Pasta In Brodo - Comforting Italian Soup

Author: Karina Arora - Better With Spice
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 mins 
Cook Time: 2 hours

If there’s one word we 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 - 

This Italian recipe is simple and uses minimal ingredients, so you want to make sure they are fresh and of great quality for the best results.

For the pasta component, you want a small shape that will soak up the broth easily. 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.

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. Pep Black Peppercorns
  • 1 litre water

For the pasta - 

  • 1 packet small pasta (I used ditali)
  • Salt, according to taste
  • Parmesan and cracked Pep black pepper, to serve

Method

Making the broth -
You can start this process the day before.

  1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC and line a large baking tray.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Strain broth through a fine mesh sieve and discard the cooked scraps.
  5. Store in a zip-lock bag if desired.

Making the Pasta in Brodo -

  1. Heat 4 cups of broth in a large pot with a generous pinch of salt, then stir in the pasta.
  2. Cook according to package instructions, gradually adding more broth as needed to prevent the pasta from drying out.
  3. 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.
  4. Season according to taste.
  5. Serve immediately with grated parmesan and cracked black pepper.

 

For more gorgeous recipes from our friend Karina, head over to Better With Spice.

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