Passatelli

Ingredients

Dough

• 200 gfine dry breadcrumbs, from stale bread
• 200 gParmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
• 3eggs
• grated zest of 1 lemon
• a good grating of nutmeg
• salt and black pepper

Optional

• 1 tbspplain flour, or 20 g beef marrow

Broth

• 1.5 litrescapon or good chicken broth

Equipment

• a ferro per passatelli, or a potato ricer with large holes

To serve

• more grated Parmigiano

Directions

1. Use genuinely stale bread, dried out and grated fine, not shop-bought golden breadcrumbs. Dry breadcrumbs from real bread absorb the egg properly.
2. Grate the Parmigiano as finely as you can, on the smallest holes. Mix the breadcrumbs, cheese, lemon zest, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
3. Add the eggs and work the mixture with your hands into a firm, dense dough. It should be stiff and slightly crumbly and hold together when squeezed hard.
4. Add a spoonful of flour only if it is hopelessly soft, though purists in Romagna will object. Wrap the dough and rest it 30 minutes. Bring the broth to a gentle simmer in a wide pan. Use a proper broth.
5. Press it straight into the pan rather than onto a board, because the strands are fragile and break when moved.
6. Cut the strands off at about 4 cm with a knife as they emerge. The strands should be about the thickness of a pencil, rough-surfaced and irregular.
7. Simmer them very gently for 2 to 3 minutes. Never let the broth boil. Ladle them into bowls with plenty of broth and serve at once with more grated cheese. Serve them immediately. They keep swelling and softening in the broth and will not wait.

Technique

• The ferro is a perforated iron disc with two handles and it is the traditional tool.
• Beef marrow was traditional in the dough and is now often left out.
• It is a dish for cold weather and for convalescence in Romagna.

Substitutions

• A potato ricer or a wide-holed mouli.
• Good chicken broth in place of capon.

Variations

• Passatelli asciutti, served dry with a sauce.
• With porcini or truffle in the dough.
• Made with beef marrow, which is the older version.

History

Breadcrumb, egg and Parmesan dough pressed through an iron ferro into broth, a Romagna way of using up stale bread.

Frequently asked questions

What is Passatelli?

Passatelli is a soup & stew from San Marino: bread-and-Parmesan noodles served in capon broth. Breadcrumb, egg and Parmesan dough pressed through an iron ferro into broth, a Romagna way of using up stale bread.

How long does Passatelli take to make?

Passatelli takes 20 min plus 30 min resting of preparation and 10 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Passatelli?

Yes, within limits. A potato ricer or a wide-holed mouli. Good chicken broth in place of capon.

What is the most important thing to get right in Passatelli?

Press it straight into the pan rather than onto a board, because the strands are fragile and break when moved.