The Pianalto name commands a certain amount of respect, especially in Tontitown, Arkansas where it’s a familiar as the “Jones” or “Smith” anywhere else. This recipe comes directly from chef Vince Pianalto and his beloved mother that dates back several generations; and even though this homemade pasta drenched in chicken broth has it’s genesis based in another century, something tells me Vince and his mother still prepare this recipe frequently at home.
The story of tortellini isn’t without it’s own salacious controversy, since it’s origins have been disputed between Italy’s regions of Bologna and Modena for centuries; until, as the legend contends, Venus visited an inn in the border town of Castelfrano Emilia, where the innkeeper was so taken by her beauty that he couldn’t resist peaking at her through the bedroom keyhole as she undressed before bed; fortunately or unfortunately, depending on you point of view, he could only catch sight of her tummy and navel, and was so inspired and overtaken by his lust that he designed the first ever tortellini, which obviously looks like a belly button. Blah blah blah - it’s not exactly the WOKE kind of story that is required these days, but we’ll let it slide a bit since it was a different time.
Regardless, consenting voyeurism or not, TORTELLINI is a triumph, and the Natural State Pianalto version bathed in chicken stock is nothing short of culinary nirvana. Saluti!
