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Marubini cremonesi are small round stuffed pasta from Cremona, in Lombardy, served in a clear three-meat broth. This version simmers beef shank, pork shank and chicken legs for 2 1/2 hours, then uses some of the cooked beef and pork in the filling, so the pasta tastes like the broth around it.
It’s a long recipe but not a busy one. The broth works unattended, and you make the dough during the last 45 minutes of simmering. Plan on about 4 1/4 hours start to finish.
The one thing that goes wrong is a hard boil. It churns the fat into the liquid, the broth turns cloudy and greasy, and skimming won’t fix it afterward. Hold a gentle simmer, one bubble every second or two.
Make the broth a day ahead and the shaping becomes a calm afternoon job.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One pot of meat gives you broth, filling, and leftovers
- Broth and filling can be made a day ahead
- Shaped marubini freeze raw and cook straight from frozen
- Clear, clean-tasting broth built from three meats and plain vegetables
Ingredient Notes
- beef shank: Bone-in shank gives the broth body from marrow and collagen. Brisket or short rib work if shank isn’t available.
- pork shank: Pork shank or bone-in shoulder adds a rounder, slightly sweet flavor. Practical note: pork neck bones are cheap and work well here.
- chicken legs: Skinless legs keep the broth lean and clear. Cremonese cooks often use a hen or capon, see the variations.
- Grana Padano: Grate it fresh for the filling and the bowl. Parmigiano Reggiano swaps in one to one, but skip pre-grated cheese, which tastes flat.
- 00 flour: Gives a tender, thin sheet. All-purpose flour works and makes a slightly chewier dough.
- nutmeg: Grate it fresh and keep it to a quarter teaspoon. It should be a background note that you notice only when it’s missing.
Marubini Cremonesi in Slow-Simmered Three-Meat Broth
Ingredients
Method
- Put the beef shank, pork, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, peppercorns and coarse salt in an 8-quart / 7.5 L stockpot, about 26 cm / 10 inches wide. Add 3 L cold water, set over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer, about 20 minutes. Skim off the gray foam as it collects.
- Lower the heat so the surface barely moves, about 95 C / 203 F, with one bubble every second or two. Partly cover and keep skimming for the first 30 minutes. After 1 hour 45 minutes of simmering, add the skinless chicken legs and simmer 45 minutes more, for a total of 2 1/2 hours.
- Mound the 300 g flour and 1/4 tsp salt on a work surface and make a well. Crack in the 3 eggs, break them up with a fork, then draw in the flour and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and springy. Wrap it tightly and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Lift the meats onto a board. Strain the broth through a fine sieve lined with a clean kitchen towel into a 5-quart / 4.7 L pot, about 24 cm / 9.5 inches wide, and skim off most of the surface fat. You should have about 2.4 L. Keep it on the lowest heat. Let the beef and pork cool for 15 minutes until you can handle them.
- Trim 100 g beef and 50 g pork of fat and gristle and mince them finely with a knife. Mix with the 40 g Grana Padano, breadcrumbs, egg yolk, 2 tbsp hot broth, nutmeg, pepper and 1/4 tsp salt. The mixture should hold together when pinched. If it feels wet, add a spoonful more breadcrumbs.
- Divide the dough into 4 pieces and keep three wrapped. Roll one piece to a 1 mm sheet with a pasta machine or rolling pin, then roll a second. Set 1 tsp mounds of filling on the first sheet, about 5 cm apart, and cover with the second. Press out the air around each mound, then cut with a 4 cm / 1.5-inch fluted cutter.
- Transfer the marubini to a sheet pan, 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch, dusted with the semolina, without letting them touch. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make about 66, and cook within 1 hour.
- Bring the strained broth to a simmer and adjust the salt. Add the marubini and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until they float and the sealed edge is tender. Ladle 10 to 12 marubini and about 400 ml broth into each warm bowl and top with the 30 g Grana Padano and black pepper. Slice the boiled meats for a second course.
Notes
- Salt the broth lightly at the start and adjust at the end, since Grana adds salt in the bowl.
- Let the cooked meat cool for 15 minutes before mincing so it's easy to trim and handle.
- Keep dough pieces wrapped while you roll, and work two sheets at a time.
- Press out the air around each mound of filling before cutting, so the seals stay shut.
Tips for Success
- Start the beef and pork in cold water so impurities rise slowly, and skim the foam away during the first 30 minutes.
- Add the skinless chicken legs after 1 hour 45 minutes so they simmer for 45 minutes and stay moist enough to serve.
- Mince the cooked meat finely with a knife instead of a processor, so the filling keeps some texture and doesn’t turn pasty.
- Roll the dough to about 1 mm, thin enough to faintly see your hand through, and keep unused pieces wrapped so they don’t dry.
- Space shaped marubini apart on a semolina-dusted tray and cook within 1 hour, or freeze them solid for later.
Variations
- Swap the chicken legs for half a hen, about 1 kg, added with the beef at the start, for a deeper broth.
- Replace 40 g of the cooked meat with finely chopped salame for a peppery, cured note in the filling.
- Cook the marubini in salted water, then toss them in browned butter with sage and extra Grana Padano.
Storage and Reheating
The broth keeps 4 days in the fridge in an airtight container, or 3 months in the freezer. Cool it within 2 hours of straining. Chill it overnight and lift off the solid fat if you want a leaner bowl, then reheat it in a saucepan until steaming.
Freeze extra marubini raw, not cooked. Spread them on a semolina-dusted tray, freeze for 1 to 2 hours until firm, then bag them for up to 2 months. Cook straight from frozen in simmering broth for 6 to 7 minutes.
Cooked marubini swell and soften as they sit in broth, so cook only what you’ll serve. The boiled meats keep 3 days in the fridge, sliced and covered with a ladle of broth to stay moist. The filling can be made a day ahead and kept covered in the fridge.
Serving Suggestions
Serve marubini cremonesi in warm, wide bowls, 10 to 12 marubini and about 400 ml of broth per person. Finish with grated Grana Padano and a grind of black pepper. Eat them right away while the broth is steaming.
Slice the boiled beef, pork and chicken and bring them out as a second course. Salsa verde, mostarda di Cremona and boiled potatoes suit them.
A dry, lightly sparkling Lambrusco is the local match. Good bread is all else the table needs.
FAQ
Why is my marubini broth cloudy?
Cloudy broth almost always means it boiled instead of simmered. Hard bubbling emulsifies the fat and breaks the foam into fine particles that stay suspended. Hold the pot at about 95 C / 203 F, skim during the first 30 minutes, and strain through a fine sieve lined with a clean kitchen towel.
How do I know when marubini are done cooking?
Marubini are done 4 to 5 minutes after they go into simmering broth, once they float and the sealed edge feels tender when you bite one. Dough rolled to 1 mm cooks quickly, so don’t walk away. Frozen marubini need 6 to 7 minutes, so taste one at the 6 minute mark.
Can I use store-bought stock instead of making three-meat broth?
Yes, but the broth will taste thinner and lack the body that beef shank and pork bones give. Simmer a low-sodium beef or chicken stock with a halved onion and a carrot for 30 minutes to improve it. You’ll still need about 150 g of cooked, finely minced beef or pork for the filling, such as leftover pot roast.
Can I freeze marubini cremonesi before cooking them?
Yes, freeze them raw. Spread the marubini on a semolina-dusted tray without touching, freeze for 1 to 2 hours until firm, then bag them for up to 2 months. Cook straight from frozen in simmering broth for 6 to 7 minutes, because thawing makes the thin dough stick together.
What goes well with the boiled meats left over from marubini broth?
Serve the boiled meats as a second course, sliced warm with salsa verde and mostarda di Cremona. After 2 1/2 hours in the pot the beef and pork have given up much of their flavor but stay tender and sliceable, and the sharp sauces make up the difference. Boiled potatoes and a green salad round it out.
What is the difference between marubini and tortellini?
Marubini are round, about 4 cm across, and come from Cremona, with a filling of braised meat, Grana Padano and nutmeg. Tortellini are folded into small rings and come from Bologna and Modena, with a filling of pork loin, prosciutto, mortadella and Parmigiano. Both are traditionally served as filled pasta in meat broth.