Breakdown of Volevo che tu portassi il pettine e l'aspirina.
tu
you (singular)
e
and
volere
to want
portare
to bring, to carry
Questions & Answers about Volevo che tu portassi il pettine e l'aspirina.
Why is it portassi instead of portavi or porti?
The verb volere (to want) expresses a desire, so connecting it to a new subject requires che plus the subjunctive mood. Because the main verb volevo is in a past tense, the subjunctive verb must also be in a past tense. We use the imperfect subjunctive, which for tu is portassi.
Could I use the passato prossimo ho voluto instead of volevo here?
You could, but it changes the feeling. Volevo describes an ongoing state of mind in the past, like a general wish you were holding onto. Using ho voluto would make it sound like a sudden, completed decision or a specific isolated event.
Do I have to include the pronoun tu before portassi?
Yes, it is highly recommended here! In the imperfect subjunctive, the io and tu forms are exactly the same (both are portassi). Including tu makes it instantly clear who is supposed to bring the items.