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1
Spread the sfoglia trimmings on a lightly floured board. For maltagliati, cut them freely with a knife into irregular diamond and rhombus shapes — no two pieces should be identical; the irregularity is deliberate and correct. For quadretti, take a straight section of sfoglia and cut it with a knife or pastry wheel into uniform squares of approximately 1 cm × 1 cm. Both shapes may be used together. The pasta is ready to cook immediately or may be transferred to a floured tray and dried for later use; dried pieces will keep for several weeks in a cloth bag.
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2
Bring the brodo to a steady simmer in a wide saucepan. The surface should move gently but not boil vigorously. Taste and adjust salt. The quality of the brodo is the foundation of this dish: a pale, timid broth will not carry the pasta.
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3
Drop the pasta into the simmering brodo. This is where the dish lives or dies: the brodo must be simmering, not at a rolling boil, and the pasta must go in only at the moment of serving — maltagliati are done in 2–3 minutes, quadretti in 1–2 minutes depending on thickness. Overcooked, they dissolve into the broth and are lost. Test a piece at the lower end of the range: it should be tender throughout yet hold its shape, with the thinner irregular edges of the maltagliati slightly softer than their centres, producing the variety of textures that defines the cut.
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4
Ladle into warmed bowls, ensuring each portion has a good distribution of brodo and pasta. Drizzle with a thread of extra-virgin olive oil or pass freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano at the table. Serve at once.