Everyone has their own “family recipe”, this is my mom’s recipe for meat filling for tortellini and cappelletti, but also for stuffing cannelloni and if you have any leftovers you can make delicious meatballs!!! A mix of meats including beef (I used the finest ground beef), chicken, and pork, mortadella, grated cheese (Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano), nutmeg, and, if desired, some grated lemon zest. Have leftovers? Try the quick and delicious meat filling meatballs.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 7 oz beef (or finest ground beef)
- 7 oz chicken breast
- 7 oz pork loin
- 4 oz mortadella with pistachios
- 1 cup Grana Padano DOP (grated)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste lemon zest (grated)
- to taste nutmeg
- to taste fine salt
- to taste black pepper
Tools
- Food Scale
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Pan
- Wooden Spoon
- Food Processor
- Bowl
- Spoon
Preparation
To prepare the meat filling for tortellini and cappelletti, cut the chicken breast and pork loin into pieces, then take a medium-sized pan, pour in the extra virgin olive oil, and when it’s hot, sear the meat over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
Once the chicken and loin are nearly golden, add the finest ground beef and cook for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon.
After cooking the meat, pour it directly into a food processor equipped with blades, add the mortadella, and process until everything is finely chopped.
Transfer the meat filling to a bowl, add the grated Grana Padano, nutmeg, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and a little more oil. Mix well and the filling is ready to use. Enjoy your meal!!!
Notes
It keeps in the fridge wrapped in plastic or in an airtight container for 3/4 days. You can freeze the filling once it’s cooked.
