COPPERPassatelli recipe
Passatelli are a firm dough of breadcrumbs, Parmigiano and egg, scented with lemon zest and nutmeg, pushed through a perforated iron straight into simmering broth.
Ingredients
- 100 g breadcrumbs
- 100 g Parmigiano Reggiano
- 2 eggs
- 1 lemon
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 pinch salt
- 1500 ml meat broth
How to make Passatelli
- Finely grate stale plain bread (flour, water, salt and yeast only) to get 100 g crumbs, and mix them with 100 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano, the zest of half a lemon and a grating of nutmeg.
- Beat 2 eggs with a pinch of salt, add the dry mixture and work it with a fork, then by hand, into a compact, rather dry ball.
- Wrap it and let it rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours, so the crumbs absorb the egg.
- Bring 1.5 l capon, chicken or beef broth to a gentle simmer.
- Load pieces of dough into a passatelli iron or a potato ricer with holes at least 5 mm wide and press directly over the pot, cutting the strands with a knife every 4–6 cm.
- Cook for about 2 minutes, until they float, keeping the broth at a bare simmer so they do not break.
- Serve in bowls with their broth and extra grated Parmigiano.
What is Passatelli?
Passatelli is a traditional dish from San Marino, simmered in one pot, and takes about 40 minutes from start to finish. It is built around meat broth, breadcrumbs and Parmigiano Reggiano. The recipe below uses 7 ingredients and is written out step by step.
How long does Passatelli take?
At 40 minutes it is quicker than 89% of the 586 dishes in Copper's atlas. Copper's atlas has 2 dishes built on meat broth. The method runs to 7 steps, the longest being 15 minutes.
Any tips for making Passatelli?
Rest the dough so the crumbs absorb the egg, then press it straight into broth kept at a bare simmer: a rolling boil breaks the strands.
How Passatelli compares
Meat broth appears in no other dish in the atlas.
Copper documents San Marino alongside 197 other countries. Every recipe is free to read, with the full ingredient list and every step.