Italian
Silvia’s Masterclass
From
Silvia’s Masterclass
season
3
episode
6
Pea, Mortadella soup with home made pisarei
With
Silvia Colloca
SERVES
4
Ingredients
for the pisarei (eggless, potato-free gnocchetti): 200 g stale bread (crusts removed, cut into pieces)
150 ml warm water or milk
150 g plain flour, plus more for dusting
a pinch of salt
for the sauce: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 french shallot, thinly sliced
100 g D’Orsogna Mortadella, finely diced into 1 cm cubes
2 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
1.5 litre light vegetable or chicken stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
grated parmigiano reggiano, to serve
Method
In a mixing bowl, soak the stale bread in the warm water or milk for about 10 minutes, until it’s completely softened. Mash with a fork or with your hands until it resembles a bread dough.
Combine the bread paste, flour, and a pinch of salt. Knead until a soft but not sticky dough forms. If needed, add a little more flour.
Divide the dough into manageable pieces and roll each into ropes about 1 cm thick. Cut into small gnocchetti-sized pieces (about fingernail-sized). Optionally, roll them slightly with your thumb to give a traditional curl or dimple. Lightly flour and set aside.
Now for the sauce, heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the chopped shallot and a pitch of salt, sauté until soft and fragrant.
Add the diced mortadella and cook gently for a minute or two—it should warm and soften without browning.
Pour in the stock then add half the peas. Let it come to a gentle boil for about 5 minutes then drop in the gnocchietti and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until they float to the surface.
Add in the remaining peas.
Serve hot, with a generous grating of parmigiano reggiano over the top ans a sprinkle of pepper.
Silvia Colloca
Silvia Colloca is an Italian-born food writer, opera singer, TV producer and host. She has authored seven cookbooks, including Silvia’s Cucina, Made in Italy, La Dolce Vita, Love, Laugh, Bake!, Simple Italian (2024), and The Italian Homecook (2025), all published by Penguin.
Silvia’s most recent television work is Silvia’s Italian Masterclass (Channel 10), with its latest season airing in October 2025. The series is currently funding for Season 4. She has also appeared as a special guest on SBS’s Mastermind in 2025. Her earlier TV credits include the SBS Food series Cook Like an Italian, which has screened internationally across three seasons, as well as Made in Italy with Silvia Colloca (SBS), filmed on location in the Le Marche and Abruzzo regions and earning her a 2015 TV WEEK Logie Award nomination for Best New Talent. She also co-wrote, co-produced and hosted the ABC prime-time series Silvia’s Italian Table in 2016.
Outside of food and television, Silvia has enjoyed a career as a celebrated opera singer and actress. In 2022, she released her debut solo classical album with Universal Music, which topped the Classical Charts for over 20 weeks. That same year, she performed with Andrea Bocelli at his Sydney concert, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Inspiration Starts Here
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