Recipe Testing - Passatelli in Brodo

It's time for me to pass along another wonderful recipe from the kitchens of Food52. The contest this past week was "Your best noodle soups". I submitted my Spicy Korean Tofu Soup recipe, which is also being tested by some Food52ers out there. Hope it's a hit!

I signed up to test the recipe for Passatelli in Brodo. I'm so happy I did, because it's such a simple and classic soup from the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy. A simple dough of eggs, bread crumbs and Parmigiano Reggiano dropped in homemade broth. It could bring anyone back to health.

There is one tool required that you guys may not have; a potato ricer. You use the ricer to make the "pasta" noodles. I'll give a few tips in the recipe for how to make it without, because I really think you should make it, with or without a ricer.

Passatelli in Brodo

adapted from mrslarkin on Food52

for the homemade broth:

1 chicken carcass or 6 drumsticks

2 large carrots (quartered)

2 stalks celery (quartered)

1 onion (unpeeled, quartered)

1 bay leaf

fresh herb bundle (thyme, rosemary, parsley, cilantro, whatever you have)

2 dried chili peppers (optional)

1/2 cup dried mushrooms (optional)

1 tbsp whole peppercorns

2 tbsp kosher salt

3 quarts water

Add all ingredients to a large stock pot. Cover with 8-10 cups of water and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cover. Let cook for about an hour.  With a slotted spoon, remove the large pieces. Strain the broth and return back to the pot. At this point, you could let the broth cool and then freeze if (if you're not making the soup). You'll only need enough broth for about 4 bowls of soup for this recipe (about 8 cups), so freeze anything leftover. Keep the remaining broth warm on the stove top while you make the passatelli.

** You can use 8 cups of organic low-sodium broth from the store for the recipe as an alternate.

for the passatelli:

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano

2 tbsp flour

3 large eggs

1 tsp lemon zest

pinch nutmeg

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp pepper

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients; bread crumbs, cheese, flour, lemon zest, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Beat the eggs together in a separate bowl. Create a small well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Slowly whisk in the eggs to the well with a fork, pulling the dry ingredients into the egg. Use your hands to finish incorporating.

You will end up with a thick, sticky dough. Cut the dough in quarters (1 for each bowl). Add a quarter of the dough to the potato ricer.

Bring the broth up to a slow boil. Squeeze the dough from the potato ricer directly into the boiling broth. Cut the dough off at 1 - 1 1/2 inches long. Let the dough boil for 1 minute, and remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Repeat with all 4 quarters in batches.

When all the dough is in the bowls, ladle the warm broth over top and cover with fresh parmesan cheese and fresh pepper.

**If you don't have a potato ricer, just roll the dough out to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 1 inch by 1/4 inch "noodles".