Passatelli

Like bigoli, these are made at home by forcing a dough through a hand-press, this time one like a giant garlic press, as considerably less pressure is needed for the softer dough. And like canederli, the dough is made from breadcrumbs – unusual perhaps, but just one of many ways to use up stale bread. It may be for this reason that this is one of the key pastas (along with tortellini, and tagliatelle) from Emilia-Romagna, as well as Le Marche and Umbria. Its use of an unpalatable leftover of daily life to make something at once nutritious and delicious has ensured it a hallowed place in the cook’s repertoire.