Ciao Bella Ciao Bella
  • CULTURE
    • Architecture + Design
    • Art + Exhibitions
    • Beauty + Wellness
    • Fashion
  • EATS + DRINKS
    • Cocktails
    • Restaurants
    • Street Food
    • More Food
    • Wine
  • STAYS
    • B&Bs, Villas & more
    • Hotels
  • PLACES
    • Cities
      • Amalfi Coast
      • Florence
      • Milan
      • Modena
      • Naples
      • Palermo
      • Rome
      • Torino
      • Venice
    • Regions
      • Campania
      • Emilia Romagna
      • Lazio
      • Lombardia
      • Piemonte
      • Puglia
      • Sardegna
      • Sicily
      • Tuscany
      • Veneto
      • Umbria
    • Europe
      • France
      • Greece
      • Switzerland
  • PODCAST
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
Instagram
avatar
ericafirpo
0 Following
0 Followers
0 0
Follow
Ciao Bella Ciao Bella
Ciao Bella Ciao Bella Ciao Bella
  • CULTURE
    • Architecture + Design
    • Art + Exhibitions
    • Beauty + Wellness
    • Fashion
  • EATS + DRINKS
    • Cocktails
    • Restaurants
    • Street Food
    • More Food
    • Wine
  • STAYS
    • B&Bs, Villas & more
    • Hotels
  • PLACES
    • Cities
      • Amalfi Coast
      • Florence
      • Milan
      • Modena
      • Naples
      • Palermo
      • Rome
      • Torino
      • Venice
    • Regions
      • Campania
      • Emilia Romagna
      • Lazio
      • Lombardia
      • Piemonte
      • Puglia
      • Sardegna
      • Sicily
      • Tuscany
      • Veneto
      • Umbria
    • Europe
      • France
      • Greece
      • Switzerland
  • PODCAST
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • Eats & Drinks

Tortellini Makes the World Better

Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeartRadio

Pasta and Community

In this episode, Lara Gilmore and I talk about Il Tortellante and Food for Soul, social initiatives founded by Gilmore and husband Massimo Bottura that touch on heritage, sustainability and community.

Il Tortellante is an initiative for special needs young adults inspired by Bottura and Gilmore’s son Charlie. They saw a need and desire for a hands-own skill option to foster independence post high school and they knew they had a great local resource and tradition- the rezdore.

Literally translating to gold makers, rezdore are Modeese women, usually elderly, who come together to make traditional dishes with simple ingredients. And in this case, the city’s beloved torellini. Fusing these two themes and bringing two communities became the touchstone for Il Tortellante, which now is education and hangout as well as a business providing hand-made tortellini to the area.

Legend says that the tortellino shape is modelled after Venus’s belly button.

Coming together by food is Bottura focus whether a pasta lab, a restaurant or a home kitchen. And the table is an equaliser, where everyone feels comfortable. But that’s not where it ends. Bottura created Food for Soul, a network of community kitchens and social tables around the world that with the aim feeding and nourishing local communities, and fighting food waste.

In This Episode

[01:26] Lara Gilmore shares her tortellini backstory

[03:47] Lara and Massimo Bottura’s Il Tortellante community project

[05:02] The Rezdore

[08:17] Giving Back

[09:08] A Tortellini Pasta Lab . . .

[12:06 . . . and a Community Hangout

[13:40] Food for Soul

[19:11] Investing in Community

Refettorio Gastromotiva. Courtesy of Food for Soul/Angelo dal Bo.
Avatar photo
Erica Firpo

Will travel for art and food. For more than two decades, Erica has been bringing you Italy. As the voice behind Ciao Bella and Ciao Bella podcast, she immerses herself in the stories of contemporary Dolce Vita. She is an ongoing contributor to AFAR, Conde Nast Traveler, Fathom, Forbes, Hotels Above Par, Travel + Leisure, Washington Post and more.

You May Also Like
Dario Cecchini Butcher Shop in Tuscany
View Post
  • Eats & Drinks

Tuscany’s Craft Butcher Dario Cecchini

Risotto at Milan restaurant
View Post
  • Eats & Drinks

Milan’s 12 Not-To-Miss Dishes

View Post
  • Culture
  • Eats & Drinks

A Food Lovers Guide to Modena

Ciao Bella in Your Inbox

Sign up for insider tips to experiencing Italy and enjoying contemporary La Dolce Vita ❤️ No spam, just amore ❤️

About Erica Firpo

Erica Firpo is an experienced travel and lifestyle journalist, and podcaster based in Rome. Italian and American, Erica gets to the heart of culture in Ciao Bella and more. She’s authored over a dozen travel books including Fodor’s, Insight Guides and Lonely Planet.

Ciao Bella Ciao Bella
  • Culture
  • Eats & Drinks
  • Stays
  • Travel
  • Podcast
  • About
  • Contact
Insider Insight on Contemporary Italy

Input your search keywords and press Enter.