Day 3 (Tuesday) was also beautiful, so I took a brisk walk-run, totaling 90 minutes, as I knew there was going to be a lot of good food to taste!
Back at La Casa Rossa, the aromas of breakfast were in the air! We enjoyed socializing, and then one by one, students left the table to put on their aprons and get to work!
The first lesson for Tuesday was Tortellini, the classic Bolognese pasta that is often found in Brodo (broth), and is also wonderful with classic Bolognese meat sauce.
Sandra explained that Tortellini are very festive, and how family members, friends, even neighbors would get together and gossip while they made tortellini (why kids were frequently not allowed to help!) Growing up in an Italian-American family with many great cooks, I often enjoyed helping out in the kitchen, and never could understand why occasionally I was told to stay out of the kitchen! Guess there was some juicy gossip!
Sandra shared that in America, tortellini are more often filled with cheese, because the majority of Italian immigrants who came to the U.S. were from Southern Italy, in which cheese was used more frequently in stuffed pasta, as opposed to Bologna, in north-central Italy, an area which prides itself on hearty meat dishes, and elaborate meat-based sauces and fillings for pasta. The most famous Tortellini and standard bearer in Italian culture is the Bolognese variety with a meat-based filling, often prosciutto, mortadella, veal, nutmeg, parmesan, etc. Tortellini in Bologna is a celebratory food, and a lot of flavor and effort goes into making these little gems, as well as quality ingredients, but the end result is incomparable!
Stay tuned for more from Platinum Palate™ Toscana Saporita Cooking School!
