The birthplace of tortellini. September. The competitive folding is as serious as the eating.
Plan your Italy trip →Castelfranco Emilia and Bologna both claim to have invented tortellini. Castelfranco's sagra settles the argument by being the best celebration: competitive tortellini-making (sfogline — pasta-making women — race to fold the most perfect tortellini), communal tables serving tortellini in brodo (the ONLY correct way — in a clear, rich meat broth), and variations including fried tortellini and tortellini with ragù.
A proper tortellino is a tiny square of egg pasta (sfoglia) folded around a meat filling, then twisted around the fingertip into its navel shape — said to be modeled on Venus's belly button. Watching a skilled sfoglina make 20 per minute is mesmerizing. At the sagra, you can try your hand at folding under expert supervision.
Tell us your dates — we'll find which sagre are happening during your trip.
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