Passatelli is an Italian type of pasta formed by mixing Parmesan cheese, eggs, nutmeg, flour and butter together to form a sort of dough. Passatelli can be served as a dry pasta with a variety of simple sauces and is then called Passatelli Asciutti. However, the most famous dish which calls for Passatelli is Passatelli in Brodo or Passatelli in Broth. On a bone chilling day when the sky is void of any sun, there is nothing better or more satisfying than a nice hot bowl of Passatelli in Brodo. After the dough has rested for a while it is passed through a ricer or a passatelli maker. Passatelli means passed through.
Growing up during the war years, meat was difficult to buy and expensive so soup was a very common dinner meal. However, my maternal grandmother had a farm/Pensione in North Branch, New Jersey so we had access to vegetables and eggs, which helped make a variety of delicious soups.
INGREDIENTS
- ½ lb parmigiano cheese – finely grated
- 7 oz breadcrumbs
- ¾ oz butter
- 4 eggs
- 8 cups chicken broth
- nutmeg – to taste
- 1 ¼ oz flour
- salt – to taste, being mindful that the cheese is salty
- 8 cups chicken broth
METHOD
- Work the eggs, breadcrumbs, cheese, butter, flour, salt (if using) and nutmeg together to form a dough.
- Cover with film and allow to rest for an hour or two.
- In a soup pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil.
- Once the stock has reached the boiling mark, lower just a little.
- In the absence of a passatelli iron, you can easily use a potato ricer with a large hole disc or a spaetzle maker.
- Take small amounts of the dough and pass it through (hence, the name pass through) the ricer or spaetzle maker and once the strip passing through is about as long as 3-inches, cut it off and allow it to drop into the hot broth.
- Stir, but not vigorously so as to not break up the pasta.
- Let it cook thoroughly and serve it in warm bowls and pass a little extra cheese.
Sofrito, let it simmer, make the dough,use spaetzle maker, stir, enjoy.
Buon Mangiata!
No Comments