Italian · Authentic-ish Italian
Stracciatella alla Romana
218 kcal a serving, against 288 for the traditional version. That is 70 kcal off, or 24%, with 19.6g of protein. Serves 4. 15 minutes.
What the traditional version is
A rich chicken broth brought to a rolling boil. A thick paste of beaten eggs, grated parmesan and a little semolina is whisked in slowly until it sets into ragged, fluffy little clouds. Finished with freshly grated nutmeg.
What changed, and what each change costs
2 of the 4 whole eggs swapped for 150g of egg white
The yolks carry almost all the fat in an egg. Egg whites are pure protein and cook into the exact same ragged strands you need for the soup's texture.
What it costs you. You lose a bit of the golden colour and some of the custard-like richness. The soup looks slightly paler, but the texture is identical.
100g of parmesan halved to 50g
Parmesan is fiercely dense. Halving it saves about 200 calories without completely losing the salty punch. I want to taste the chicken, not just a melted block of cheese.
What it costs you. The broth won't taste quite as deeply savoury. The cheese usually acts as a massive crutch for weak stock. With less cheese, you absolutely must use a high quality chicken stock, or the whole thing tastes like hot dishwater. I admit the traditional version feels richer.
Adding 150g of fresh spinach
To add physical bulk and a bit of fibre to what is otherwise just a bowl of savoury liquid. Soup without bits in it leaves me hungry 30 minutes later.
What it costs you. What you've got is a slightly bastardised version. A true Roman stracciatella anymore is a different dish and you know where to find it. The purists will complain. Let them. The iron tang of the spinach works incredibly well with the nutmeg and cheese, even if nonna would stare at you in horror.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 288 | 218 |
| Protein | 22.5g | 19.6g |
| Fat | 14.2g | 8.8g |
| Saturated fat | 6.2g | 3.5g |
| Carbohydrate | 15.6g | 13.9g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 7.8g | 9g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Italian prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. eggs, gluten, milk.
The method is in the book
A fast, warming bowl of comfort. The spinach gives you something to chew on, while the high ratio of egg white drives the protein for the calories right up. It takes exactly 15 minutes to make, and it feels like a proper meal rather than a watery starter.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Italian, along with 59 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.