L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 18 L'Italo-Americano F illed pasta is a tradition in Italy, b u t h o w m a n y v a r i e t i e s d o w e have? Tortellini, cappelletti, ravioli. Tortelli, tortelloni and agnolotti… Every region seems to use d i f f e r e n t n a m e s a n d h a s different varieties, so let's m a k e s o m e o r d e r i n t h i s inextricable forest of culinary deliciousness. A bit of history, first. The Italian tradition to match pasta with savory fillings of many types started in the 14th century, according to sources. Back then, chefs w e r e b i g i n t o s p i c e s a n d strange associations between savory and sweet we, today, would probably not be too fond of. On the other hand, filled pasta shapes - squared or ring-like - remained pretty much the same. E m i l i a - R o m a g n a i s c o n s i d e r e d t h e a n c e s t r a l home of filled pasta, so much s o t h a t i n 1 9 7 4 t h e Confraternita del Tortellino and the Bologna chapter of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina deposited a patent for t h e o r i g i n a l r e c i p e o f t h e ultimate tortellino: if you want to stick to it, then make sure its filling has nothing more - or less - than one egg, p a r m i g i a n o , n u t m e g , B o l o g n a m o r t a d e l l a , prosciutto di Parma and pork loin. The dough, rigorously handmade, must be as thin as silk. These traditional - and patented - delicacies should be served always as a soup, in a broth made with hen, beef, or, for those who can get their hands on one, capon. Careful with the retro, 1980s tortellini alla panna, tortellini served with a sauce made with heavy cream and parmigiano: they are a no-no for purists. We don't know exactly why they are shaped the way they are, pretty, perfect, and similar to a small knot: some say they symbolize Venus' navel, others that of some beautiful woman of the past, whose name - but not beauty - got lost in history. Tortellini are tortellini, but remember that those made in Bologna are smaller than those made in Modena. What about tortelli and tortelloni? They probably originated in the 12th century b e t w e e n E m i l i a a n d Lombardia. They are larger t h a n t o r t e l l i n i a n d t h e i r filling can be quite varied: P a r m a a n d P i a c e n z a l o v e them with ricotta and leafy g r e e n s , b u t d o n ' t b e surprised to find tortelli or tortelloni with a meaty filling, too. In Mantova, they are made with pumpkin, as you'd expect in the city known for being Italy's capital of this seasonal vegetable. Their shape is similar to that of tortellini, just larger, but be aware that in Tuscany they are squared, and they are filled with potatoes. Just to m a k e t h i n g s a t a d m o r e complicated. C a p p e l l e t t i a r e y e t another story. The pasta, known in Italian as sfoglia, tends to be thicker than that of tortellini and tortelli. They get their name from their shape, which may appear similar to that of tortellini, but alas, it's not. Their home is Emilia-Romagna, but Le M a r c h e a l s o c l a i m t h e i r invention. When it comes to filling, you can use meats of all types, including turkey, as well as cheese, egg, nutmeg, and lemon rind. Always in Emilia, you may encounter cappellacci, but here you can't be mistaken: they are always made with a pumpkin filling. They first appeared on o u r t a b l e s i n t h e 1 6 t h century. In Piemonte, you are likely to come across agnolotti, which are similar in shape to ravioli, but are not quite the s a m e : w h i l e r a v i o l i a r e squared and all of their sides present the characteristic "zig-zag" pattern created by t h e r o u n d c u t t e r u s e d t o make them, agnolotti have one smooth side, where the sfoglia is gently folded on i t s e l f b y e x p e r t h a n d s . However, the main difference between the two is in the filling: agnolotti are all about meat, while ravioli use leafy greens. Famous and iconic a r e t h e L a n g h e a n d Monferrato's agnolotti al plìn: they get their name from the "pinch" needed to close them, they are small and filled with meat. They can be served either in broth or with a good ragù. In Liguria, you may come a c r o s s p a n s o t t i o r p a n z e r o t t i , l a r g e h a l f - moons filled with ricotta and erbette (leafy greens), served with walnut sauce or butter and sage. If this seems a lot, rest assured it isn't: there are many more varieties of filled pasta in Italy, so many we'd need a book to mention them all. Time to try them, I'd say! F inally, most of us are vaccinated, a n d o l d - f a s h - ioned colds are n o l o n g e r a s fearful as they've been for the past two years. Yes, fall a n d w i n t e r m a l a n n i a r e b a c k . T o d a y ' s w o r d i s malanno (mah-lahn-noh, plural mah-lahn-nee), and we translate it in English with "ailment," "illness," or even just "cold." Indeed, the word is usual when we speak about sneez- ing, coughing, and having a b i t o f a t e m p e r a t u r e , a l l common stuff this time of the year: Mettiti una scia- rpa o ti prenderai qualche malanno ("put a scarf on, or you'll get a cold"), we say, but also Con questo vento r i s c h i d i p r e n d e r t i u n m a l a n n o ( " y o u ' l l c a t c h a cold with this wind"). However, malanno has a m u c h w i d e r m e a n i n g : i t comes from the union of two words, malo and anno (so, "bad" or "evil," and "year") and it became common in the 13th century. Dante used it as a synonym of "misfor- tune" and, indeed, this is its most generic meaning still today, even if you barely see it used that way. S o m e c o m m o n e x p r e s - s i o n s , l i k e l a v e c c h i a i a porta ogni malanno ("old age brings along all types of a i l m e n t s " ) u s e m a l a n n o with the general meaning of "illness," although you're more likely to see the word a c c i a c c o i n t h a t c o n t e x t instead. F o r m o s t m o d e r n Italians, malanno remains a synonym for seasonal snif- f l e s , n o t h i n g t o o s e r i o u s indeed. - Raffreddore e mal di gola, i tipici malanni della stagione! - Cold and sore throat: the cold's season typical ill- nesses! - A s c u o l a , i b a m b i n i prendono qualsiasi malan- no - Kids can catch anything at school! - Ho mal di gola da un paio di giorni: devo aver p r e s o q u a l c h e b r u t t o malanno - I've had a sore through for a couple of days. I must have caught a nasty cold LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Word of the day: malanno I t a l i a n c u r i o s i t i e s : t o r t e l l i n i , t o r t e l l o n i , tortelli… what's the difference? How well do you know Italian filled pasta? (Photo: Martin Rettenberger/Dreamstime) © Julietphotography | Dreamstime.com

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