Though historically served in broth like different sorts of pasta, passatelli can also be scrumptious served with sauces. Italians refer to those dishes as ‘passatelli asciutti’, which means dry passatelli. This recipe, which I first found on a visit to Ravenna, pairs passatelli pasta with prosciutto and Parmigiano cream plus, some black truffle.

This dish combines among the finest meals the Emilia-Romagna area has to supply and is probably the most scrumptious passatelli recipe I’ve tasted.
What’s passatelli?
Passatelli is a standard sort of pasta from Emilia-Romagna, and elements of Marche and Umbria. However, not like common pasta, passatelli isn’t made with flour and water or eggs. Italians make it with breadcrumbs, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (or Grana Padano), eggs, and normally a little bit of nutmeg and lemon zest.
The dough is blended till agency, then pressed by means of a particular passatelli iron (or a potato ricer with massive holes) instantly into simmering broth. Passatelli cooks rapidly and is often served in broth (passatelli in brodo).
Nonetheless, as on this recipe for passatelli pasta with prosciutto, you possibly can take away the passatelli from the broth and serve it with a sauce (passatelli asciutti) or bake it with different substances.
Passatelli has a tacky, fragrant, and barely nutty taste because of the breadcrumbs and Parmigiano. Italians adore it for being easy but satisfying. It’s usually made at residence for festive or cold-weather meals.
Plus, you’ll discover passatelli on the menu in trattorias serving native delicacies within the areas the place it’s conventional, as we did in a restaurant known as Osteria Passatelli in Ravenna. The distinction between the dish we had in Ravenna and this recipe is that they grated the truffle.
What’s culatello?
The prosciutto crudo on this passatelli recipe is culatello, considered one of Italy’s most interesting and most prized cured hams. It’s thought of a real delicacy, particularly within the Emilia-Romagna area.
This prosciutto is comprised of the very best, leanest a part of the pig’s hind leg referred to as the center of the prosciutto. The identify culatello truly means “little bottom.” To make culatello, they fastidiously trim, salt, and season the meat (usually with garlic and wine). They then stuff it right into a pure pig’s bladder, hand-tie it, and dangle it to treatment for a lot of months (usually 12–18).
Culatello is extra delicate, tender, and sweeter than different sorts of prosciutto. It has a silky texture, deep purple shade, and a fancy, barely nutty, winey aroma. Historically, it’s sliced paper-thin and served merely with bread. Nonetheless, it’s scrumptious utilized in pasta recipes in an identical method to pancetta or different of prosciutto crudo.
Components on this passatelli pasta with prosciutto recipe.
To make the passatelli you will have..
Breadcrumbs: The perfect breadcrumbs are do-it-yourself with stale white bread.
Parmigiano-Reggiano: Freshly grated Parmigiano provides a salty, nutty taste and helps bind the dough. You should utilize Grana Padano as a substitute.
Eggs: Eggs act as a binder and add richness to the dough. I choose to make use of free vary natural eggs for his or her taste and dietary worth.
Lemon zest: Lemon provides a gentle citrus notice and enhances the general taste. Use natural lemons with edible pores and skin.
Nutmeg: This spice provides a heat, fragrant taste to the passatelli. Freshly grated is finest.
Inventory or broth: When serving passatelli in broth Italians normally make a do-it-yourself meat broth. For this recipe, you possibly can prepare dinner the passatelli in a store-bought low-sodium meat or vegetable broth and even in boiling salted water like different sorts of pasta. I used a vegetable broth. I feel it provides extra taste than utilizing water.
To make the sauce you will have.
Parmigiano-Reggiano: This well-known and far liked conventional cheese comes from Emilia-Romagna, so it’s the pure selection for this recipe. It melts rather well and provides the sauce a barely salty and nutty style. You may as well use Grana Padano with is somewhat sweeter and fewer salty than Parmigiano.
Milk or single cream: The Italian cheese sauce on this passatelli recipe is made by melting cheese into milk or cream (fonduta). You should utilize both entire milk or single cream. The latter will give the sauce a richer taste.
Culatello: This prosciutto crudo isn’t that simple to seek out outdoors of Italy. To substitute use San Daniele, Prosciutto di Parma and even pancetta.
Black truffle: Black truffles could be discovered in lots of elements of Italy, together with Emilia-Romagna. When in season, they’re added to a lot of dishes, significantly eggs, risotto and pasta, like this passatelli with prosciutto. You may make this recipe with out contemporary black truffle or use somewhat truffle oil or butter so as to add some truffle taste.
Step-by-step directions.
To make the passatelli, try my do-it-yourself passatelli recipe.
To make the sauce.
1 Reduce the culatello (or different prosciutto crudo) into small strips. Then fry it in somewhat butter till barely crispy. Switch the fried prosciutto to a bowl coated in kitchen paper to empty extra fats.
2. Soften the grated Parmigiano into heated milk or cream and stir till the sauce thickens. Use a pan large enough so as to add the cooked passatelli in.
3 Prepare dinner the passatelli in boiling broth till they rise to the floor (about 5 minutes). You might must prepare dinner the pasta in batches relying on what number of you make and the way huge your pot is.
4 Use a slotted spoon to switch the cooked passatelli to the cheese sauce and blend gently collectively.
5 Add the fried prosciutto and a few salt and pepper to style. Combine once more and plate instantly.
6 In case you are including black truffle, use a truffle shaver so as to add skinny slithers of truffle to the dish or a microplane to grate truffle on high. Serve instantly.
What to do with leftovers.
You may hold leftover passatelli pasta with prosciutto within the fridge in a sealed container for a few days. The leftovers could be reheated within the microwave with somewhat added milk or baked within the oven with some grated cheese on high. The consistency shall be totally different to the unique dish, however the style shall be simply nearly as good.
FAQs
Sure you possibly can, I usually prepare dinner some passatelli in broth and freeze the remaining on a tray in a single layer after which put them in a freezer bag. Once I need to have them once more, I simply take the passatelli out of the freezer and prepare dinner them from frozen.
You will have to make use of a vegetarian parmesan and omit the proscuitto for a vegetarian model. Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano and Grana Padano aren’t vegetarian cheeses.
Sure you possibly can, simply use gluten free breadcrumbs. Contemporary truffles are gluten free though truffle flavored merchandise like truffle oil might not be.
Let me know what you suppose.
Right here in Italy, we are able to purchase prepared made passatelli which makes this recipe quicker to arrange. However do-it-yourself passatelli usually are not so tough to make and effectively definitely worth the effort. If you happen to do this scrumptious passatelli with prosciutto and Parmigiano cream, please let me know what you suppose. I fell in love with this dish and I am positive you’ll too!
Please write a remark right here on the weblog or on the Pasta Venture Fb web page. Your suggestions is far appreciated!
Buon appetito!
Different recipes with black truffles.
1Pasta with truffles and mascarpone.
2 Tagliolini with taleggio and black truffle.
3 Tuscan ricotta gnudi with black truffle.
4 Creamy sausage pasta alla Norcina.
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