Stracciatella alla Romana is a comforting Italian version of egg drop soup. The main ingredients are broth (usually meat broth), eggs, cheese and sometimes pastina pasta. This ancient recipe is super simple to make and yet so nutritious and comforting. Perfect for chilly days and when you are feeling under the weather.
The origins of stracciatella soup.
According to food historians, stracciatella soup is centuries old. It originated in Rome and central Italy (including Lazio, Marche, and Abruzzo) as a traditional ‘cucina povera’ (peasant or poor kitchen) dish as a way to use up leftover holiday meat broth. Nowadays, it’s often served as a first course (primo piatto) at Christmas.
What does stracciatella mean?
Stracciatella (pronounced strat-cha-TEL-la) actually means ‘little shreds or little rags’ in Italian. It comes from the verb ‘stracciare’, to tear or shred. Italians use stracciatella as the name of three completely different foods that share a common textured appearance. Apart from this stracciatella soup, there’s stracciatella cheese and ice-cream!
Stracciatella ice-cream is a milk based gelato flavor from Bergamo, Lombardy. It’s made with plain milk and has streaks and strands of chocolate stirred through it towards the end of the churning process. Invented in 1961 by Enrico Panettone owner of La Marianna restaurant in Bergamo, stracciatella ice-cream was inspired by stracciatella alla Romana soup!
Stracciatella cheese from Puglia, on the other hand, has no connection to the soup. It is a fresh, soft, rich cow’s milk (or buffalo milk) cheese made from hand-pulled mozzarella curds shredded into ribbons and soaked in thick, fresh cream.
This stracciatella is the soft creamy centre of Burrata. However, we can buy it on its own. Delicious on crusty bread or in pasta recipes like this zucchini flower pasta risotto.
Ingredients in stracciatella alla Romana soup.
The broth:
Stracciatella soup is usually made with a clear beef or chicken broth, usually homemade. I like to use my beef bone broth which I make regularly and then freeze to use in soups, sauces and ragus. You can use my broth recipe in this homemade pastina in broth post, leaving out the tomatoes. Alternatively use a homemade chicken broth.
It’s also possible to make this soup with ready-made clear broth. However, store bought broth often relies on yeast extract, artificial flavoring, or heavy salt to mimic meatiness. It can also taste watery. Homemade broth is definitely more nutritious and authentic in flavor. Worth making if you have the time.
The cheese:
Stracciatella usually calls for Parmigiano Reggiano (parmesan cheese). You can use pecorino romano cheese instead, but it has a rather salty taste.
The eggs:
I like to use organic free range or pasture raised eggs in all my recipes. These eggs are not only more nutritious and flavorful than normal eggs, but the chickens have a better quality of life. The ratio of eggs per person is usually 1:1, although some people use less. I used 3 large eggs for 4 servings in my recipe with pasta and 4 eggs if I’m not adding pasta.
The pasta:
Stracciatella soup doesn’t always have pasta in it. But when it does, the pasta is usually a type of pastina (small pasta). I use orzo (risoni), which looks like rice. You can also use stelline (stars) or your favorite soup pasta.
Other ingredients in this recipe.
As in most other stracciatella soup recipes, I added a little freshly grated nutmeg. I also included some grated organic lemon zest which is optional but that touch of lemon zest adds a lovely flavor to the soup.
Additional ingredients.
Some Italians use breadcrumbs added to the egg mixture instead of pasta in their stracciatella to make it more filling and substantial. This is traditional in Marche, as is lemon zest. Other stracciatella recipes include add semolina flour. I have also come across Italian recipes that include fresh herbs such as fresh parsley or basil.
Non Italian versions of this soup also include greens such as a handful of spinach leaves. I haven’t tried adding greens, but I imagine they would add both colour and vitamins, and of course some fibre.
If you like the idea of stracciatella with meat, check out this Sicilian meatball soup recipe. It’s very very similar to traditional stacciatella but with tiny veal meatballs.
Step by step instructions for this stracciatella soup recipe.
If you don’t have ready made store-bought or homemade clear meat broth, you will need to make that first (see recipe instruction notes)
Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the grated cheese, a pinch of nutmeg, lemon zest and salt to taste and whisk everything together.
Bring 1 litre of broth to a rolling boil in a medium sized pot. Add the pasta to the hot broth and cook until it is almost al dente (5-8 minutes for orzo). If necessary, add more broth.
Whisk the egg and cheese mixture again until a little frothy, then add it to the soup over a low heat.
Wait 30 seconds until the eggs start to cook and then stir the soup in a circular motion with a whisk or wooden spoon so the eggs break into small ‘rags’ or stracchi!
Serve immediately with more grated cheese and freshly ground black pepper if required.
What to do with leftovers.
Stracciatella soup with pastina is best enjoyed immediately. But you can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in the microwave or on the stove top. However, the pastina will absorb a lot of the liquid and become a bit soft. You may need to add more liquid (broth or water) when reheating. Freezing isn’t recommended.
Gluten free or vegetarian versions.
To make this recipe gluten free, use a gluten free pasta or leave the pasta out. To make this recipe vegetarian use a vegetarian parmesan and a vegetable stock.
Let me know what you think.
Stracciatella alla Romana is the perfect simple soup for cold winter days and when you’re feeling under the weather. This traditional Italian soup is nutritious, delicious and such a comforting soup! If you try this recipe, please let me know what you think.
Please leave a comment here on the blog or on The Pasta Project Facebook page.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Buon appetito!
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Italian stracciatella alla Romana soup recipe with pastina.
Stracciatella alla Romana is the perfect simple soup for cold winter days and when you’re feeling under the weather. This traditional Italian soup is made with pastina pasta, meat broth, eggs and parmigiano cheese. It’s nutritious, delicious and such a comforting soup!
Equipment
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1 large soup pot
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1 mixing bowl
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1 lemon zester
Ingredients
- 2-3 pints clear meat broth preferrably homemade beef or chicken
- 3 eggs
- 3 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano grated
- 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 0.5 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 4.25 ounces orzo (risoni) pasta or other small soup pasta
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper. to taste
Instructions
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If you don’t have ready made store-bought or homemade clear meat broth, you will need to make that first (see recipe instruction notes)
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Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the grated cheese, a pinch of nutmeg, lemon zest and salt to taste and whisk everything together.
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Bring 1 litre (2 pints) of broth to a rolling boil. Add the pasta to the hot broth and cook until it is almost al dente (5-8 minutes for orzo). If necessary, add more broth.
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Whisk the egg and cheese mixture again until a little frothy, then add it to the soup over a low heat.
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Wait 30 seconds until the eggs start to cook and then stir the soup in a circular motion so the eggs break into small ‘rags’ or stracchi!
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Serve immediately with more grated cheese and freshly ground black pepper if required.
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Notes
To make homemade beef bone broth use my recipe in this post for homemade pastina in broth, leaving out the tomatoes. You will need to filter the broth once it’s cooked to get a nice clear broth.
Stracciatella soup doesn’t always have pasta in it. But when it does, the pasta is usually a type of pastina (small pasta). I use orzo (risoni), which looks like rice. You can also use stelline (stars) or your favorite soup pasta. You can also omit the pasta.
Nutrition
Calories: 259kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 20gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 137mgSodium: 823mgPotassium: 607mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 345IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 277mgIron: 1mg
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