The other night, for our collective birthdays – three of us – our dear friend Daniela X (she is modest and does not wish to be identified) made classic tortellini alla bolognese in brodo. Anyone who has been to Bologna, Parma, Modena or the other great-eating-cities in the Emilia region, will know the authentic item.

Tortellini are a variety of navel-sized (and shaped) filled pasta — see the photo of Daniela’s tortellini, courtesy Kimmo Pasanen. They’re cooked in a sumptuous broth made from several types of meat (usually chicken or capon, veal, and, optionally, cotechino), and served in the broth, period. Purists don’t even sprinkle them with grated Parmigiano. But that may be going too far.