Passatelli in Brodo — Bread Passatelli in Meat Broth

Ingredients

• For the passatelli
• 400 g fine breadcrumbs, from stale white bread, not commercial panko
• 400 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
• 4 eggs
• 2 lemons, zest only
• 1 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 4 tsp bone marrow, optional; one teaspoon per portion
• For the broth
• 2 litres brodo di carne, long-simmered meat broth, well-flavoured and golden

Method

1. 1
   Combine the breadcrumbs, Parmigiano, lemon zest, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl. Add the eggs and, if using, the bone marrow. Work the mixture firmly until it coheres into a smooth, pliable dough. Press a small piece between the fingers — it must hold its shape without crumbling or sticking. If too dry, add no liquid; adjust only with a few extra gratings of Parmigiano. The dough is ready when it resists the thumb cleanly.
2. 2
   Bring the broth to a steady simmer in a wide pan — it should be moving gently but not boiling hard. Press the passatelli dough through the passatelli iron or a potato ricer fitted with 4 mm holes, cutting the cylinders to approximately 4–5 cm with a knife or the edge of the disk, and dropping them directly into the simmering broth in manageable batches. The broth should remain at a simmer throughout.
3. 3
   Cook the passatelli for 2–3 minutes. They are ready when they rise to the surface and feel firm when nudged with a spoon. Remove from the heat immediately — beyond 3 minutes they become waterlogged.
4. 4
   Ladle the passatelli into warmed bowls together with a generous measure of the broth. Serve at once, with additional Parmigiano alongside if desired.