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.
The passatelli mixture: 100g fine breadcrumbs (from stale white bread, not commercial panko) per person, same weight Parmigiano Reggiano (grated fine), 1 egg per portion, lemon zest (1/2 lemon), grated nutmeg, salt. Optional: a teaspoon of bone marrow for richness. Mix to a firm, pliable dough — it should hold its shape when pressed. Pass through the passatelli iron (a disk with holes of 4-5mm diameter) directly into simmering broth. If no passatelli iron is available, a potato ricer with 4mm holes achieves the same result. Cook 2-3 minutes in the broth until they rise to the surface and are firm. Serve in the broth.
The broth quality is the entire preparation — passatelli in a properly made brodo di carne (long-simmered, deeply flavoured meat broth) are one of the most satisfying winter preparations in Italian cooking. The lemon zest is the unexpected element — it brightens the rich breadcrumb-Parmigiano mixture. The bone marrow (if using) provides extraordinary richness but the preparation is excellent without it.
Mixture too wet — passatelli disintegrate in the broth if too soft; the mixture must hold its shape when pressed. Poor-quality broth — the broth is the primary flavour; weak broth produces weak passatelli. Over-cooking — 2-3 minutes maximum; beyond that they become waterlogged and dissolve.
Oretta Zanini de Vita, Encyclopedia of Pasta; Slow Food Editore, Marche in Cucina