Tortellini Day

The story

Tortellini are the small stuffed pasta jewels of Emilia-Romagna, traditionally filled with meat and served in capon broth as tortellini in brodo. Legend ties their navel-like shape to a glimpse of Venus; history ties them to Bologna and Modena kitchens where skilled hands fold dough around savory filling. In broth, they are delicate and restorative; with cream or ragù they become a richer first course. Making them well is an act of patience—rolling, cutting, filling, and sealing hundreds of tiny parcels for a feast.

Families gather to fold tortellini before holidays, turning preparation into a social event as lively as the meal itself. Fresh pasta dough should be thin enough to show the filling's silhouette after cooking. On Tortellini Day, buy excellent fresh tortellini or fold your own, simmer them gently in a clear broth, and finish with grated Parmigiano.

Serve steaming bowls that warm hands and conversation. Celebrating tortellini is celebrating Emilia's craft of turning flour, eggs, and filling into edible gold.