A Christmas dish from Abruzzo, Zuppa Imperiale, or Imperial Soup, contains pieces of a pasta-omelet of sorts called pasta imperiale.
Zuppa Imperiale recipe
Pasta Imperiale
This egg-based pasta resembles an omelet but has a more compact and spongy texture since it contains flour and is oven-baked.
Ingredients:
4 large eggs
4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
8 Tbsp. Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
A pinch of nutmeg
Parsley, chopped
Salt to taste
Method:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Divide the egg yolks from the whites, then beat the yolks with the Parmigiano, flour, nutmeg, and salt. Separately, beat the egg whites then incorporate them gently into the egg yolk mixture with some chopped parsley. Mix well to prevent lumps from forming, then spread over a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for around 15-20 minutes. Remove, chop into cubes, place in the hot broth, and serve each bowl topped with grated Parmigiano.
The chicken broth
Place a cleaned, two-pound whole chicken, in a pot of water with celery, carrot, onion, cloves, a cherry tomato, a bay leaf, and some juniper berries, then cook for at least four hours over low heat. Filter the broth to eliminate excess fat, then let it cool completely. Use a slotted spoon to remove all the leftover fat on the surface — if desired, you can filter it more than once.
For more tips on making the broth, check out our photo gallery above!