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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 0 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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Featuring flat little pieces of pasta filled with semisoft cheese, this soup is made by families in the countryside around the ancient spa town of Brisighella, in Romagna. If you don't have time to make the broth called for here, use your favorite homemade broth instead. Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (preferably organic) plus additional for kneading |
1 large egg |
1/4 cup lukewarm water |
1 large egg, lightly beaten |
1/2 lb coarsely shredded cheese (2 cups) such as pecorino toscano, cacio di roma, sini fulvi, or aged asiago |
4 pinches freshly grated nutmeg |
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives or basil |
2 qt mother's broth |
Directions:
1. Make pasta dough: Mound flour on a work surface (preferably wooden) and make a large well in center with your fingertips. Stir together egg and warm water in a small bowl, then add to well and gently beat with a fork, gradually incorporating shallow scrapings from inside flour wall while supporting outside of wall with your other hand. Continue to gradually beat in flour in same manner, switching to pastry scraper to incorporate last bits of flour into dough. (Dough will look rough and messy.)
2. Knead dough, adding a little flour if dough becomes too sticky, until satiny and elastic, about 10 minutes. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes but no more than 4 hours.
3. Fill pasta: Divide dough into 4 balls. Roll out 1 ball of dough (keep remaining balls covered) on lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin until it is sheer enough to read newspaper print through. (Round should be about 10 inches wide.) Lightly brush round with beaten egg, then sprinkle half of round evenly with 1/4 cup cheese. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg, then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons chives. Fold other half of round over filling, stretching slightly as needed to cover completely, then roll whole semicircle with pin, pressing to seal.
4. Cut filled dough into small irregular pieces (about 1/2 to 3/4 inch) with pastry wheel. Pinch edges of pieces to reseal, arrange in 1 layer on a large rack, and cover with a kitchen towel.
5. Working with 1 ball of dough at a time, repeat procedure with remaining dough. Reserve remaining cup cheese for serving.
6. Assemble soup: Bring broth to a simmer in a 4- to 5-quart pot and season with salt and pepper. Add filled pasta and simmer, partially covered, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve soup with cheese.
7. Cooks' notes: ·Filled pasta can be made 8 hours ahead and chilled, loosely covered, after 2 hours. Cook in broth until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. ·Filled pasta can be put in freezer on baking sheets until frozen, then transferred to a sealable freezer bag and frozen up to 1 month. Add frozen pasta to broth and cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
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