Stracciatella alla Romana is the Italian version of the Egg Drop Soup, made with meat broth, beaten eggs and Parmigiano cheese, finally flavored with lemon zest and nutmeg, that give the dish its unique and delicious aroma.
It’s very easy to make, hearty and rich in flavor.
It’s a first course typical of the Roman tradition and more generally of all central Italy, especially Marche and Abruzzo.
Although it has poor, peasant origins, today Stracciatella alla Romana cannot be missing from the most important festivities on the tables of central Italy. In fact, Stracciatella often opens holiday banquets, especially at Easter and Christmas.
Stracciatella alla Romana is a really simple recipe, but at the same time nutritious and hearty. It’s a real comfort food that warms and fortifies with taste and simplicity.
In terms of flavor and ingredients (except for the breadcrumbs) Stracciatella alla Romana is very similar to Passatelli, which in fact have the same origin and provenance.
Try making this simple recipe. With just a few simple steps you will bring Stracciatella alla Romana to the table, a warm and tasty comfort food from yesteryear that still retains all its goodness!
SEE ALSO:
- Pasta and Beans Recipe
- Risi e Bisi | Authentic Venetian Rice and Peas
- Pappa al Pomodoro Recipe | Tuscan Tomato Bread Soup
- Authentic Creamy Italian Polenta or Polenta Concia
How to Make Authentic Stracciatella alla Romana Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 Min + the time it takes to make the meat broth
- Cook Time: 3 Min
- Servings: 4
Stracciatella alla Romana Ingredients
- 4 fresh whole eggs
- 1 liter (4 cups) of meat broth
- 80 g (3/4 cup) of grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1 organic lemon
- grated nutmeg to taste
- fine salt to taste
Directions
For the recipe of Stracciatella alla Romana, you first need to make a good meat broth. You can choose to use mixed meat or just chicken. Obviously, this preparation, which takes at least two hours, can be done ahead of time even by two days.
For more information and tips on how to make meat broth, read our detailed recipe: Homemade meat broth recipe.
Step 1) – Before beginning the preparation of Stracciatella, remove the meat and vegetables from the broth. Then strain the broth through a narrow strainer.
You should get a “clean” and clear liquid, free of impurities and residual fat or vegetable threads.
After straining the broth, put it into the pot in which you will prepare the Stracciatella and bring it back to a boil.
Step 2) – Meanwhile, in a bowl beat the eggs with a whisk.
Step 3) – Add grated Parmigiano cheese, a pinch of salt, a tiny bit of nutmeg, and finally grated lemon zest.
Mix well with a whisk to combine all the ingredients.
Step 4) – When the broth boils, pour in the beaten egg and cheese mixture.
Step 5) – Cook for one minute and then stir. Stir vigorously with a whisk if you want a very fine soup consistency. Otherwise, stir with a spoon to make a mixture with larger egg pieces. It’s a matter of taste.
This way the egg “scrambles”, forming many small dense lumps in the broth.
The result is a creamy soup, thanks to the egg cooking in the broth.
Step 6) – Stracciatella alla Romana is ready. Enjoy it hot and, if you like, with more Parmigiano cheese or fresh chopped parsley.
Storage
We recommend eating Stracciatella alla Romana hot, as soon as it’s ready.
We do not recommend freezing.
If it leftovers, you can keep it for up to 1 day in the refrigerator in a container with a lid.
When you want to eat it, just reheat. You have to break the eggs with a wooden spoon, because in the meantime they have agglomerated. Do not boil again but just reheat.
The Main Ingredient: Eggs
Eggs are without any doubt the stars of this dish.
We count about one per person.
Although they have long been accused of being a “dangerous” food because of their cholesterol content, eggs are an important nutrient.
They are rich in protein and vitamins. Of course, it’s important that they are fresh and definitely from a certain source.
Eggs, combined with meat broth and Parmigiano cheese, make Stracciatella alla Romana a real concentrate of protein and important nutrients.
This is why Stracciatella alla Romana is considered in Italy a very nutritious and hearty dish, ideal for people in convalescence, to fight seasonal sicknesses or simply to cope with the rigors of winter.
The Unique Aroma of Authentic Stracciatella alla Romana: Lemon Zest and Nutmeg
The unique aroma and flavor of this recipe comes from the addition of two special ingredients: lemon zest and nutmeg.
The early and ancient recipe, mentioned also by Boccaccio, did not include the use of these two ingredients. Over time they were introduced and the result is amazing.
In fact, the lemon and nutmeg tone down the flavor of the egg, which can be too heavy. Also they give a touch of freshness to this decidedly rich dish.
Of course, it’s necessary to use untreated organic lemons as you use only the zest and not the juice. The dose depends very much on personal taste.
The zest of half a large lemon may be fine for the doses given. Such as Sorrento or Amalfi lemons, which are best known worldwide for their aroma. The addition of grated lemon peel is not essential, but believe us when we say that it makes all the difference!
Nutmeg is an essential ingredient in this recipe. Also for this spice there is no precise dose depends on personal tastes. However, we must not overdo it because nutmeg is really very aromatic. You must smell its scent but it must not prevail over all other flavors.
In Europe only since the 16th century have they been familiar with nutmeg. Since that time it has become a much sought-after and prized element on noble tables. They appreciate its properties not only in cooking but also in perfumery. They use nutmeg in many preparations both sweet and savory, especially in the recipes of central and northern Italian regions.
Stracciatella alla Romana: Tips and Variants
If you want to make the dish perfect for vegetarians as well, you can prepare stracciatella using a homemade vegetable broth.
Maybe, to give it more flavor, add more aromatic herbs. Or for example some champignons or a piece of bell pepper to the broth in addition to the classic vegetables.
Often, before serving the stracciatella alla Romana, a little chopped parsley is added to the dish. Even mint, widely used in Roman cuisine, could give a fresh and original touch.
As mentioned, stracciatella is a recipe known not only in Rome, but also in Marche and Abruzzo exactly as we showed it to you.
In Emilia Romagna, however, there is a very similar recipe. They call it “Minestra del Paradiso” (Paradise Soup). In this recipe there is also a little breadcrumbs among the ingredients. The consistency is a little thicker than Stracciatella alla Romana.
Another very similar recipe, which can be considered a variation of Stracciatella alla Romana, is Zuppa Imperiale (in Lazio) or Pasta Reale (in Marche).
These are recipes always based on meat broth, eggs and Parmigiano cheese, but also semolina. The difference here is that they first bake the egg mixture. Then cut them in cubes. Finally they dip eggs cubes into the hot meat broth.