Precise Cooking Method
Traditionally, tortellini was made to go into a broth, like a soup. Today, tortellini is generally associated with tomato sauce, like other tradition Italian pastas, and the tortellini in broth is now saved for special occasions, such as Christmas. The precise cooking method for this “tortellini in brodo Villa Gaidello,” after the stock and tortellini are made, is as follows: “Turn the stock into an 8- to 10- quart pot and bring to a boil. Drop in the tortellini and cook a minute or two… Fresh tortellini will cook in 2 to 5 minutes. They should be tender but still have some ‘bite,’ or firmness. Drier or frozen tortellini will take a little longer. Ladle the broth and tortellini into the warmed tureen.” (Kasper, 135) The process is similar to one creating tortellini for use in sauce. The tortellini will be boiled in water with salt for a few minutes until they are slightly tender. They should then be strained and ready for consumption.
Photo: Piras, Claudia, Eugenio Medagliani, and Ruprecht Stempell. Culinaria Italy: Pasta, Pesto, Passion. Cologne: Könemann, 2000. 188.