Although traditionally served in broth like other types of pasta, passatelli is also delicious served with sauces. Italians refer to these dishes as ‘passatelli asciutti’, meaning dry passatelli. This recipe, which I first discovered on a trip to Ravenna, pairs passatelli pasta with prosciutto and Parmigiano cream plus, some black truffle.
This dish combines some of the best foods the Emilia-Romagna region has to offer and is the most delicious passatelli recipe I have tasted.
What is passatelli?
Passatelli is a traditional type of pasta from Emilia-Romagna, and parts of Marche and Umbria. But, unlike regular pasta, passatelli isn’t made with flour and water or eggs. Italians make it with breadcrumbs, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (or Grana Padano), eggs, and usually a bit of nutmeg and lemon zest.
The dough is mixed until firm, then pressed through a special passatelli iron (or a potato ricer with large holes) directly into simmering broth. Passatelli cooks quickly and is typically served in broth (passatelli in brodo).
However, as in this recipe for passatelli pasta with prosciutto, you can remove the passatelli from the broth and serve it with a sauce (passatelli asciutti) or bake it with other ingredients.
Passatelli has a cheesy, aromatic, and slightly nutty flavor thanks to the breadcrumbs and Parmigiano. Italians love it for being simple yet satisfying. It’s often made at home for festive or cold-weather meals.
Plus, you’ll find passatelli on the menu in trattorias serving local cuisine in the regions where it’s traditional, as we did in a restaurant called Osteria Passatelli in Ravenna. The difference between the dish we had in Ravenna and this recipe is that they grated the truffle.
What is culatello?
The prosciutto crudo in this passatelli recipe is culatello, one of Italy’s finest and most prized cured hams. It is considered a true delicacy, especially in the Emilia-Romagna region.
This prosciutto is made from the best, leanest part of the pig’s hind leg known as the heart of the prosciutto. The name culatello actually means “little backside.” To make culatello, they carefully trim, salt, and season the meat (often with garlic and wine). They then stuff it into a natural pig’s bladder, hand-tie it, and hang it to cure for many months (often 12–18).
Culatello is more delicate, tender, and sweeter than other types of prosciutto. It has a silky texture, deep red color, and a complex, slightly nutty, winey aroma. Traditionally, it’s sliced paper-thin and served simply with bread. However, it’s delicious used in pasta recipes in a similar way to pancetta or other of prosciutto crudo.
Ingredients in this passatelli pasta with prosciutto recipe.
To make the passatelli you will need..
Breadcrumbs: The best breadcrumbs are homemade with stale white bread.
Parmigiano-Reggiano: Freshly grated Parmigiano adds a salty, nutty flavor and helps bind the dough. You can use Grana Padano instead.
Eggs: Eggs act as a binder and add richness to the dough. I prefer to use free range organic eggs for their flavor and nutritional value.
Lemon zest: Lemon adds a soft citrus note and enhances the overall flavor. Use organic lemons with edible skin.
Nutmeg: This spice adds a warm, aromatic flavor to the passatelli. Freshly grated is best.
Stock or broth: When serving passatelli in broth Italians usually make a homemade meat broth. For this recipe, you can cook the passatelli in a store-bought low-sodium meat or vegetable broth or even in boiling salted water like other types of pasta. I used a vegetable broth. I think it adds more flavor than using water.
To make the sauce you will need.
Parmigiano-Reggiano: This well-known and much loved traditional cheese comes from Emilia-Romagna, so it’s the natural choice for this recipe. It melts really well and gives the sauce a slightly salty and nutty taste. You can also use Grana Padano with is a little sweeter and less salty than Parmigiano.
Milk or single cream: The Italian cheese sauce in this passatelli recipe is made by melting cheese into milk or cream (fonduta). You can use either whole milk or single cream. The latter will give the sauce a richer flavor.
Culatello: This prosciutto crudo is not that easy to find outside of Italy. To substitute use San Daniele, Prosciutto di Parma or even pancetta.
Black truffle: Black truffles can be found in many parts of Italy, including Emilia-Romagna. When in season, they are added to a number of dishes, particularly eggs, risotto and pasta, like this passatelli with prosciutto. You can make this recipe without fresh black truffle or use a little truffle oil or butter to add some truffle flavor.
Step by step instructions.
To make the passatelli, check out my homemade passatelli recipe.
To make the sauce.
1 Cut the culatello (or other prosciutto crudo) into small strips. Then fry it in a little butter until slightly crispy. Transfer the fried prosciutto to a bowl covered in kitchen paper to drain excess fat.
2. Melt the grated Parmigiano into heated milk or cream and stir until the sauce thickens. Use a pan big enough to add the cooked passatelli in.
3 Cook the passatelli in boiling broth until they rise to the surface (about 5 minutes). You may need to cook the pasta in batches depending on how many you make and how big your pot is.
4 Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked passatelli to the cheese sauce and mix gently together.
5 Add the fried prosciutto and some salt and pepper to taste. Mix again and plate immediately.
6 If you are adding black truffle, use a truffle shaver to add thin slithers of truffle to the dish or a microplane to grate truffle on top. Serve immediately.
What to do with leftovers.
You can keep leftover passatelli pasta with prosciutto in the fridge in a sealed container for a couple of days. The leftovers can be reheated in the microwave with a little added milk or baked in the oven with some grated cheese on top. The consistency will be different to the original dish, but the taste will be just as good.
FAQs
Yes you can, I often cook some passatelli in broth and freeze the rest on a tray in a single layer and then put them in a freezer bag. When I want to have them again, I just take the passatelli out of the freezer and cook them from frozen.
You will need to use a vegetarian parmesan and omit the proscuitto for a vegetarian version. Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano and Grana Padano aren’t vegetarian cheeses.
Yes you can, just use gluten free breadcrumbs. Fresh truffles are gluten free although truffle flavored products like truffle oil may not be.
Let me know what you think.
Here in Italy, we can buy ready made passatelli which makes this recipe faster to prepare. But homemade passatelli are not so difficult to make and well worth the effort. If you try this delicious passatelli with prosciutto and Parmigiano cream, please let me know what you think. I fell in love with this dish and I’m sure you will too!
Please write a comment here on the blog or on the Pasta Project Facebook page. Your feedback is much appreciated!
Buon appetito!
Other 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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Passatelli pasta with prosciutto and Parmigiano cream and black truffle.
This creamy Italian pasta recipe pairs passatelli pasta with prosciutto, a Parmigiano cream and black truffle. This dish combines some of the best foods the Emilia-Romagna region has to offer and is the most delicious passatelli recipe I have tasted. A must-try!
Equipment
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1 large bowl if making homemade passatelli
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1 Passatelli iron or potato ricer if making homemade passatelli
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1 wood pastry board. for kneading
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1 large pot to cook passatelli
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1 deep skillet to make sauce and mix with passatelli
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1 small frying pan to fry prosciutto
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1 truffle shaver if including black truffle
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plastic wrap
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kitchen paper
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 5.5 ounces prosciutto crudo I used culatello
- 7 ounces Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano freshly grated
- 0.7 ounces butter
- 8.5 flozs fresh whole milk or single cream
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper. to taste
- 3 ounces black truffle optional
To cook the passatelli
- 4 pints vegetable or meat broth you can also use water as the broth is discarded.
To make passatelli (see this post for step by step instructions)
- 4.2 ounces breadcrumbs homemade from stale white bread is best
- 4.2 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano freshly grated
- 3 eggs
- 0.5 teaspoon lemon zest use lemons with edible skin
- pinch nutmeg freshly grated.
Instructions
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Cut the culatello (or other prosciutto crudo) into small strips. Then fry it in a little butter until slightly crispy. Transfer the fried prosciutto to a bowl covered in kitchen paper to drain excess fat.
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Melt the grated Parmigiano into heated milk or cream and stir until the sauce thickens. Use a pan big enough to add the cooked passatelli in. Add a little flour if the sauce seems too liquid.
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Cook the passatelli in boiling broth r water until they rise to the surface (about 5 minutes). You may need to cook the pasta in batches depending on how many you make and how big your pot is.
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Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked passatelli to the cheese sauce and mix gently together.
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Add the fried prosciutto and some salt and pepper to taste. Mix again and plate immediately.
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If you are adding black truffle, use a truffle shaver to add thin slithers of truffle to the dish or a microplane to grate truffle on top. Serve immediately.
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Notes
See main content for what to do with leftovers.
See my passatelli recipe for step by step instructions and photos for making homemade passatelli.
Nutrition
Calories: 675kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 42gFat: 45gSaturated Fat: 22gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 213mgSodium: 1827mgPotassium: 259mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 940IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 1019mgIron: 3mg
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