Tortellini Dish: Enhancing the Joy of Christmas Lunch

The warmth feeling of Christmas is approaching; many supermarkets, forni (bread shops), pasticcerie (pastry shops), and alimentari (food shops selling typical traditional Italian food) all over Italy have started to present festive season decorations and display some special Christmas sweets cakes, among them: Panettone and Pandoro. Apart from sweets, many people begin ordering a savoury dish called Tortellini from alimentari, usually served as the first dish during Christmas lunch. 

These Tortellini are hand-made with highly skilled labour and top-quality ingredients. Tortellini is a famous Italian pasta dish filled with special meat. It is known for its small, ring-like shape. It is traditionally filled with rich ingredients, including pork loin, Mortadella from Bologna, Prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano Reggiano, and nutmeg for a hint of warm spice. 

These ingredients are finely minced and seasoned, creating a savoury, tantalising filling that complements the pasta fresca (fresh pasta). It originates from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, particularly Castelfranco Emilia, a town located between Modena and Bologna. The most traditional way to enjoy Tortellini is in brodo (in broth). A clear, flavourful broth serves as a warm, comforting base, highlighting the taste of the pasta and filling. However, Tortellini is also often served with tomato-based sauces or butter with sage, each giving the dish a unique taste. 

Making Tortellini at home from scratch is a labour of love, an art form, and the result is well worth the effort—each delicate, flavour-packed with delicious taste. Fatto a mano (hand-made) produced Tortellini, requires rolling out fresh pasta dough, carefully cutting the pasta into square shapes (each around 3 cm), placing a small amount of filling (about 1/4 teaspoon) in the centre of each square, folding it into a triangular shape, and finally curling it around a finger to achieve the classic “belly button” shape. 

For Italians, especially in Bologna and Modena, Tortellini is more than just food; it’s a culinary symbol. The recipe is often handed down through families, and the dish symbolises the region’s devotion to artisanal food traditions and local ingredients. People can see a symbolic homage to this dish at Palazzo della Mercanzia (the Merchants' Palace) in Bologna, where the recipe for authentic Tortellini is registered. This certification is a nod to the city's pride in the Tortellini's historical value.

Italy celebrates Tortellini with several events, especially in Emilia-Romagna, such as annual celebrations to honour this beloved pasta. Festa del Tortellino (Tortellino Festival) at Bologna's historic centre combines Bologna’s best chefs and pasta artisans to showcase Tortellini. Locals and tourists can taste various Tortellini in different styles, from traditional Tortellini in brodo to other recipes, and local restaurants often participate, offering special menus focused entirely on Tortellini. Sagra del Tortellino in Castelfranco Emilia, the town hosts a large festival celebrating this pasta. The event features street stalls where local nonnas (grandmothers) make tortellini by hand, and visitors can enjoy traditional and other recipe tastings. 

There’s also music, parades, and a lively atmosphere as the town celebrates its culinary pride. National Tortellini Day, a dedicated day to show appreciation for Tortellini, takes place on February 13 each year. To celebrate this special day, friends and families go to Italian restaurants to enjoy a bowl of Tortellini in broth with a spark of grated Parmigiano Reggiano. The restaurants' chefs may have a special Tortellini menu prepared for this day, a dish not to be missed. There are some gatherings where people host events, invite their loved ones, and get together to enjoy Tortellini in their favourite version of Tortellini.

These events are opportunities to experience authentic Tortellini, learn from the experts, and celebrate extraordinary traditions.