Sweet Tortelli of St. Lazarus
An ancient Lenten recipe from the small town of Faenza, Romagna. And a vegetarian Easter/Spring menu for my paid subscribers
In the early hours of November 4, 1966, when the Arno River flooded Florence, my mom was sitting on the balcony of a first-floor window, watching the water rise. Then, a boat passed by, and she jumped onto it without any hesitation.
And that's a fact.
Another fact is that among the students at the specialty school and the boarding school where she studied and lived was Anna, a woman from Romagna like her but from Faenza.
The last relevant fact is their lasting friendship, through which I recovered this recipe, protected by a wall of silence that is impossible to penetrate.
In fact, every family preserves its own version jealously. The same goes for the city’s bakeries that still make these filled cookies, which share the name of a type of fresh pasta and resemble culurgiones, the Sardinian ravioli, and those from Piacenza, known as tortelli with a tail.
Sweet Tortelli of St. Lazarus
These cookies belong exclusively to the city of Faenza and, like the Bolognese raviole, are filled with a thick and sweet filling.
Initially, they were a humble treat, made with a dough of flour, water, and salt, filled with boiled and mashed chestnuts. The tortelli, once baked, were soaked in saba, a condiment made by slowly boiling grape must.
These cookies are the stars of the celebration for Saint Lazarus in Faenza, which takes place every year on the Fifth Sunday of Lent.
The recipe has its roots in the ancient tradition of the people of the small town visiting the leper hospital, a refuge for people with leprosy, which stood right next to the church of Saint Lazarus. During the visit, they offered the tortelli to those poor people, giving them a little comfort and relief.
Today, the Borgo Durbecco area, a neighborhood in the city, is the heart of a festival that hosts a sort of Carnival, allowing people to break the Lent, not from meat, but from sweet things—mostly tortelli. Even if just for one day.
The sweet tortelli look like ears of wheat, and they want to recall the shroud in which Lazarus was wrapped before being resurrected. For some, the closure reminds them of the swaddling bands used to wrap babies. For others, it evokes another shroud, that of Saint Peter Damian, a beloved figure in Faenza.
As I written, sweet tortelli are eaten soaked in saba. It's not mandatory, but I recommend it. If you are in Bologna, buy it at the historic grocery store "da Gilberto" or find it online.
I'm fortunate because my mom, who no longer jumps off balconies, I believe though I wouldn't swear on it, makes it at home.
You can substitute saba with a few drops of balsamic vinegar (as long as it doesn't cost a small fortune; in that case, save it for other uses).
The recipe
about 50 cookies
Ingredients
Shortcrust pastry
500 g of 00 flour
100 g of cold butter
8 g of baking powder for cake
50 g of milk
150 g of caster sugar
3 regular eggs
grated zest of half a lemon
salt, a pinch
Filling
150 g of dried chestnuts
100 g of dark chocolate
zest of 1/2 orange and 1/2 lemon
salt, a pinch
50 g of candied citron or orange
60 g of plum or orange jam
2 tablespoons of rum or white wine (20 g)
Method
Shortcrust pastry
In a bowl, stir all the dry ingredients.
Then, add eggs, grated zest, butter, cut into small pieces, and milk.
Refresh your hands under cold water, dry them, and start to knead until the mixture is soft and well blended.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Filling
Soak the chestnuts for one day and night in water.
Simmer the chestnuts in lightly salted water with the lemon and orange peels for about 1 hour.
Drain, discard the peels, and let cool for a few minutes before finely chopping with a knife.
Finely chop candied fruit and chocolate.
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients listed for the filling. Refrigerate for an hour or overnight.
Sweet tortelli assembling
Cut the dough in 4 parts. Roll out the dough, one piece at a time, to a thickness of about 3-4 mm, cut out circles about 6 cm in diameter, and place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each one.
Close by forming an ear. Starting at one end, bring the outer parts to the center and pinch them together as in the video HERE.
Arrange the tortelli on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven at 180C (356F) degrees until lightly browned.
Let cool before serving.
Good news
Professors Patrizia Musso and Daniela Compassi from the Catholic University of Milan mentioned my writing and cooking project in their research Guida pratica al brand Reloading (Franco Angeli Publishing).
In the chapter edited by Compassi, the author talks about me as one of the voices standing out on the internet alongside celebrities like Benedetta Rossi and colleagues I deeply respect, such as
and .Finding my name and work cited in an academic research book is an unexpected honor. The words chosen by the author, especially when she writes about the authenticity of the food experiences I offer and how my project well represents the soul of Bologna and Emilia-Romagna, encourage me to continue and improve.
WOW!
Good things
This week will be all about fresh pasta waiting for the online class with Q.B. Cucina (New York). Meeting, even virtually, so many enthusiasts of traditional Bolognese sfoglia is more a joy than a job. I would love to organize an in-person tour, but for now, I can only say: who knows!
A Vegetarian Easter Menu
What comes to mind if I say Easter?
Here's my answer: Lent, spring, daisies, chocolate eggs, blessed eggs, olive tree, lasagna, Easter Monday outing.
I'm a woman who finds comfort in the rituals of holidays and the table.
Just like Christmas rituals, I love those related to Easter. Unfortunately, I've never participated in an Easter egg hunt. That's why every year, I search comfort in one of the most satisfying home-cooking recipes: baked lasagna.
I like them all. But feel free to invite me to a Easter egg hunt.
In the menu I've created for paid subscribers, I've gathered 3 recipes for an easy-to-make, affordable Easter menu, where a seasonal lasagna celebrates the festive table.
That is my menù:
Herb frittata with salsa al Parmigiano
Artichoke lasagna in bianco (no tomato sauce)
Chocolate and amaretti cake (egg-free)
I would like to remind you that the annual subscription, which is the most affordable, costs the same as a cookbook, and you get a cookbook at the end of the year.
If you enjoyed my newsletter, please click on the ❤️ heart, leave a comment, or share it. GRAZIE!
A presto, Monica
