Homemade Tortellini

In a small tavern in Bologna or Modena (an ongoing debate) Venus and Zeus encamped for the night. After a hearty meal and a few drinks, they retired to their rooms.

Smitten by the beauty of Venus, the Innkeeper stole his way to the door to peep through the keyhole but all he saw was Venus’ naval.

Besotted, he rushes to the kitchen to create a replica of what he saw… so was born tortellini, the naval of Venus.

Make the pasta by combining the eggs with the flour.

Knead until well combined then wrap in plastic to rest.

Prepare the ingredients for the tortellini filling.

Melt the butter in a frying pan with a sprig of rosemary and a clove of garlic.

Sear the pork loin on both sides then baste with half a glass of white wine then slow cook the pork until well done.

Mince the pork loin, mortadella, prosciutto and parmesan together, incorporate 1 egg, a pinch of nutmeg and the strained juices from the pan.

Roll out the pasta dough into thin sheets.

Cut the sheets into circles or squares.

Place a small ball of filling into each pasta piece. fold in half, twice before turning the ends to form the finished tortellini shape.

Boil in beef and vegetable stock in small batches, they’re finished cooking when they float to the top.

Serve with the stock as a soup, with fresh parmesan and butter or a creamy cheese sauce.

Buon Appetito.