Passatelli pasta is a specialty of Romagna as well as neighbouring Marche and parts of Umbria. I was introduced to it at one of my favourite Romagnolo restaurants, Osteria La Corte in San Leo, a hill town on a rocky outcrop inland from Rimini, where I always have lunch on my Emilia-Romagna food & wine tours. Passatelli is classic cucina povera, a way to use leftover bread that also tastes great. It’s traditionally made with a perforated concave metal disc with two handles that’s pressed into the dough; but extruding it through the largest disc of a potato ricer works just as well. If your dough is too firm to easily press through the ricer into the pot of water, knead it a little to soften it and/or press it out onto a plate then tip the passatelli into the boiling water. Passatelli are most often cooked and served in a clear broth, usually made from capon (castrated rooster). My recipe is inspired by the way Daniele and Paolo serve theirs at Osteria La Corte, dressed with the local cave-aged cheese (formaggio di fossa); I use Parmigiano, but any firm cheese works well. The consistency of the passatelli can vary depending on the breadcrumbs you use, and it tastes great even if the dumplings are a little soft. Very fine, dry breadcrumbs are best, so leave the bread out overnight if need be before making them. You can watch Paolo making his passatelli pasta here. I serve my passatelli with a crisp white wine to cut through the rich buttery sauce. Mouth-filling Mauro Molino Roero Arneis works a treat with its lovely floral notes and hints of apple and lemon.
Serves 4 as a starter (or 2 as a main course with salad)
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Passatelli takes its name from passare (Italian for ‘to pass through’) because the dough is traditionally pressed through the holes of a perforated iron – the ferro da passatelli – though today a potato ricer makes a good alternative.
Passatelli in brodo are cooked and served in a clear meat broth, while asciutti (meaning ‘dry’) are served in sauce.
Passatelli in brodo is a traditional festive dish in Romagna.
Passatelli asciutti are cooked in boiling water then drained and tossed with a sauce such as brown butter and cheese.
For the best texture, make the dough up to a day ahead and refrigerate it, then press and cook the passatelli just before serving.
Freshly cooked passatelli hold their shape best, so freezing isn’t recommended.
