Authentic Passatelli in Broth Recipe: A Simple Italian Classic You Can Master in Your Own Kitchen
Passatelli, a unique pasta hailing from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, are rustic noodles crafted from a mixture of breadcrumbs, eggs, and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The dough is then pressed through a special tool called a Schiacciapassatelli, resulting in short, thick strands resembling sturdy worms.
Equipment
- 1 Schiacciapassatelli or potato ricer with large holes.
Ingredients
- 250 g breadcrumbs
- 120 g grated Parmesan
- 5 medium eggs
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 5 g fine salt
- Ground nutmeg to taste
- 2 l meat broth
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and Parmesan.
- Mix in the eggs and lemon zest with your hands until the mixture becomes firm and smooth, but mouldable. Transfer the dough onto a cutting board and knead it vigorously with one hand. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 15–20 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 5–6 pieces and pass them through a potato ricer with holes approximately 4–5 millimeters in diameter or a Passatelli maker, and drop them directly into the boiling broth. If they break into noodles around 5-6 cm long, do not worry, it is fine. Those are the traditional Passatelli!
- Cook for a few minutes until they float to the surface. They should maintain an AL DENTE texture.
- When done, gently remove them with a ladle and serve immediately in the broth, sprinkled with ground nutmeg if desired. The result should be tender yet slightly firm noodles with a rich, savory flavor.