Pasta en Brodo

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A bowl of this is the whole reason you make homemade bone broth.

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If you’ve ever made a really good broth and thought, “I could just drink this forever,” this is the next step. Pasta en brodo is one of the simplest, most satisfying things you can cook, and it’s only as good as the broth you start with. A parmesan rind melts into the simmering liquid and rounds everything out with this salty, nutty richness that makes the broth taste even more like itself. Then you drop in some stuffed pasta, let it cook right in the broth, and that’s dinner.

Pasta in brodo is one of the oldest and most essential dishes in Italian home cooking, especially in Emilia-Romagna and northern Italy, where it’s traditionally served on holidays and throughout the colder months. It’s been around for centuries because it works, a bowl of good broth and filled pasta is one of the most nourishing, complete meals you can eat. My version swaps in an anchovy-roasted beef bone broth and store-bought agnolotti, but the spirit is the same: let the broth do the talking.

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I use store-bought agnolotti here because they’re easy to find, they cook fast, and the filled pasta gives you something substantial in each bite. But tortellini, cappelletti, or any small stuffed pasta would work beautifully. You could also go with a dried short pasta like ditalini or small shells if that’s what you have. The broth is the star, so don’t overthink the pasta.

This comes together in about 20 minutes and feeds two people generously.

Carrots

Pasta en Brodo

Prep: 5

Cook: 20

Total: 25m

A simple, soul-warming bowl of stuffed pasta cooked directly in parmesan-infused beef bone broth. This is the kind of recipe that’s only as good as the broth you start with, and if you start with a great one, it’s one of the best things you’ll ever eat. Twenty minutes, one pot, no fuss.

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Ingredients

• 8 cups beef bone broth – my recipe here
• 1 parmesan rind
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste
• Several grinds of black pepper
• 12 ounces store-bought agnolotti
• Freshly grated parmesan, to finish
• More black pepper, to finish

Instructions

1. Pour the beef bone broth into a medium pot and add the parmesan rind, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and let it go for about 10 minutes. The rind will start to soften and melt around the edges, adding a salty, nutty depth to the broth. Taste it, it should be well-seasoned and savory on its own.
2. Add the agnolotti directly to the simmering broth and cook according to the package instructions, usually 3–5 minutes. The pasta will release a little starch into the broth as it cooks, which is a good thing, it gives the liquid slightly more body.
3. Fish out the parmesan rind. Ladle the brodo and pasta into bowls. Finish with a generous shower of freshly grated parmesan and more black pepper.

Notes

• On the broth: This recipe exists to showcase your broth, so use the best you have. My anchovy-roasted beef bone broth is what I reach for here. If your broth is unseasoned, you may need a bit more salt.
• Pasta swaps: Tortellini, cappelletti, or any small stuffed pasta works in place of agnolotti. For a simpler option, ditalini, acini di pepe, or small shells are all great. Adjust cooking time based on whatever you use.
• On the parmesan rind: Save your rinds in a bag in the freezer. They’re too good to throw away. If you don’t have one, the recipe still works, just add a little extra grated parmesan at the end to compensate.