Anolini in Brodo

About This Recipe

Anolini in brodo is one of the great festive dishes of Parma and Piacenza, small crescent or coin-shaped stuffed pasta floating in a clear, golden capon broth. The hallmark of true anolini is the filling, built not from the braised meat itself but from the dense, flavorful breadcrumb mixture soaked in the juices of a long-cooked beef stracotto. The meat braises for hours with wine and aromatics until meltingly tender, and its concentrated gravy is worked into grated parmesan and breadcrumbs to form an intensely savory paste. Sealed in thin egg pasta and simmered in homemade brodo, these delicate morsels are a Christmas Eve and Sunday tradition across Emilia. Labor-intensive and deeply comforting, anolini in brodo represents the soulful, patient cooking of northern Italy.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 300 g00 flour
• 3 largeeggs(for the pasta)
• 500 gbeef chuck or brisket(for stracotto)
• 1 cupdry red wine
• 1 eachonion, carrot, celery stalk(chopped)
• 120 gfine breadcrumbs
• 120 gParmigiano-Reggiano(grated)
• 2 Lcapon or beef broth
• 1 pinchgrated nutmeg
• to tastesalt and black pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Braise the beef

   Brown the beef in oil, add the chopped vegetables and red wine, then braise covered on very low heat for 3 to 4 hours until fork-tender. Reserve the rich, reduced cooking juices, which carry all the flavor.

   Low and slow; the dense gravy matters more than the meat itself.

2. 2

   Make the filling

   Combine the breadcrumbs, grated parmesan, nutmeg, and several spoonfuls of the warm braising juices to form a stiff, savory paste. It should be moist but hold its shape when pressed.

   Add juices gradually; too much makes the filling too soft to pipe.

3. 3

   Make the pasta dough

   Mound the flour, make a well, and add the eggs. Mix and knead 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, then wrap and rest 30 minutes. Resting relaxes the gluten so the dough rolls thin without tearing.

4. 4

   Roll and fill

   Roll the dough into thin sheets. Pipe small dots of filling in rows, fold the sheet over, press out air around each mound, and cut into small coins or crescents with a fluted cutter.

   Seal firmly so the anolini don't burst in the broth.

5. 5

   Prepare the broth

   Bring the capon broth to a gentle simmer and taste for seasoning. A clear, well-flavored brodo is the soul of the dish, so use a good homemade stock rather than cubes.

6. 6

   Cook the anolini

   Drop the anolini into the simmering broth and cook 3 to 4 minutes until they float and the pasta is tender. Cook in batches so the broth stays at a gentle, even simmer.

7. 7

   Serve

   Ladle the anolini and broth into warm bowls and finish with extra grated parmesan. Serve immediately while the broth is steaming and the pasta is delicate and silky.

Variations

• •

  Add a little of the shredded braised beef to the filling, Piacenza-style.

• •

  Serve drained anolini with butter and sage instead of broth (asciutti).

• •

  Use a capon-and-beef blended broth for extra richness.

• •

  Finish with a drizzle of the reduced braising sauce for deeper flavor.

Storage

Freeze uncooked anolini in a single layer, then bag for up to 2 months; cook from frozen in broth. Cooked anolini keep 2 days refrigerated in their broth.

Frequently Asked Questions