“Life is a combination of magic and pasta.”
—FEDERICO FELLINI
The legend of “al turtlèin,”
the tortellino…
Tortellini, small circles of rolled dough folded around a filling, are one of the most renowned members of the Italian pasta family…no foodstuff in Italian cuisine is surrounded by so much history and lore. Legend has it that Venus, the goddess of love, once stayed at the local tavern in the town of Castelfranco Emilia, halfway between Bologna and Modena. The innkeeper spied on his guest through the keyhole of her room and got a partial glimpse of her. Struck by what he saw, he rushed to his kitchen, rolled out a sheet of fresh egg pasta and invented a shape inspired by Venus' navel. Which is why sometimes the tortellino is called belly button, or ombelico.
Pasta fresca…
With its smoothy texture and rich flavor, many people agree that pasta fresca (fresh pasta), tastes more delicious than pasta from a box, but it is indeed a labor of love. It requires correct ratios of eggs to flour and a deft hand to keep it from turning into a gummy mess. Yet, with my expert advice and years of experience, you will understand the technique! Join me in learning how to make fresh pasta in an upcoming workshop.
…fatta in casa
I learned pasta making from my grandmother, so all of my products are fatta in casa (made in-house). First a dough is made using only eggs and flour. The pasta is kneaded abbastanza (enough) when air bubbles start to work their way out of the dough. Then it’s time to start rolling. I hand-roll the pasta with a mattarello (or canéla), an extra-long wooden rolling pin, then hand-cut it into thin ribbons for tagliatelle (above). I boil the pasta until it rises to the surface and is still al dente, then serve with a robust sauce that will cling pleasantly to the texture.