Total Time

　　5 1/2 hours

　　This recipe makes deeply flavorful broth out of something that most people throw away: the hard rinds of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. While it’s true that it takes 5 1/2 hours to make, it will be an entirely pleasant way to pass the time, since the perfume enveloping your kitchen is of the most intoxicating sort. If ever a smell could be mellifluous, this is it. Prepare to be hungry and wish to dip anything and everything in that shimmering pot as the flavors collide into one another like young lovers reunited after months apart. Any pasta is an acceptable match for this broth, because while it’s on the thin side as far as sauces go, it’s no delicate wallflower. The gut shot of umami it packs can stand up to the heartiest of noodles, or the most filamentary.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 2 quarts brodo

　　1 pound Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rinds (see note)

　　1 small, hard Italian sausage (5 to 7 ounces) such as Creminelli’s Sopressata, Casalingo, Barolo, or Wild Boar, sliced into 1-inch pieces (vegetarians: omit)

　　2 yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped

　　2 russet potatoes, coarsely chopped

　　2 carrots, coarsely chopped

　　1 garlic head, halved crosswise

　　13 bay leaves

　　11 fresh thyme sprigs

　　1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

　　1 tablespoon kosher salt

　　1 teaspoon juniper berries

　　1 bunch fresh parsley

　　

Step 1

Add everything but the parsley to a large stockpot with 3 quarts water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer so low you see only a bubble every 10 seconds or so. Maintain this simmer for 4 hours, stirring occasionally.

　　

Step 2

Add the parsley and simmer for 1 more hour. Strain all of the solids out of the stock with a sieve over a bowl and use the broth immediately, or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or the freezer for up to 1 month.

　　

Variations:

Step 3

To make a soup-like pasta dish, boil the pasta directly in the broth along with greens such as kale, bok choy, or broccoli.

　　

Step 4

To make a thicker sauce to coat noodles, simmer to reduce the brodo by half, then toss it with pasta just before serving.

　　Note:

　　Save your Parm rinds in the refrigerator. When you have a pound, make this rich nectar, or if your need is urgent, substitute hunks of actual Parmigiano-Reggiano.

　　From Pasta, Pretty Please: A Vibrant Approach to Handmade Noodles © 2018 by Linda Miller Nicholson. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow Cookbooks, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.Buy the full book from HarperCollins or from Amazon.