Pass the Passatelli: A Quick and Easy Pasta Recipe You Can Make at Home
Freshly made passatelli by 3 generation old bakery Panificio Tubertini in Bologna, ready to be cooked and served with a glass of Bolognese wine, like Tomisa Ciparisso.
We traveled to the ‘Food Capital of Italy’, Bologna, in February, to see the city from the eyes of a local by going to an off-the-beaten path 100 year old bakery for a pasta-making demonstration. Bologna, the hub of North-Central Italy in the region of Emilia Romagna, is renowned for its amazing culinary traditions, and no tradition is more famous than its pastas. Bakeries in Italy, like Panificio Tubertini which we visited in Bologna, make pasta, in addition to bread and sweets. After treating us to a tour of his family owned bakery, 3rd generation bakery owner, Federico Tubertini, shared with us how he makes a local pasta called passatelli. Passatelli is an egg pasta in the form of thick strands known as vermicelli, or skinny worms. One of the first things noticed… is just how easy they are to make!
Local traditions hold that passatelli evolved from a simple farmer’s dish. Known by Bologna’s northern neighbor, Piedmont, as panàda, this dish was composed of day old stale bread, soaked in a home-made broth, sometimes with a cooked egg added or parmesan grated on top. A dish like this has various incarnations throughout most of Italy, as it utilized food-stuffs that were cheap and oven discards: leftover bread, broth made with vegetable scraps etc.
One peculiarity of passatelli is that they are not made with a typical pasta machine. Originally, a tool known as a ferro was used in Bologna. However, a ferro is very similar to a modern day potato ricer, used to make mashed potatoes. The potato ricer is now a common tool to make passatelli, but it must be chosen with care. Passatelli are a wider strand, sometimes around 1/2 - 1 centimeter in diameter. So you must use a ricer with larger holes, such as this one from Amazon, not just the standard fine holes.
Passtelli ingredients ready to be mixed, by a bottle of Ciparisso
Traditionally, local Bolognese families cook and serve passatelli in broth, so as soup. Parmesan is grated over the top to make a hot, filling comfort food. This is how a true Bolognese nonna would serve it. However, going towards Romagna, the eastern half of the Emilia Romagna region, it is more common to serve passatelli with various sauces and toppings, more like a normal ‘pasta’ dish. Being near the Adriatic Sea in Romagna it is commonly served with sautéed fish. It is great with a radicchio and shallot sautee. Since it is very versatile, like spaghetti, it can be paired with pretty much whatever your favorite sauce is. As Vero founder Sheila Donohue says in the video of the recorded visit to Panificio Tubertini in Bologna passatelli are “a fun and easy alternative to your normal pasta.”
And what to drink with passatelli? Well, for that pressing question, Sheila recommends a local organic winery from the hills surrounding Bologna, Tomisa. They produce, Ciparisso a delightful semi-sparkling white wine made from the grechetto gentile grape, which is a unique white grape that ages much like a red wine does (read more about this grape on our VeroBlog). As Sheila explained, this white wine is very versatile for food pairing. Frizzante are “food friendly.”
Our favorite part about this pasta is just how quick and easy it is to make in your own kitchen. Jacqueline, our test chef, has said it is going to become a staple in her home-kitchen for just that reason: it’s ease, and versatility! Read on to get the recipe to try it out for yourself.
Passatelli - Bolognese Egg Pasta
Procedure:
1. Start off by mixing the flour, breadcrumbs and grated parmesan in a stand mixer. Add in the eggs and allow to mix for 6-7 minutes or until completely uniform and forms a ball easily.
2. Form the dough into balls slightly smaller than the size of your potato ricer. Place one ball into the ricer and slowly and gently, squish the dough through the ricer, allowing to hang as you press until 4-5 inches in length. Lay the pasta strands gently on a floured surface and using a sharp knife slice off along the bottom of the ricer in one clean movement. Let the pasta fall naturally and restart the process with a new ball.
3. For the typical Bolognese Passatelli, bring a large pot of broth to a rolling boil, salt if necessary to taste. Keeping it at a rolling boil, add the passatelli and let cook for 5-6 minutes. Gently stir occasionally. When cooked, ladle pasta into a bowl and cover with broth. Garnish with a grating of fresh parmesan over the top.
4. To enjoy the passatelli as any other normal pasta, bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Gently drop the pasta in the water and after a few moments gently stir to separate the strands. Allow to boil for 5-6 minutes, strain and dress with your favorite pasta sauce.
Cooking and Prep Time: 30-45 minutes
Portions: 2 servings
Ingredients:
125gr. Grated parmesan
100gr. Bread crumbs
70gr. All-purpose flour
3 large Eggs
Salt - Nutmeg
To Garnish:
Broth or Your Favorite Pasta Sauce
Freshly Grated Parmesan
Suggested Wine Pairings:
Tomisa | Ciparisso Pignoletto
