When you travel in Italy, you see the most wonderful hand work. Tradition and passion are synonymous with one another. You find in small villages pasta being hand-made, made by “mama” who has the patience and know-how. The idea that hand work seems to be fading away, but it still remains well-preserved in Italy. We are hopeful that it will continue this way but the way things look, no one knows.

These tortellini are made with Parmigiano cheese and “Mora” ham cream which is made with prosciutto, mortadella and pigs from Mora. The noodle is made with fine white flour and plenty of egg yolks. These two women working in unison make the tortellini in less than one hour. Most of the work is hand rolling the dough, this takes 17-20 minutes. It is one of the nicest travel moments watching them work.

The “Mora” cream is made with Romagnola pigs from the region of Emilia-Romagna. These pigs are dark-brown coats, almost black, the unusual almond shape of their eyes and very long tusks of the males, which makes them look more like boars than pigs. Like many heritage breeds, they are energetic, predisposed to fattening and very tasty. The Mora Romagnola pig, spends its life feeding on acorns and chestnuts guaranteeing an authentic slice of northern Italy.