Marubini in brodo (Cremonese ravioli in broth)
Small ravioli stuffed with three braised meats and grana, swimming in a clear, rich broth made from three meats. The quintessential comfort of Cremonese festivities.
Small ravioli stuffed with three braised meats and grana, swimming in a clear, rich broth made from three meats. The quintessential comfort of Cremonese festivities.
Here is the dish of my cradle, that of Cremona, served only on great days. The filling, you see, is a trio: the beef braised, the salame of our land, and the grana that binds it all — three voices in harmony. And the broth! It is drawn from three meats as well, beef, hen and pork, left to simmer for hours without rushing. My mother pinched each marubino between two fingers, swiftly, as one beats time. They are served scalding in their brodo, and we fall silent — for at that moment, even a composer has nothing to say.
- •Flour and eggs — for a thin pasta (ravioli wrapper)
- •Braised beef (stracotto) — a leftover piece (filling)
- •Cremonese salame — a piece (filling, character)
- •Grana Padano — a good handful (filling, umami)
- •Egg and nutmeg — as needed to bind (bind the filling)
- •Three-meat broth (beef, hen, pork) — in abundance (serving in broth)
Marubini in brodo (Cremonese ravioli in broth)
Small ravioli stuffed with three braised meats and grana, swimming in a clear, rich broth made from three meats. The quintessential comfort of Cremonese festivities.
Why this dish? Marubini is THE festive dish of Cremona, Ponchielli's hometown (Paderno, Cremona province). It is the primo of Christmases and large family tables of his Lombard childhood, served in the brodo dei tre brodi.
Here is the dish of my cradle, that of Cremona, served only on great days. The filling, you see, is a trio: the beef braised, the salame of our land, and the grana that binds it all — three voices in harmony. And the broth! It is drawn from three meats as well, beef, hen and pork, left to simmer for hours without rushing. My mother pinched each marubino between two fingers, swiftly, as one beats time. They are served scalding in their brodo, and we fall silent — for at that moment, even a composer has nothing to say.
Ingredients (period version)
- Flour and eggs — for a thin pasta (ravioli wrapper)
- Braised beef (stracotto) — a leftover piece (filling)
- Cremonese salame — a piece (filling, character)
- Grana Padano — a good handful (filling, umami)
- Egg and nutmeg — as needed to bind (bind the filling)
- Three-meat broth (beef, hen, pork) — in abundance (serving in broth)
Ingredients
- Type 00 flour — 300 g (pasta)
- Eggs — 3 (pasta)
- Shredded braised beef — 200 g (filling)
- Crumbled or chopped salame — 80 g (filling)
- Grated Grana Padano — 100 g (filling)
- Egg + nutmeg + breadcrumbs — 1 egg, 1 pinch, if needed (filling binder)
- Beef, hen and pork broth — 2 L (cooking and serving)
Method
- Prepare the three-meat broth in advance: cover with cold water, skim, let simmer 3 hours, strain.
- Knead flour and eggs into a smooth dough, rest 30 minutes under a cloth.
- Blend the braised beef, salame and grana, bind with egg and nutmeg until a homogeneous filling.
- Roll out the dough very thin, place small walnut-sized portions of filling, fold and cut into small round or square ravioli.
- Seal the edges well so they do not open in the broth.
- Poach the marubini directly in the simmering broth for 3-4 minutes, until they float.
- Serve piping hot in deep bowls with a good ladle of broth, with extra grana on the side.
How it was made : The Cremonese marubino is attested since at least the Renaissance and codified in the 19th century. The golden rule was the 'brodo dei tre brodi': a broth from three different meats, a sign of a prosperous and festive table. Sunday's stracotto was nobly recycled.
The contemporary twist : A few marubini served in a clear consommé cup, the broth poured at the table in front of the guest — a gourmet curtain-raiser.
Sources : Cremonese tradition of marubini in brodo · Cucina cremonese, Lombard regional collections
Amilcare Ponchielli · Charactorium
