Biba's Northern Italian Cooking - Biba Caggiano [10]
Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and carrot. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are light golden and soft, about 6 minutes. Add herbs and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes. Add reserved clam liquid and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. As soon as sauce begins to bubble, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until sauce is reduced by about half, about 10 minutes. Add clams to sauce and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomatoes to pot with beans and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered 4 to 5 minutes.
Meanwhile bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and pasta. Cook uncovered over high heat until pasta is tender but still a bit firm to bite. Drain pasta and add it to soup.Turn heat off under pot and allow soup to rest 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with a light drizzle of olive oil.
Variations
If you prefer soup without pasta, you might want to slightly increase amount of clams. Mussels can also be used.
PARMESAN CHEESE, BREAD CRUMB AND NUTMEG SOUP
Passatelli in Brodo
This is a delicious and unique soup from the Emilia-Romagna region.
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
10 to 12 cups broth from Mixed Boiled Meats, page 161, or Meat Broth, page 22
¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup fine, dry unflavored bread crumbs
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 large eggs
Additional Parmesan cheese
Prepare Meat Broth.
On a pastry board or in a large bowl, combine ¾ cup Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and nutmeg. Mix well. Add eggs. Mix ingredients thoroughly and work into a ball. Dough should be smooth and pliable.
Bring broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Put dough into a ricer or food mill and rice directly into broth. Reduce heat. Simmer 1 to 2 minutes. Serve hot with Parmesan cheese.
BARLEY, POTATOES AND STRING BEAN SOUP
Zuppa di Orzo, Patate e Fagiolini
There was a time when everyone in Italy made soups. Thick, delicious soups were prepared in winter months, while lighter soups were favored during hot days. Today there seems to be less time to devote to this type of cooking. This thick soup, which has a savory base of onion, carrot, parsley and pancetta, tastes even better the day after. It can be served hot, or at room temperature.
MAKES 10 SERVINGS
2 tablespoons butter
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely minced yellow onion
½ cup finely minced carrot
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
1 thick slice (¼ pound) pancetta, finely minced or chopped
1 cup (about ½ pound) husked, polished pearl barley, washed in several changes of cold water
2 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and diced into small pieces
2½ quarts Meat Broth, page 22, low-sodium canned beef broth or water
¼ pound string beans, ends removed, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces
⅓ to ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Heat butter and oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and parsley and cook, stirring, until vegetables are soft, 6 to 7 minutes. Add pancetta and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes longer, or until it is light golden. Add barley and potatoes, stir 1 to 2 minutes, then add broth. Season with salt. As soon as broth comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and partially cover pot. Simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
Add beans and cook until beans, barley and potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste, adjust seasoning and turn heat off under pot. Let soup rest about 10 minutes or so before serving with Parmigiano.
LENTIL SOUP
Zuppa di Lenticchie
The flavor of this nutritious soup improves if made one or two days ahead.
MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS
2 cups lentils
4 cups Meat Broth, page 22, or 3 cups canned beef broth
6 to 8 cups water
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
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