A traditional dish from the city of Cremona in Italy; marubini in brodo is best described as a meat tortellini in a broth made with three different types of meat and each family in Cremona has their own way of preparing this dish. Today I give you my own interpretation of marubini in brodo; try them out sometime, you’ll love them.
Ingredients for 4 or for 2 hungry people:
PASTA DOUGH
3 cups of flour
3 large eggs
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 salt
Dump your flour on a clean work surface and create a well in the center. Crack the eggs and add them to the well along with the extra virgin olive oil and salt.
Start gently mixing the eggs with a fork and incorporating the flour by pulling the flour from the sides of the well. Keep working with the fork until you achieve a sticky mixture, then work the dough with your hands until it starts to come together.
Knead the dough for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Form into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and set in the fridge for 30 minutes or until ready to use. You can store the dough in the fridge for 24 hours but allow it to come to room temperature before using it. The dough can also be frozen if you wish to use it another day.
Use a pasta machine or a rolling pin to roll out your dough. Create sheets, tagliatelle, fettuccine or any form of pasta required by the recipe you are following.
MARUBINI
Filling:
1/2 beef (any cut suitable for braising)
1 brown or yellow onion, diced
2 stalks of celery, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
Enough red wine to cover the meat and vegetables
1/2 pork loin or shoulder
Dry white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
1 sprig of rosemary
3 sage leaves
1/2 cup grana padano cheese (or parmeggiano if grana is not available)
1 large egg
1-2 tbsp bread crumbs (Add to filling mixture if too moist, use only if needed)
1/2 nutmeg
1 thick slice of mortadella
Salt and pepper to taste
Stock/broth:
1/2 lb chicken
1/2 beef (any cut suitable for braising)
1/2 pork loin or shoulder
2 yellow or brown onions, halved
3 stalks of celery, cut into chunks
3 Carrots, cut into chunks
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig thyme
3-4 sage leaves
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
Start by preparing your stock. Add all the stock ingredients in a large pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, drop to a simmer and cover. Leave simmering for at least 2 hours. The longer you let it simmer, the more flavor it will develop. When finished, strain of all the ingredients leaving only the liquid and season with salt to taste. Reserve the meats from the stock for use in other recipes if you wish.
While the stock is simmering you can start preparing your filling. Marinate the beef with the vegetables and wine for 2 hours at least or you can start the day before and marinate overnight. When finished marinating, move the ingredients to a pot and simmer for 2 hours. Remove the meat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Prepare the pork by seasoning it on all sides with salt and pepper to taste. Add a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in an oven proof pan over high heat and brown the pork on all sides. Bathe the pork with 1/4 cup of dry white wine. When the wine has evaporated, place the pan with the pork in an oven preheated at 325F and roast for 25-45 mins or until the pork has reached and internal temperature of 145F. Remove from oven and let cool at room temperature.
In a food processor add the wine braised beef and the pork chopped into cubes together with the mortadella chopped into cubes, 1 large egg, 1/2 grana padano or parmeggiano cheese, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 3 leaves of thyme, the leaves removed off one sprig of rosemary, salt and pepper to taste. Process until smooth. If the mixture is too moist, you can add 1-2 tbsp of bread crumbs to thicken. Remove mixture from food processor and set aside.
Prepare your pasta dough and create sheets of approximately 1/2 millimeter in thickness. Cut the dough into squares and brush with eggwash. Place a ball of filling, about the size of a chestnut, in the middle of one square of dough. Fold over and pinch with your fingers to make sure there is no air left in the marubino. Trim with pasta cutting wheel. The marubino should be rectangular in shape but if you wish you can also shape them round or half moon.
Cook the marubini in the broth at a simmer for 2-3 minutes. Serve with the broth and with grated grana padano or parmeggiano cheese on the side.