Cooking at the Villa Cooking classes and wine tours in Verona

In my last newsletter I mentioned meat tortellini which my family have been making for quite a while. It all started when my grandfather known to be a big eater , married a great cook, a woman coming from the eastern province of Verona.
My grandfather (from mom’s side), whose father was from a town near Trento and whose mother  came from  Austria, was born in Verona after the parents , living in the province of  Trento came down to Verona to seek a better future. He became a plumber, the first having a shower in Verona and built a reasonable business in Verona, bore 5 children, three girls and two boys. We are talking about  the last years of the 18th century first years of the 19th century.
My grandmother, the great cook, named Silvia, before marrying my grandfather  had cooked for a noble family in the area. We don’t know where she got the recipe for meat tortellini but it resembles the traditional one you can find nowadays in many restaurants of the northern Italy

At last here’s the recipe
Meat tortellini
This recipe makes rich appetizing tortellini whose flavor is enhanced if cooked and served in good beef stalk. Alternatively a light red sauce or butter and sage will generate a good result. The richness of the filling comes form the variety of roasted meats, the prosciutto of Parma and the Parmesan. This recipes regards the filling, which, if in excess can be frozen and used at another time.

• ½ pound of veal
• ½ pound of pork
• 1/2 pound of turkey
• ½ oz. of raw prosciutto (Parma or San Daniele) in one slice
• 1 cup of parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper
• a pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
• fresh rosemary and sage
• 2 cloves of garlic
• ½ cup of dry wine

In a casserole sauté the pork, turkey and veal in olive oil with the chopped rosemary and sage turning the pieces often to brown evenly. Pour the wine and cook uncovered at medium heat until meats are cooked on the outside but medium on the inside, about 30 minutes. Leave aside to cool.
Meantime in a bowl add the Parmesan, nutmeg salt and pepper.
Grind he cold meats and the prosciutto in a meat grinder adding the juice with the garlic and herbs. Grind twice since the meat need to be fine.
Transfer to the bowl and mix  in with the other ingredients. Adjust salt and pepper

Prepare the pasta dough and roll out the first piece to the thinnest level.
Lay the pasta strip on the tablecloth and proceed with filling it.
Place a teaspoon of filling on the edge of the strip, distanced about 1″ from each other.

Lift the opposite edge and bring it over so that the filling is totally enclosed into the pasta
Press on the edge to secure sealing. Trim off all excessive pasta with a pasta cutter
Cut each piece individually and check that all sides are well sealed and no air remains in by pressing all around it with fingertips.
Prepare abeef stock ahead of time.
Cook in stock from 3-5 minutes or until al dente. Serve in their stock sprinkled by more parmesan cheese.
lernatively lift genly from the stock and serve with a light sauce.
Buon appetito!