet each other to form the cappelletti. Keep cappelletti covered with a clean damp dishtowel until ready to cook. (The cappelletti can be prepared and frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze freshly made cappelletti, freeze them first on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer cappelletti to well-sealed, airtight plastic freezer bags and keep frozen until ready to cook. Do not defrost before cooking.)

TO SERVE: 
Bring broth to a low boil; avoid a rolling boil, which may cause the pasta to open up. In batches of 15 to 20, cook cappelletti in broth until tender, about 3 minutes (frozen pasta may take another minute or two longer).
Using a slotted spoon, transfer cappelletti to serving bowls. Ladle the hot broth over cappelletti and serve immediately.