Tortellini 101

This past weekend was the festa di San Petronio (which I'll blog about in a bit) but while eavesdropping in on Italian conversation, I overheard something very interesting. A group of men were chatting about Tortellini. Rumor has it that they were started by throwing them at the King of Bologna way back in the day.

So of course, this got me thinking...whats the real story? These little nuggets of pure flavorful goodness, whats the truth? I wikipedia'd it, and while I found no story of any Kings (and slightly disappointed by that) I did find some other interesting tid-bits.



Here's what I found out about theses delicious treats. One legend says that "this dish is born in Castelfranco Emilia (province of Modena)^{[citation needed]}. One night during a trip, Lucrezia Borgia checked into an inn in the small town. Over the course of the night the host became so captivated by Lucrezia's beauty that he couldn't resist the urge to peek into her room through the keyhole. The bedroom was only lit by a few candles, and so he could merely see her navel. This pure and innocent vision was enough to send him into an ecstasy that inspired him to create the tortellini that night."

"Another separate but similar legend, originating in medieval Italy, tells how Venus and Jupiter arrived at a tavern on the outskirts of Bologna one night, weary from their involvement in a battle between Modena and Bologna^{[citation needed]}. After much food and drink, they shared a room. The innkeeper, captivated by the two, followed them and peeked through the keyhole. All he could see was Venus's navel. Spellbound, he rushed to the kitchen and created tortellini in its image."

Who knew pasta was this captivating?

Whatever the story, these mouthwatering treats are definitely worth every penny.