Tortellini in Brodo is made of soft pillowy cheese tortellini in a rich flavorful broth of vegetables, smoked ham, parmesan cheese rind, and lemon zest.
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepperto taste
fresh parsleyfor garnish (optional)
Instructions
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, carrots, celery, and garlic; cook until the leeks are wilted, stirring occasionally; about 5 minutes.
Add 2 cups of water, broth, parmesan rind lemon zest, and pork bone (reserving the diced ham). Bring to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender; about 15 to 20 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the rind, the zest and the pork bone from the broth. Bring the broth to a boil and add in the tortellini and diced ham. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (see note)
Cook until the tortellini begin to float; about 3 to 5 minutes.
Divide the soup among four bowls and serve with crusty bread or crackers.
Notes
This aromatic broth is filled with rich hearty flavor is a great base that can be customized to your taste or ingredients you have on hand.Use caution when adding salt! The ham and parmesan rind add salinity to the broth. If you are watching your sodium intake you may want to consider a no-sodium chicken broth. You can always add in salt to taste, but you can never take it away.Pecorino Romano and Gruyère cheeses lend a savory flavor comparable Parmesan. These cheese rinds are great substitutes. However, if you don’t have cheese rind at all you can add in an ounce of any one of these cheeses. Please keep in mind that the cheese may stick to the bottom of the pot and become stringy. Stir more frequently when using cheese without the rind. When serving, leave the cheese in the bottom of the pot. Stringy cheese isn’t very appealing when eating this soup.Learn more about cooking with parmesan rinds HERE.Learn more about how to prepare leeks for cooking HERE.Learn more about zesting citrus HERE.Recipe adapted from Food Network Magazine
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