Friday 12 February 2010

Tortellini al brodo

February in the French Alps means snow. Lots of snow. A week of continuous snowfall. Snow means chilly weather. The best remedy for chills is my Northern Italian grandmother's: soup! Many people find soup boring, but in our household we love soup, or zuppa or minestrone or minestra... but then Italian soups are full of yummy things, like pasta!
Tortellini are always a treat, so put them in soup and it's a sure to be a success. It's also a very simple & quick recipe.
Usually I make my own broth from a chicken carcass (or beef, lamb, fish), celery, carrots, onion, garlic & laurel (add whatever other vegetables are in the fridge) and I do occasionally add homemade tortellini (on the rare occasions that there are leftovers). Broth keeps 5 days in the fridge & freezes well, so I automatically make some when I have the ingredients. However, commercially available broths can be substituted when in a rush, as well as the tortellini.
Just bring the broth to a boil, add the tortellini, simmer until cooked (al dente). Serve with grated parmesan.

TIPS: Use dried tortellini (as they tend to absorb liquid so will over cook), preferably with a meat filling.

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