Passatelli in Brodo — Bread Passatelli in Meat Broth

Romagna-Marche border — particularly the Pesaro and Rimini areas. Passatelli are documented from the 19th century in Romagnola sources but the Marchigiani claim the preparation as their own in the Pesaro province. The preparation is common to both regions.

Passatelli are the defining pasta preparation of the Romagna-Marche border — short, worm-like extruded pasta made from breadcrumbs, Parmigiano, eggs, and lemon zest (with optional nutmeg and bone marrow in the traditional version), pressed through a special disk with holes to produce the characteristic cylindrical form, then cooked directly in a well-made meat broth. They are considered a Romagna preparation but the Pesaro province of the Marche also claims the tradition. The preparation requires good broth and good breadcrumbs — the broth becomes the sauce; the passatelli absorb it during cooking and expand slightly. They are the winter primo of the inland Romagna-Marche border country.

Passatelli in brodo are one of the most comforting preparations in Italian cooking — the short, firm, slightly cheesy cylinders expand in the broth and absorb it; the lemon and nutmeg give brightness to the rich Parmigiano base; the broth is golden and deeply savoury. It is the taste of winter in the Apennine countryside.