Passatelli in Brodo

Milk Street
Servings 6
In Bologna, Italy, we tasted delicious home-cooked passatelli in brodo. Made with stale bread, cheese, eggs, broth, and little else, the dish exemplifies cucina povera, or peasant cooking.
Passatelli are cylindrical dumplings—like fat, short spaghetti—made by extruding dough through smallish holes; the dumplings are simply poached and served in chicken broth.
We highly recommend using homemade chicken broth. We came up with a simple Instant Pot version. If using purchased broth, consider upping its flavor by adding a chunk of Parmesan rind and/or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes.

Notes

Don’t use pre-grated Parmesan or domestic Parmesan-like cheese. With so few ingredients in the passatelli, true Parmigiano Reggiano is essential for flavor. Purchase it in a chunk, not pre-grated, as the cheese loses freshness once it’s grated. Plus, if you buy a chunk, you will have a piece of rind to simmer in the broth as a flavor booster.

Ingredients

  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil - divided, plus more to serve
  • 8 ounces Parmesan cheese - without the rind, cut into rough 1-inch chunks, plus shaved Parmesan to serve
  • 2-inch piece Parmesan rind
  • 6½ ounces panko breadcrumbs - 2½ cups
  • ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg - plus more to serve
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth - or homemade chicken broth (see note)

Instructions 

Make the dough

  • In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk the eggs and yolks, ¾ cup water, and 1 tablespoon of the oil.
  • In a food processor, process the Parmesan chunks until finely ground, about 20 seconds.
  • Add the panko, ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
  • Process until the mixture is powdery, about 30 seconds.
  • With the machine running, add the egg mixture, then process until smooth, about 1 minute.
  • Let rest in the food processor for 5 minutes; the mixture will thicken as it stands.
  • Process for another 10 seconds. The mixture will be thick but smooth and resemble mashed potatoes.
  • Scrape it into a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes or refrigerate for up to 1 hour; the mixture will thicken further as it stands.

Form the passatelli

  • Line a rimmed baking sheet with kitchen parchment and brush the parchment with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil; set aside.
  • In a large pot over medium-high, bring the broth and Parmesan rind to a boil.
  • Transfer one-third of the dough to the hopper of a ricer with 3/16-inch perforations.
  • Press the dough directly over the pot of simmering broth until it forms rough 3-inch lengths, then shake the ricer to release the dough into the broth.
  • Repeat with the dough remaining in the ricer.

Cook the passatelli

  • Cook the passatelli until it floats to the surface, then continue to cook for 1 minute.
  • Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the passatelli, letting it drain, then transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
  • Cook the remaining dough in two more batches in the same way, then remove the pot from the heat.
  • Let the passatelli rest for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to help it cool; it will firm up as it cools.

Finish and serve

  • Return the broth to a simmer over medium-high, then taste and season with salt and pepper.
  • Divide the passatelli among individual bowls and ladle in the broth.
  • Top each serving with shaved Parmesan and grated nutmeg, then drizzle with oil.