Zuppa imperiale

Name: Zuppa imperiale
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 4 eggs; 60g of semolina; 60g of grated Parmesan; 40g of unsalted butter; 1 pinch of ground nutmeg; 1 pinch of white pepper; 4 pinches of salt; 1.5l beef stock, see Filippo's recipe for meat broth

by Filippo Trapella

Item 1 of 1

Starter
easy
Serves 4
40 minutes

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A good soup is only as good as its broth. Take a look at Filippo’s meat broth recipe to learn how to make your own. Zuppa imperiale is a simple but delicious soup made from a rich beef and chicken broth finished with cubes of baked semolina and Parmesan.

First published in 2016

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Parmesan Recipes

Zuppa imperiale is a classic Bolognese soup: fluffy semolina dough is baked, cut into small cubes and cooked in a fragrant meat stock. This recipe is a good option for children and is traditionally eaten at Easter family gatherings in Italy.

The origins of zuppa imperiale (Emperor’s soup) can be traced back to Krinofel – an Austrian soup prepared with similar ingredients, but with a different texture. It is said to have first been imported to Emilia-Romagna by Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma, the first wife of the Emperor Napoleon I.

Preparing zuppa imperiale is fast and easy. To save time you can bake and dice the tasty semolina dough in advance, and quickly boil it just before serving.

Ingredients

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Imperial

Zuppa imperiale

4 eggs
60g of semolina
60g of grated Parmesan
40g of unsalted butter
1 pinch of ground nutmeg
1 pinch of white pepper
4 pinches of salt
1.5l beef stock, see Filippo's recipe for meat broth

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Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4

Begin by making the semolina dough. Melt the butter in a small pan over a very low heat. Once melted, pour the butter into a small bowl and set aside to reach room temperature

Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a bowl and add the salt, white pepper, ground nutmeg and Parmesan. Beat the eggs lightly with a fork until all the ingredients are fully combined

Stir in the melted butter and semolina flour and beat again until fully combined

Pour the semolina mixture into a casserole dish lined with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes

Towards the end of cooking, preheat a grill. Remove the semolina from the oven and finish under the grill until golden

Allow the semolina to reach room temperature, then cut into small cubes