Scapettes-Madonna Family Tradition

Hoping this finds you enjoying your evening.  Its Sunday evening but by the time you read this it could be Monday morning, or afternoon!  Regardless, I trust your weekend was full of fun and laughter!

This is going to need some explaining.  Well, I just really want to talk about how I got this recipe.  My husband's mother passed away 12 years ago.  We were fortunate to be blessed with a stepmother/mother in law who we adore.  (Good job dad).  Mary comes from an Italian family, and her mother Norma, was a first generation Italian, raised in South Philly. Norma made a soup dish called, "Scapettes" This soup was never to be served at the same meal pasta 

 was served at,  because it would be to many carbs in the meal.  OK, obviously I was never fortunate enough to meet Norma.  She would understand what a carb addicted fool her daughter got for a daughter in law.  I think it would make her proud!  Pasta amore!!!! Anyway, this was always served for their big  12 course holiday meals.  It was a family tradition as long as my mother in law can remember.  I am so thankful she made it that first big meal we had together!  I ask for it whenever we are going to be there which now that we live in Nebraska is never often enough.  She even brought me some when they visited last time!  

This is a crepe-like, very thin, somewhere between a crepe and pasta jewel that is loaded with cheese and parsley and rolled into a log, placed on the bottom of a soup bowl and drowning in chicken soup!  I will make some important notes at the bottom so don't stop reading at the recipes end!

Here is what you will need:
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tsp salt
Locatelli Cheese *can substitute pecorino romano, or for a WAY milder flavor, Parm*
Fresh, FINELY chopped parsley

Combine all ingredients except cheese and parsley in blender or food processor.  I did it by hand because I didn't want to clean the processor again and it worked out fine.  Just make sure to blend COMPLETELY until smooth.  
Use a small 6 inch (approx) skillet and pour in enough batter until circle is about 3 inches across.  Then take your skillet and tilt it around until batter is spread as much as it will spread.  When the bottom is cooked carefully flip over *I use mini rubber coated tongs* and cook the other side. This whole process should take about 30 seconds to 1 min.  I filled mine immediately after I took it out.  Sprinkle it with your cheese and some parsley and roll up like a log.  Place 2 or 3 in the bottom of a soup bowl and pour chicken soup over the top.  

Cheese and parsley is to taste.  I used probably 1 3/4 cup of cheese and 1/2 cup of parsley.

Mine are POSSIBLY a little thick since I didn't do the tilting thing the first handful of times but no matter, DELICIOUS!

For the chicken soup, as always I endorse making your own of everything.  However, if you don't have some homemade stock in your freezer *gasp* or time to boil a chicken for stock and meat, I am giving you the easy alternative.


Easy Chicken Soup for the top
10 cups good chicken stock
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 carrot grated and 1 stalk of celery chopped VERY fine  *I don't know if this is traditional but I did it to mine*
2 tbsp of finely chopped or grated onion
Put all ingredients in a pot and simmer for 30 min.  When chicken is done, remove and shred or chop and put back in soup.

This soup is delicious.  I have been intrigued by my inability to find anything about this soup online.  My mother in law says she has only seen it on a menu at one Italian restaurant in her whole life.  Not sure if its a regional soup of Naples or what.  All I know is its such an impressive soup to serve, heart and tummy warming to eat and a new tradition of my own family now.  

Thank you Norma, for your wonderful daughter, and thank you Mary for sharing your family recipe with me and allowing me to make it for my own family.  I wonder if your mom knew this recipe would spread so far and wide!  Grazie tanto!

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