Tortellini in Brodo (Classic Italian Tortellini in Clear Meat Broth)
Delicate fresh tortellini served in a clear, richly flavoured meat brodo — the ultimate Italian comfort soup. Make the brodo from bones and carcass for depth, or shortcut with a very good store stock and still get a gorgeous bowl in under an hour.
Tortellini in brodo is the kind of food that hugs you back — neat little parcels of pasta floating in a shimmering, deeply flavoured meat broth. It’s the cathedral of Italian comfort food: elegant enough for a Sunday lunch, humble enough for a rainy Tuesday.
Make the brodo properly and the whole thing sings: long-simmered bones for body, charred onion for colour, a gentle hand with salt and heat so the soup stays clear and bright. If you’re short on time there’s a perfectly respectable shortcut (see tips) — but do try a full brodo at least once.
Ingredients
- 500 g beef shin or marrow bones
- 700 g chicken carcass or backs (or 1 small roasting chicken about 1.2kg) — If you use a whole roasting chicken, remove most cooked meat first (use for another dish) and use bones for the broth
- 1 large onion — halved (skin on) and charred
- 2 carrots — halved
- 2 celery stalks — halved
- 1 handful parsley stalks
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 whole black peppercorns
- 3 l cold water — about 3 litres — cover bones by about 2–3 cm
- 5 ml sea salt — add most at the end to taste
- 320 g fresh tortellini (meat-filled) — about 80g per person; increase to 100g if this is the main course
- 40 g Parmigiano Reggiano — grated, for serving (roughly 10g per person)
- 30 ml flat-leaf parsley — finely chopped, for garnish
- freshly cracked black pepper — to finish, to taste
Equipment
- large stockpot or Dutch oven
- roasting tray (for bones)
- fine-mesh sieve
- cheesecloth (optional, for extra-clear brodo)
- ladle
- slotted spoon
- box grater (for Parmigiano)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Spread the beef bones on a roasting tray and roast for 30 minutes until well browned; turn halfway. (If using marrow bones expect a more intense flavour.)
Meanwhile, char the halved onion directly over a gas flame or under the grill until the cut side is deeply browned/blackened (about 5 minutes). This adds sweetness and colour to the brodo.
Place the roasted bones and the chicken carcass/backs in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Add charred onion, carrots, celery, parsley stalks, bay leaves and peppercorns. Pour in 3 litres of cold water — start cold so flavour extracts slowly.
Slowly bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. For the first 30–40 minutes watch closely and skim off the grey scum and excess fat with a ladle or a small sieve as it appears (do this frequently until the broth clears).
Reduce heat to very low so the liquid is at a bare simmer (small bubbles). Simmer gently, uncovered, for 2½–3 hours. Do not boil hard — a rolling boil will emulsify fat and cloud the broth.
With 20 minutes left, season the broth with the teaspoon of sea salt, taste and adjust. Remove from the heat and strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a double layer of cheesecloth into a clean pot or bowl. Discard solids.
If not serving immediately, cool the broth quickly: place the pot in an ice bath and chill, then refrigerate. After chilling you can lift off the solidified fat from the surface for a clearer, lighter brodo. Reheat gently to a simmer before cooking tortellini.
Bring the strained brodo back to a gentle simmer. Add the fresh tortellini directly to the simmering broth. Cook fresh tortellini 2–4 minutes (check packet if store-bought) — they’re ready when they float and are tender but still have a bite.
Using a slotted spoon, lift tortellini into warmed soup bowls (about 6–8 tortellini per bowl depending on size). Ladle hot brodo over the pasta so each bowl has plenty of clear broth.
Finish each bowl with a little grated Parmigiano Reggiano, a sprinkle of chopped flat-leaf parsley and a crack of black pepper. Serve immediately.
Tips
- Skim early and often: the first 30–40 minutes produce most of the scum. A clear broth depends on patient skimming.
- Roast beef bones for extra depth; char the onion for sweetness. Both are small steps that make a disproportionately big difference.
- If you’re short on time use 1.5–2 litres very good low-salt chicken stock and simmer with a chopped onion, carrot and a bay leaf for 25–30 minutes — not identical to a long-simmered brodo, but an excellent shortcut.
- Make the brodo ahead and chill it. The fat will solidify on top and is easy to remove — you’ll end up with a cleaner, less greasy soup.
- Always cook tortellini in gently simmering broth, not a rolling boil, and time them precisely — fresh tortellini usually take 2–4 minutes.
Substitutions
beef bones + chicken carcass (combined broth) → Use 1.8–2.0 kg chicken carcasses/backs only (all-chicken brodo)
Stays closehomemade brodo → Use 1.5–2 litres very good reduced-salt chicken stock + 500 ml water and simmer with onion/carrot/celery for 25–30 minutes
Stays closefresh meat tortellini → Dried tortellini or ravioli (follow packet timings)
Noticeably differentParmigiano Reggiano → Pecorino Romano (sharper)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 300
- Calories
- 15 g
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 700 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this vegetarian?
Not as written — the soul of brodo is meat. For a vegetarian version use a rich vegetable stock, roast mushrooms and a splash of soy or miso for umami; the result will be tasty but not a traditional brodo.
How long do I simmer the broth?
Aim for 2½–3 hours for a richly flavoured, clear brodo. You can do a shorter 60–90 minute simmer with good bones, but flavour will be lighter.
Should I salt the broth at the start?
No — salt concentrates as the broth reduces. Season towards the end and adjust after cooking the tortellini, since the pasta will absorb some salt.
Can I cook tortellini in water and add to bowls with broth?
Yes — if you prefer a less starchy broth you can cook tortellini in salted water, drain and put in bowls, then ladle hot brodo over. Traditional method cooks them in the brodo itself.
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