Tortellini:A Good Winter DIsh

Winter calls for comfort food and there's nothing more comforting than a good bowl of tortellini. These delicious stuffed pasta bites are good anyway you have them. Like other pastas they're easy to make whether for a family or a crowd. Also like pasta there are a variety of ways to serve them.

Tortellini's  origins have some variations. One involves an innkeeper who wanted to sneak a peek at one famous guest, Lucrezia Borgia. Since the room was only candlelit, he just saw her navel. Entranced, the innkeeper went back into his kitchen  to create a pasta celebrating it. Another, more fantastic story, is that  the innkeeper visited by the goddesses Venus and Jupiter. Again he went into raptures after spying on the goddess and seeing only Venus' belly button. A more plausible origin is that the pasta is modeled after the turtles that decorate Modena, the town that created it. There is also a larger variation called tortelloni.They are stuffed with veal, beef, cheese and sometimes spinach.

Whatever version you have, tortellini or tortelloni is best served in a plain chicken or beef broth. This is the perfect meal for a cold winter's night.You can vary the broth by adding Italian sausage if you have beef stock.The plain broth is the original way of eating it and what you will be served if you do go to Modena. However some Americans also serve the pasta with tomato sauce for a heartier fare. You can also serve them with a vodka sauce for variety or even just a simple butter one.. Some home chefs have even baked torteelini or tortelloni  casserole style.

Tortellini are the perfect dish for these chill winter days and nights. They enrich any stock , making it tastier and heartier. Try them with sauce and cheese for a more sturdier meal. Either way tortellini are a  delicious treat