A recipe for wandering slowly through a day with no plans
Today is Sunday, and nothing else matters. And no, I don’t mean the iconic song. I mean that on Sundays, you wake up with the quiet and calmness of someone who has a whole day stretched out in front of you. Commitments and duties? All postponed until tomorrow.
The highlight of this Sunday? Making nothing other than my favorite lunch: Tortellini in Brodo. As soon as its scent fills the kitchen, your stomach is empty as can be and you can’t wait to rush to the table.
The truth about this dish is that it isn’t simple, it’s a secret. Every home cook in Italy has their own version, made with pride and joy. If you expect them to hand it over easily, you’re starting off on the wrong foot. Italian recipes in general, and Tortellini in brodo in particular, are passed down only from generation to generation.
That’s why I can’t share my recipe for Tortellini in Brodo just yet. I’m still searching for my own secret twist to this heavenly dish. My dream? To one day serve a version so good that no matter what you’ve already eaten that day, you’d never say no to a steaming bowl of tortellini in broth, quietly waiting for you at the table, warming you from the inside out.
This recipe comes from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan. Her basic homemade broth is, if you ask me, the best place to start when building your own family tradition.
What Marcella used
✦ A soffritto: one medium carrot, one medium onion, and one or two celery ribs
✦ Half a bell pepper (yellow or red)
✦ One small potato
✦ One fresh, ripe tomato
The recipe says: “5 pounds assorted beef and veal, of which no more than 2 pounds may be bones.”
Meaning: you’ll need about 2.2 kg of meat, with no more than 900 g of it being bone. Practically, at the butcher or supermarket, that comes down to:
✦ 1 kg beef shank (with bone)
✦ 1.2 kg veal rib or veal shank (with bone)
✦ 1 kg boneless beef (such as chuck or short rib)
How she made it
✦ Marcella put all the ingredients in a large stockpot and added just enough water to cover them.
✦ She brought it to a boil, then immediately lowered the heat for a slow simmer.
Take your time, it needs about 3 hours from now on. Skim off any foam or bits that rise to the surface.
✦ She strained the broth through a large wire strainer lined with paper towels, into a big bowl.
✦ She let it cool completely, then refrigerated it overnight.
✦The next day, she skimmed off the fat that had risen to the surface and used it within 3 days.
Your turn
We all learn cooking in our own way. From our mothers, our grandfathers, a holiday abroad or a happy accident at home. These moments shape your taste, the ingredients shape your style. But taste and style are not fixed; they move along with the rhythm of your life.
A meal is never just a meal. It’s a memory. A moment. Your moment. So don’t think of recipes as strict rules. Think of them as gentle directions, little suggestions along the way. A here-and-now moment. And it's entirely yours. Because nobody tastes what you taste. Play with food, dance in your kitchen and find your own taste.