The traditional filling for tortellini is composed of the fiori di Emilia—the flowers—or prized ingredients of Emilia-Romagna: Parmigiano-Reggiano, the undisputed king of cheeses; prosciutto di Parma, the prized cured ham from Parma; and mortadella, the apex of sausage making in Bologna. The mixture is further seasoned with wine and bound with egg.
Each filling is unique to a family and, while the essential fiori never change, some might add chicken, veal, or other cuts to the mix. My recipe is that of the Spisni family, a humble mixture that Alessandra’s great-grandparents would have known.
At the deli counter, ask for the charcuterie to be sliced at least a finger’s width. That way you can cube it and grind it more easily. In Bologna, they don’t use mortadella with pistachios. If you can’t find mortadella without them, pick out the nuts before you grind it. Finally, there is no way around not having a grinder for this recipe. A simple attachment for a KitchenAidTM is best.
This recipe makes enough filling for a double batch of Tortellini (page 176). However, you can freeze the filling for up 6 months. You can also spread it on pieces of bread, toss it with pasta and butter, or fold it into scrambled eggs. It’s delicious that way, too. Or, use it for Smeraldine alla Panna (page 184) if you aren’t up for making a batch of that pasta’s filling, which is similar.
MAKES ABOUT 21/2 LB [1.1 KG] FILLING, OR 2 BATCHES
8 OZ [227 G] BONELESS PORK SHOULDER
1 SCANT TBSP KOSHER SALT
1 TSP FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
4 TBSP [56 G] UNSALTED BUTTER
1/2 CUP [120 ML] DRY WHITE WINE
12 OZ [340 G] PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA, CUT INTO 1/2 IN [12 MM] CUBES
8 OZ [227 G] MORTADELLA WITHOUT PISTACHIOS, CUT INTO 1/2 IN [12 MM] CUBES
1 LARGE EGG
3/4 CUP [75 G] FINELY GRATED PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO
2 SMALL PINCHES OF NUTMEG, PREFERABLY FRESHLY GRATED
Season the pork shoulder with the salt and pepper and set it aside on a tray. In a medium sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter until frothy and golden. Decrease the heat to medium and add the pork shoulder. Sear until golden on all sides, basting frequently with the hot butter, about 4 minutes each side. Be careful not to burn the butter.
Add the wine and cover the pan. Decrease the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, turning the pork once halfway through the cooking time. Transfer the pork and any liquid to a large bowl and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes. Cut the pork into 1/2 in [12 mm] cubes, reserving the liquid.
Using a meat grinder, or a grinder attachment, fitted with a medium die, grind the prosciutto two times into a large bowl. Without cleaning the grinder, grind the mortadella and pork shoulder into the same bowl. Add the egg, Parmigiano-Reggiano, reserved liquid, and nutmeg to the meat mixture. Knead the filling until smooth.
The filling will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to 10 days or frozen for up to 6 months.