Tortellini
 The distinctive shape of tortellini | |
| Alternative names | Belly button |
|---|---|
| Type | Pasta, Dumplings |
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Region or state | Emilia-Romagna |
| Variations | Tortelloni |
Tortellini are ring-shaped pasta originally from the Italian region of Emilia (in particular Bologna and Modena). Traditionally they are stuffed with a mix of meat (pork loin, raw prosciutto, Mortadella), Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, egg and nutmeg and served in capon broth (in brodo di cappone).[1]
While in the area of origin they are usually sold fresh or home-made, industrially packed, dried and refrigerated or frozen tortellini appear in many locations around the world, especially where there are large Italian communities.
Origins[edit]
The origin of tortellini is disputed; both Bologna and Modena, cities in Italy's Emilia-Romagna region, claim to be its birthplace.[2] OxfordDictionaries.com traces the etymology of tortellini to the diminutive form of tortello, itself a diminutive of torta ("cake" or "pie" in Italian).[3]
The recipe for a dish called "torteletti" appears in 1570 from Bartolomeo Scappi. Vincenzo Tanara's writings in the mid-17th century may be responsible for the pasta's renaming to tortellini. In the 1800s, legends sprang up to explain the recipe's origins, offering a compromise. Castelfranco Emilia, located between Bologna and Modena,[2] is featured in one legend, in which Venus stays at an inn. Overcome by her beauty, the innkeeper spies on her through a keyhole, through which he can only see her navel. He is inspired to create a pasta in this shape. This legend would be at the origin of the term "ombelico di Venere" (Venus' navel), occasionally used to describe tortellini.[4] In honor of this legend, an annual festival is held in Castelfranco Emilia.[5] Another legend posits that the shape comes from Modena's architecture, which resembles a turtle.[6]
Comparison to tortelloni[edit]
Tortelloni is pasta in a similar shape, but larger, typically 5 g, vs. 2 g for tortellini,[7] and with the extremities closed differently. While tortellini have a meat-based filling, tortelloni are filled with ricotta and sometimes with parsley or spinach. Moreover, while tortellini are traditionally cooked in and served with broth, tortelloni are cooked in water, stir-fried (traditionally with butter and sage) and served dry.
Production process[edit]
Production steps[edit]
- Knead the ground pork, along with the other ingredients, to get the stuffing
- Knead the flour and eggs to make the dough
- Flattening of the dough
- Cut the flattened dough into squares
- Depositing the portion of stuffing on each square of dough
- Shape the tortellino
Equipment[edit]
Homemade[edit]
- chopping board
- knife
- rolling pin
- Dough Rolling Board
Industry[edit]
- mincer
- kneading machine
- sheeter
- Forming machine (tortellini machine)
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Official recipe of the tortellino, as it was registered at the Chamber of Commerce of Bologna in 1974" (PDF). www.confraternitadeltortellino.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2018-12-31.
- ^ a b Zanini De Vita, Oretta (2009). Encyclopedia of Pasta. University of California Press. pp. 297–299. ISBN 9780520944718.
- ^ "The meaning of pasta names". OxfordDictionaries.com. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- ^ The Oxford Companion to Italian Food by Gillian Riley
- ^ Poggioli, Sylvia (27 August 2013). "Tortellini, The Dumpling Inspired By Venus' Navel". NPR. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- ^ Marsden, Shelley (4 December 2015). "The secret to tortellini, Modena's special pasta". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 May 2018.[dead link]
- ^ Barilla US (manufacturer) FAQ
External links[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tortellini. |
- Hand-made tortellini original recipe by a cooking school located in Bologna
- Hand-made tortellini in brodo how-to, with video
- Tortellini production video
- From the rolled out egg-rich and flour pasta dough, stuffed with a mix of meat, the hand made production of tortellini (navel-shaped pasta) - video
