Passing is good if you are using it to try to find openings, which is what I believe Pirlo is trying to do. We face a lot of teams, especially at home, where they put players behind the ball and passes become static, players become frustrated and start to dribble more, so you need to play with intensity and one touch, not two or three.
In the past we've been guilty of very slow and predictable possession, passing with no intensity or direction. There's nothing I can stand less. It's boring to watch and from a tactical perspective only protects the defenders.