Stracciatella alla Romana

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Stracciatella is a soup made with hot meat broth and a beaten mixture of eggs, grated cheese, and semolina flour. People in the Lazio, Marche, and Abruzzo regions eat this soup, and in Rome it's called stracciatella alla romana. A pot of chicken or beef stock must reach a rolling boil to begin the process. A separate bowl holds a beaten mixture of whole eggs, grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese, a pinch of salt, ground black pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg. Some variations include semolina flour, plain breadcrumbs, or lemon zest in the batter. The boiling broth requires a continuous circular motion while the egg mixture slowly pours into the pot. The moving hot liquid instantly solidifies the egg into small shreds. The word stracciatella translates to "little rags." This name describes the appearance of these cooked egg pieces floating in the broth. Stracciatella is served as a first course at Easter lunch and wedding receptions. People also serve the soup to family members recovering from an illness because the plain broth and eggs are easy to digest. It is typical to serve the soup hot with extra grated cheese sprinkled on top. This savory broth shares a name with a gelato flavor invented in 1962. The gelato maker poured a stream of melted chocolate into cold ice cream to create chocolate shreds. This technique replicated the visual effect of torn egg pieces in hot soup.