It was time to leave Reggio and head for the Adriatic coast, but first we took a gastronomic detour to the town of Valeggio sul Mincio in the neighboring Veneto region. It would take a special enticement to draw us out of Emilia-Romagna in search of a meal, but how could I say ‘No’ when Marie asked if I wanted to have lunch “where God eats pasta”?
However, when we arrived at Alla Borsa (phone 045 7950093), they were hosting a private party and couldn’t seat us. As making this stop was a spur-of-the-moment decision, we didn’t have reservations, but it is in cases like this that Marie’s “connections” come in handy. We were told to come back in half an hour and they would find us a spot.When we returned, the place was packed, but they had a table ready for us. When Nadia, the daughter of the owners, came out to greet us, there wasn’t even a need for a menu; Marie just asked for “the usual.” After years of dining there, she has settled on a perfect sampling of dishes, so, once again, I was happy to leave the decision up to her.
Our table was soon covered with a dizzying array of dishes: a selection of cured meats served with mostardo and salsa verde (sauces typical of the region); delicately fried zucchini blossoms filled with cheese; the creamiest of polentas smothered in porcini mushrooms, and briny olives, stuffed and fried. And then came the pasta!
First out was a meat-filled tortellini made from silky semolina pasta, followed by a dish of one made of spinach.
The meal ended with a pasta that Nadia, herself, developed: a pumpkin tortellini that, plain, was so perfectly sweet, who needed dessert? Top one with the rich, tomatoey meat sauce that was served on the side, however, and it became an entirely new experience. I kept going back and forth, bite after bite — sweet, savory, sweet. By the time we finished, I was so full I wanted to cry.
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