Passatelli
Also known as: passatini
Fresh pasta from Romagna: cylinders about 4–5 mm thick and 8–10 cm long made from stale grated bread, Parmigiano Reggiano, eggs and spices, pressed through a perforated iron and traditionally served in broth.
Passatelli are a traditional pasta of Romagna: wrinkled, yellowish cylinders made from stale grated bread, Parmigiano Reggiano, eggs and spices. The Emilia-Romagna Region lists them among its traditional agri-food products (PAT), with the province of Forlì-Cesena and the whole Romagna area as the production territory.
The ingredients are mixed into a compact dough, which is pressed through the e fer, a concave iron tool with holes and two handles, similar to a potato masher; today a potato masher often replaces it. The result is cylinders about 4–5 mm in diameter and 8–10 cm long. The name comes from the way the dough passes through the holes of the tool.
According to the Region, the mixture contains stale grated bread, Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, eggs, nutmeg and lemon zest. Bread and cheese were meant to be in equal amounts; wealthier households used more Parmigiano, poorer ones more bread.
Passatelli are traditionally served in broth, as a festive soup for occasions such as Easter, Ascension, baptisms, confirmations and weddings; at Christmas cappelletti in broth took their place. Dry versions are also popular.
Facts
| Raw material | Stale grated bread, Parmigiano Reggiano, eggs, spices (nutmeg, lemon zest) |
|---|---|
| Region | Romagna (province of Forlì-Cesena and the whole Romagna area) |
| Main use | Traditionally in broth; dry versions are also popular |
How it connects to Pasta
Passatelli → related → 🧀 Parmesan ← related ← 🍝 Pasta
Links
- What it contains
- 🥚 Chicken egg, Wheat flour
- Part of
- Fresh pasta
- Similar and different
- Gnocchi
- In other topics
- 🧀 Parmesan
Frequently asked questions
What are passatelli made of?
Stale grated bread, Parmigiano Reggiano, eggs and spices; the Region names nutmeg and lemon zest.
What is the e fer?
A concave iron tool with holes and two handles, similar to a potato masher, through which the dough is pressed; a potato masher often replaces it.
How are passatelli served?
Traditionally in broth, as a festive soup; dry versions are also popular.
What to read next
- 🥚 Chicken egg — The egg of the domestic hen: in pasta it gives yellow colour, an elastic dough and protein, and in the EU it must be highlighted on labels as an allergen.
- 🧀 Parmesan — Parmigiano Reggiano, a hard cheese from Emilia-Romagna and part of Lombardy, aged from 12 months.
- Gnocchi — Italian dumplings traditionally made from potatoes and soft wheat flour; dough, size and shape differ from region to region.
- Wheat flour — Finely ground common wheat: in Italy it is used for home-made fresh and egg pasta, in Germany for spätzle.
Similar
Sources
- Regione Emilia-Romagna — Passatelli, passatini, pasadein, pasadòin in bròd (PAT)
- Regione Emilia-Romagna — Asciutti o in brodo, basta che siano passatelli (2024)