Passatelli in beef broth, an absolute delight to make at home for the holidays and beyond, with a good beef broth that’s very easy to prepare. However, if you’re in a hurry, you can use the ready-made version, although I confess, I’ve never used it. I prefer to prepare it in the evening or early in the morning, if I’m at home, a good broth takes about three hours of cooking, but in the end, the result is worth every wait. Making the passatelli is really simple and quick, but you have to pay attention to the small details so that they come out perfect and delicious. Freshly grated Parmesan, preferably by hand, fine breadcrumbs but not too toasted, large eggs, and if necessary a little flour, to have the right consistency, and prevent the passatelli from falling apart in the hot broth, but be careful just a little is needed, to not alter the taste of the passatelli and then just a hint of nutmeg and a pinch of lemon zest which adds freshness to the dish, so let’s prepare it together as I tell you every detail.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Affordable
- Rest time: 2 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter
Passatelli in Broth Ingredients
- 3.5 oz grated Parmesan cheese
- 3.5 oz breadcrumbs (not too toasted)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp flour
- to taste nutmeg
- grated lemon zest (a little)
- 1 quart beef broth
- 1.3 lbs beef shank
- 2 carrots
- 1 onion
- 1 celery stalk
- 3 potatoes (optional)
- 1 tomato
- to taste salt
Tools for Preparing Passatelli in Beef Broth
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Potato Masher
- 1 Pot
- 1 Knife
- 1 Skimmer
- 1 Spoon
Steps for Preparing Passatelli in Broth
Prepare the beef broth 3-4 hours in advance, but as mentioned before, you can also use the ready-made version.
Place a large pot on the stove, I almost fill it completely, add carrots, celery, and onion, a tomato, all in pieces, and the meat. Add a bit of salt and bring to a boil, then remove impurities with a spoon, and continue cooking over low heat for at least 3 hours. About 30 minutes before the end of cooking, if desired, you can add potatoes, they will be excellent to eat with the very tender meat.
In a smaller pot, put about 1 quart of filtered broth using a strainer. The rest I freeze in glass jars, ready for future recipes.
Prepare the passatelli. In a bowl, combine freshly grated Parmesan with breadcrumbs, eggs, nutmeg, and lemon zest, mix, and depending on how soft the dough is, decide whether to add a bit of flour, I added a scant tablespoon, and mixed again to obtain a homogeneous dough, not too hard.
When the broth is boiling, place the dough in the potato masher, with large holes, and form the passatelli directly in the boiling broth, cut to the desired size, and cook for a couple of minutes. Here you can find the special passatelli tool.
Serve with the hot broth, nothing else needs to be added.
Usually, flour isn’t used, but to make them perfect I recommend always using a little, but without overdoing it.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can they be frozen?
You can prepare the dough and freeze it, ready to use.
