It was supposed to rain for three days straight, but when we looked out onto Piazza Erbe from our hotel room – the rain had stopped, the sun was threatening to show itself, and a festival was being set up in the square. Actually – some people were setting up an outdoor “bowling alley” of sorts, and kids were already lining up to throw a giant wooden ball towards enormous and ancient looking pins. Not the quietest of morning activities. We decided to make the best of the lack of rain to tour around and headed up the Autostrada to Lake Garda. 
Only forty minutes from Verona – it is worth the drive – spectacular vistas await – water the colour of the Mediterranean meeting mountains with gorgeous views at every turn. At one bend we had to swerve to avoid a man – decked in full scuba gear, carrying not only his tank, spear and equipment but a string of six or so fresh fish…we avoided the temptation to follow him home for lunch. But all that driving and stopping to take in the view can make you extremely hungry and our thoughts turned to lunch. We headed south from Garda in search of an elusive village dating back to medieval times…well at least fairly elusive to us and our GPS we had renamed affectionately “Daphne”, with her firm but polite direction giving.
Our host, maker of fine fresh Italian filled pasta told us that when he and his partner seek inspiration, they head to Borghetto Sul Mincio, and feast on tortellini at San Marco restaurant there. San Marco was closed for a wedding – and they did not seem interested in two surprise Canadian guests – so we meandered the narrow winding streets until we found Osteria della Bottega di Borghetto. A lovely patio filled with Italians scorfing back stunning looking filled pasta and drinking loads of Lambrusco – none of them speaking a word of English…this was the place for us. Let me just say that this tortellini is like no other. Pretend you’ve never had tortellini before – just for a moment. Each piece is the size of a Tim Bit, with pasta so thin it’s hard to imagine how it holds in the filling (more on that in a minute)..this pasta is bright yellow and rich in flavour due to the amount of egg used to make it. Most fresh pastas are made with flour, and 30% liquid – water and egg, but the egg is often used like Vermouth in an extra dry Martini – they merely hold the egg close to it…not make it a star ingredient like in the Borghetto tortellini. The fillings are not of this world. My husband’s was filled with ricotta and black truffle – the ricotta tasting – of well CREAM, and the truffle tasting of heaven. The filling is the star – the hero – and as I have been told – it “is” the sauce – you should not need sauce with a good tortellini – and trust me – no sauce was needed. Tossed with butter (this is Italian cuisine of the North – and they love their butter) and olive oil and a few thin slices of truffle. Mine was filled with the same ricotta, but blended with radicchio that had been lightly sautéed in said butter (and still held it’s gorgeous red hue) and large pieces of toasted walnuts. These gems sat, not on a sauce, but in a pool of just melted Gorgonzola Dolce, and topped with chiffonade (thin strips) of raw raddichio and toasted walnuts.
There are several legends of how the Tortellini got it’s start in life, including one that it is in fact the shape of a godessess’ navel. However I like the following story best – probably because it is the only version I have been told by an Italian. The ruler of Borghetto Sul Mincio fell in love with a nymph from the river that flows through the village. She asked him to join her in her underwater life, he told her he needed one day before he could leave behind his beloved village. He sorted his affairs and was never seen again – presumably he did indeed “swim away” with the nymph. The napkins that wiped away the tears of those he left behind inspired the women of the village to make a pasta in that shape – and if you look closely you will see that a tortellini is a square (like a napkin), filled, folded over into a triangle and pinched together to make a ring.
No matter how or why we are blessed with the entire concept…get yourself to Borghetto Sul Mincio and eat tortellini…in the sweetest medieval village on earth.
