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
Are passatelli a soup pasta like the stelline or alphabet shapes in a UK tin?
No. Passatelli are Romagna cylinders of bread, cheese and egg, usually eaten in broth as a festive dish, not factory soup shapes.
How do you say passatelli, and is passatini the same thing?
Passatini is another name used for the same pasta; the name refers to the dough being passed through the tool's holes.
Is it true that passatelli are made with potato like gnocchi?
No. According to the Region, they contain stale grated bread, parmesan, eggs, nutmeg and lemon zest.
Which tool presses passatelli into cylinders?
A concave iron tool with holes and two handles, like a potato masher; a potato masher often replaces it today.
Why are passatelli made with more cheese in some homes and more bread in others?
Bread and cheese were meant to be in equal amounts; wealthier households used more Parmigiano, poorer ones more bread.
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, usually of potato and soft wheat flour; each region shapes them its own way, from Parma and Liguria to Sorrento, and shop-bought ones cook in about 2 minutes.
- 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)