My mother made a coarse type of soup pasta called passatelli that was grated on a cheese grater and then cooked in boiling chicken broth. The pasta had a distinct lemon flavor because of the grated lemon zest that was mixed into the dough. This is a very old recipe with many variations and names. Passatelli 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 1 cup toasted fresh bread crumbs Grated zest of 1 medium lemon 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 2 large eggs, lightly beaten with a fork Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 4 quarts chicken broth In a bowl, mix the flour, cheese, and breadcrumbs together. In another bowl, mix the remaining ingredients, except the broth, together. Add to the flour mixture and mix well with your hands. Gather the dough into a ball; the dough will be quite rough. Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for at least 6 to 7 hours, or overnight, or until firm enough to grate. Using the large holes of a stand cheese grater, grate the dough onto a clean towel. In a large pot, bring the broth to a boil. Add the passatelli and boil for about 3 minutes, or until the pasta floats to the surface. Serve immediately. Note: Uncooked passatelli freezes very well. Spread the grated uncooked pasta out on a floured towel lined baking sheet and freeze until hard. Transfer to plastic bags. Do not defrost before cooking.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 15:00:00 +0000