CookEat Recipe
Pigeon Tortellini
Delicate egg pasta filled with finely chopped pigeon, prosciutto and Parmesan, served in the bird’s clear broth.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 1 young, plucked and gutted food-grade pigeon, about 500 g; 80 g finely grated Parmesan; 70 g prosciutto with both lean and fat; Nutmeg to taste; Salt for the cooking water; About 2.5 litres water, enough to cover the pigeon; 300 g flour, plus a little for dusting; 3 eggs for the dough, adjusted as needed.
Step 2
Use a food-grade dressed pigeon with its giblets removed. Bring enough lightly salted water to cover it to a boil, add the bird and lower to a gentle simmer. Cook until the thickest meat reaches 82°C, checking after about 30 minutes and continuing as needed. Do not leave it deliberately undercooked.
Step 3
Lift out the pigeon, cool just enough to handle safely, and remove all bones.
Step 4
Strain and reserve the cooking broth.
Step 5
Chop the meat and prosciutto extremely finely with a knife, then work in the Parmesan and nutmeg until evenly combined. No egg is added to this filling.
Step 6
Make a smooth dough with the flour and three eggs, adjusting the flour slightly to the egg size.
Step 7
Knead, cover and rest about 20 minutes, then roll very thinly.
Step 8
Cut small circles about 3.5 cm across.
Step 9
Fill each with a tiny dab of the pigeon mixture, fold into a semicircle and seal, then join the two corners into a small ring. Keep unused dough covered. A very thin three-egg sheet can yield roughly 260 small tortellini; actual yield varies.
Step 10
Bring the strained broth back to a gentle boil and cook the tortellini in batches until the pasta is tender and the filling is thoroughly reheated to 74°C. Add hot water if needed for sufficient broth and adjust salt. Serve hot.
Step 11
Alternatively, cook the tortellini in salted water, drain and toss with butter and Parmesan. Another serving option is a prepared meat jus with separately cooked chopped poultry giblets: simmer the cleaned giblets in the jus until they reach 74°C, then toss with the drained pasta. These are alternatives to the broth service, not additions to it.
Step 12
Cook the filled pasta on the day of making or freeze promptly in a single layer, then pack. Cool any cooked leftovers promptly, refrigerate within 2 hours and use within 2–3 days or freeze.
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