This is an excerpt for Episode 4: Slow Food, Fast Cars and Episode 5: Massimo, Modena & Philanthropy from the Dream of Italy Season 3 Travel Guide. Get your own PDF copy here.
Massimo and Lara’s son, Charlie, is an expert tortellini maker and often spends his time at Tortellante, a pasta-making lab where young adults with developmental disabilities or autism get together with expert pasta-making nonne to create hundreds of perfect tortellini a day. You can taste these tortellini, shaped like Venus’ belly button, at many of the Francescana establishments, including Franceschetta 58.
A new bottega, open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and adjacent to the Tortellante laboratory, sells the handmade tortellini; other regional specialties like meats, Parmigiano Reggiano and balsamico; and ready-to-eat food such as focaccia, pizza and panini. For more information, visit www.tortellante.it