Handmade tortellini pasta is an Italian Christmas dinner tradition! This tortellini filling recipe features all of the ingredients traditional in Italian tortellini including: pork, beef, prosciutto, mortadella, butter, Parmigiano Reggiano and eggs. This recipe makes 350-400 tortellini.
Add the flour in a pile to a work surface. Make a well in the center of the flour. Add the eggs to the center of the flour. Add the salt and olive oil. Begin to beat the flour into the eggs with a fork, pulling the flour in from the sides a little at a time.
400 g all-purpose flour, 4 egg, 1 pinch fine salt, 2 tsp olive oil
Using a stand mixer? Start with ¾ of the flour recommended and add more flour as needed. It’s better to start with too little flour than too much.
When the dough begins to look shaggy, compress the dough into a loose ball and begin to knead. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. When you push in on the dough, it should spring back.
When the fresh pasta dough is ready, cover and let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes.
Make the Tortellini Filling
Blend all meats to a smooth paste: pork, beef or veal, prosciutto, mortadella, turkey. A food processor works best to do this. Alternatively, use an immersion or high-powered blender.
½ lb ground pork, ½ lb ground beef, ½ lb prosciutto, ¼ lb ground turkey, 2 oz mortadella
Blend the rest of the ingredients into the tortellini filling as well: butter, Parmigiano, lemon zest, yolks, nutmeg, ginger...
Work with ¼ of the dough at a time. Keep those pieces you aren't working on covered or wrapped in plastic. This will prevent the pasta from drying out.
Place ¼ of the dough on a well-floured surface. Flour both sides of the dough. Roll or press the dough into a ¼ inch (½ cm) thick rectangle.
Pass the floured rectangle through a pasta roller, starting at the widest setting. Feed dough into machine short-side first. Then, place the dough lengthwise on the floured work surface. Fold the dough as you would a letter, starting with one side. Roll out the dough again till it is ¼ in (½ cm) thick.
The short side of folded dough rectangle should be a little smaller than the width of your pasta roller. Then, pass the pasta through the roller again.
Reduce the width of the pasta roller one setting. Pass the pasta through the roller again. Always feed the pasta in short-side first
Pass the pasta through the roller, each time reducing the roller width one setting until the resulting pasta is translucent—thin enough to see your hand through it! This is usually the smallest width the pasta roller allows.
Fill and Shape the Tortellini Pasta
Cut the long strip of translucent pasta into squares (4 cm x 4 cm). Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife.
Add a pinch of filling to the center of each pasta square. Leave plenty of pasta showing around the edges.
Pick up one square w/ filling in center. Fold upwards into a triangle. Fold point of the triangle up. Wrap the left and right sides of the triangle around your finger, pinching to seal.
Transfer finished tortellini to a well-floured surface. Arrange in rows so that the tortellini don't stick together. Store in refrigerator overnight, covered with parchment paper. Or, freeze.
Repeat these steps until you have filled and formed all tortellini. We want to form the dough right after we stretch it to avoid the thin pasta drying out.
Cook the Tortellini
Boil the tortellini for about 5 minutes. When cooked, the tortellini will float to the top of the water. Drain. Serve with the sauce or broth of your choice.
TIP: There is no better tool than your hands for thoroughly mixing meat filling! Feel free to use powder-free gloves to do this if you don't like to touch meat.TIP: Relying on boiling pasta to cook the meat inside is a touch risky. Your Italian grandma might do it, but we recommend cooking the meat filling using a double boiler (known as a bagnomaria in Italian).