FOR THE COOKED PORK TORTELLINI FILLING (can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated or even frozen for up to 1 month)

Step 1. Season the raw pork. Season the pork (shoulder, neck, or loin) with salt (and black pepper if desired) and place the rosemary and smashed garlic directly on top. Cover it and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to permeate the pork.

Step 2. Make the COOKED PORK FILLING. Remove the pork from the refrigerator and chop it into cubes. Place the rosemary, garlic, and 2 1/2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet and sauté the herbs over medium-high heat for a few minutes until the garlic and rosemary are both toasted and golden brown but not burnt.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the pork and sauté just until the meat is cooked through. Turn off the heat and remove the mixture to a plate and allow it to cool, then remove the garlic and rosemary, setting them aside (do not discard the rosemary).

Step. 3 Process the meat filling. Add the prosciutto and mortadella to the bowl of a food processor and process to a fine paste. Add the cooked pork, along with the flavored butter, to the prosciutto and mortadella mixture, and process until smooth.

Add the egg, a good pinch of salt, and about 1/2 of the crispy rosemary if using (or more or less to taste), and process until the mixture is smooth and no whole rosemary pieces remain. *Adding the rosemary is not traditional, but we enjoy the flavor.

Add the grated Parmigiano cheese and freshly grated nutmeg to taste and process the mixture for about 5 minutes, or until it becomes one cohesive mixture. The filling will be sturdy (easily pinchable).

If desired, you may add 2 to 4 tablespoons of broth to the mixture to help loosen it up a bit, but this is optional.

Step 4. Taste test the filling. Heat the skillet back up and cook a small piece of filling so you can taste and adjust seasonings if needed adding more salt, nutmeg, or rosemary.

Step 5. Rest the filling for 24 hours. Massage the mixture with your hands for a couple of minutes, wrap it in an airtight container, and refrigerate it for 24 hours (or at least overnight). 

FOR THE PASTA FRESCA (FRESH EGG PASTA) (can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated) Click here for full recipe details

Step 1. Make the pasta dough. 

Step 2. Knead the dough. 

Step 3. Rest the dough. 

Step 4. Roll out the dough to #6 or #7 on the Marcato Atlas pasta machine, or to your preferred thickness. 

Step 5. Cut the pasta squares and fill tortellini. Working with one of the 4 pieces of dough at a time (keep the remaining dough covered so it doesn't dry out), cut 1 1/4-inch (3cm) squares of pasta (or larger if desired) and add about 1/4 teaspoon of filling to the middle of each square (the filling should be about the size of a pea for authentic tortellini).

Fold each tortellini into a triangle, press out any air around the filling, fold the tip of the triangle down, bring the two other points together, overlapping them to create the typical tortellini shape, and press firmly to seal.

Place filled tortellini onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper while you finish filling and shaping the rest. Allow the filled tortellini to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes or so before cooking or pop them into the freezer.

Once completely frozen, place them into an airtight container or freezer bag until ready to cook. Cook the tortellini in the broth until al dente (about 2-3 minutes), or until they float to the top, or until they've reached your desired doneness. Cook frozen tortellini for 1 extra minute. 

FOR THE BROTH (can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated or even frozen for up to 3 months)

Step 1. Make the tortellini broth. Add all of the broth ingredients to a pressure cooker, close the lid, and bring it to high pressure. Once high pressure is reached, cook the broth for 45 minutes and allow for a natural release (which will give you a clear broth). Strain the solids reserving the meat for another use and pour the broth back into the pot and season with salt to taste (and skim off any fat if desired).

*Alternatively, you may add all of the ingredients to a large stock pot or dutch oven, bring it to a boil, cover, reduce it to a simmer and cook for 3 hours.