Biba's Northern Italian Cooking - Biba Caggiano [11]
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 garlic cloves, chopped
¼ pound pancetta, page 4 chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
8 to 10 thick slices Italian bread
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Place lentils in a large bowl. Add enough cold water to cover and let stand overnight. Discard any lentils that float to the surface. Drain and rinse lentils thoroughly.
Prepare Meat Broth. Place lentils in a large saucepan. Add water, broth, celery and carrots. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer 50 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Press tomatoes through a food mill or sieve to remove seeds. Heat oil in a small saucepan. Add onion, parsley and garlic. Sauté over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes.
Add pancetta. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes or until pancetta is lightly browned. Add tomato pulp. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat. Cook uncovered 15 to 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, place a third of lentil mixture in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Return to saucepan. Add tomato mixture. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Toast bread until golden on both sides. Place 1 slice toasted bread in each soup bowl. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese. Ladle soup into bowls. Serve hot or at room temperature.
VEGETABLE SOUP
Minestrone di Verdura
There are as many versions of vegetable soup in Italy as there are cooks.
MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS
8 cups Chicken Broth, page 23, or 4 cups canned chicken broth and 4 cups water
⅓ cup olive oil
¼ cup chopped parsley
4 garlic cloves, chopped
¼ pound pancetta, page 4, finely chopped
3 cups shredded cabbage
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 potato, peeled, finely chopped
2 zucchini, finely chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
¼ pound mushrooms, finely chopped
¼ pound string beans, finely chopped
3 or 4 pieces prosciutto rind, page 5, or 1 smoked ham shank
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Prepare Chicken Broth.
Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add parsley and garlic. Sauté over medium heat. Before garlic changes color, add pancetta. Sauté until lightly browned. Stir in cabbage. Cover and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add remaining vegetables to saucepan. Cover and cook about 5 minutes.
Add broth and water, if using, and prosciutto rind or ham shank. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer 40 to 50 minutes. Remove half the vegetables with a slotted spoon. Place in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Return to saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with Parmesan cheese.
Variation
Toast about 20 thick slices Italian bread. Place 2 slices in each soup bowl and sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese. Ladle soup into bowls. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.
Tip
You can transform a vegetable soup into a cream of vegetable soup. Puree the vegetables in a food processor or blender and stir in some cream.
RICE AND PEA SOUP
Risi e Bisi
A classic Venetian soup, it should be thick enough to eat with a fork.
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
8 cups Meat Broth, page 22
¼ cup butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
¼ pound pancetta, page 4, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2½ cups fresh peas or frozen peas, thawed
2 cups arborio rice, page 5
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
Prepare Meat Broth.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter with oil in a medium saucepan.When butter foams, add onion, pancetta and parsley. Sauté over medium heat until pancetta is lightly browned. Add peas and ⅓ cup broth. Cook 2 to 3 minutes; set aside.
Bring remaining broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Add rice. Cook uncovered over high heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onion mixture. Cook 10 to 15 minutes or until rice is tender but firm to the bite. Stir in remaining butter and ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese. Serve hot with additional Parmesan