Pasta In Brodo - Comforting Italian Pasta Soup
Preparation time: 2 hours | Serves: 4 people
If there’s one word I could use to describe this recipe, it would be nourishing.
Popular in Northern Italy and literally translating to pasta in ‘broth’, this simple recipe is so warming and soothing, especially if you’re feeling under the weather.
This comforting pasta in brodo makes the perfect winter soup recipe - serve with a blizzard of freshly grated parmesan and black pepper and you've got yourself a big bowl of Italian comfort food.
Ingredients for Pasta In Brodo -
Because this Italian recipe is so simple and uses minimal ingredients, you want to make sure they are fresh and of great quality for the best results.
Since I always make my stock from scratch, I decided to make a bone broth for this recipe. Beef bones (ask your butcher for soup bones), carrots, onions and celery are roasted in the oven then simmered in a pot with veggie scraps until you get a rich, golden broth.
For the pasta component of this Italian pasta soup, you want a small shape that will soak up the broth easily. Pastina is commonly used, however I couldn’t find it easily so I chose to use ditali instead. The uncooked pasta is simmered in the broth which thickens it, making it silky and luscious, while the pasta soaks up the flavours.
To serve, I grated handful of parmesan which melts into the warm broth, and freshly cracked black pepper from Pep which is the perfect finishing touch.
See more suggestions and tips in the recipe notes below.
Ingredients
For the broth -
500 gms beef soup bones
2 large brown onions, halved (skin on)
2 sticks celery
2 carrots
Handful of veggie scraps (optional)
7-8 large garlic cloves (skin on)
1 tsp. peppercorns
1 litre water
For the pasta -
1 packet small pasta (I used ditali)
Salt, according to taste
Parmesan and cracked black pepper, to serve
Method
Making the broth -
You can start this process the day before.
Preheat the oven to 200ºC and line a large baking tray.
Arrange beef bones, carrot and onions on a roasting tray. Roast for 40 minutes, then add celery and garlic and continue roasting for 20 minutes more. No oil is needed for this step - use tongs to toss the vegetables in the rendered beef fat.
Transfer all roasted ingredients, peppercorns and veggie scraps to a large pot or pressure cooker. Pour in water and either simmer gently for 1 hour or pressure cook for 4 whistles.
Strain broth through a fine mesh sieve and discard the cooked scraps.
Store in a zip-lock bag if desired.
Making the Pasta in Brodo -
Heat 4 cups of broth in a large pot with a generous pinch of salt, then stir in the pasta.
Cook according to package instructions, gradually adding more broth as needed to prevent the pasta from drying out.
Once the pasta is tender, stir in 2 more cups of broth. I prefer a 1:2 pasta to broth ratio, but adjust the liquid to your preference for consistency.
Season according to taste.
Serve immediately with grated parmesan and cracked black pepper.
Swaps, Serves & Storage
Do I have to use beef bones for the broth?
I wanted to make a rich bone broth for extra nourishment, so I chose to use beef. You can easily use vegetable or chicken stock for this recipe - homemade or store bought, either one will work.Can I make this recipe vegetarian or vegan?
Yes, you can use vegetable stock to make this recipe Italian pasta soup recipe vegetarian and skip the parmesan for a vegan version.Can I halve this recipe?
I made a big batch of this recipe when I was sick and it lasted for a few days. You can easily halve this recipe or make a large batch of the broth and freeze whatever you don’t use. Halve the amount of pasta according to your preference.Can I use any other type of pasta?
You can use a filled pasta like tortellini, orzo or macaroni! The shape doesn’t matter much but I do prefer something smaller and bite sized as it’s easier to cook and eat in the broth.How long can I store the pasta in brodo for?
You can store this pasta soup for up to 3 days in the fridge, but one thing to note is the pasta will continue soaking up the broth. You can eat it as a thicker soup or add more broth while reheating.
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