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» franfolsom - Dining Like an Italian

I'm told that in Bologna if you want your tortellini cooked in a sauce, instead of in brodo, the chef could get upset and refuse to serve it that way. Is this true?

-- posted by franfolsom

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» Barbara Rogers - Dining Like an Italian

In response to Dining Like an Italian posted by franfolsom:

It is true that tortellini are not often served in a sauce in Italy -- usually in broth (brodo) or just with grated cheese. Or the sauce is designed to compliment the flavors in the filling.

As to ordering them with sauce -- or ordering anything served differently than it is shown on the menu -- that can be problematical in better restaurants anywhere in Italy (unless you have an allergy of other problem, in which case they are usually very nice about either leaving out an offending ingredient or suggesting dishes that don't contain it). The general feeling is that the chef is the one who creates the dish, and if you don't like it the way he does it, you should eat elsewhere.

With tortellini, the fillings vary so much that I can easily see a chef feeling that it would ruin the flavors of the tortellini to serve it with the wrong sauce.

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