Friends of Spannocchia

RIBOLLITA | TUSCAN “REBOILED” SOUP

Ribollita translates to “reboiled” and refers to the traditional way of making this soup: by reboiling leftover bean and vegetable soup, adding leftover (stale) bread that soaks up the soup for a thick, filling stew. Like so many classic dishes with humble beginnings, different vegetables can easily be substituted to your liking or seasonal availability.

Ingredients:

Makes 8-10 servings

1 lb white cannellini beans, dried (or 4 15-oz cans)

3/4 cup olive oil

1 onion

4 carrots

3-4 sticks celery

1 small bunch basil

1 small (or half a large) cabbage

5-6 leaves cavolo nero (lacinato or dinosaur kale)

3 cups green beans

3 zucchini

4 potatoes

3 cups peas

1 bunch spinach

2 cups tomato puree (crushed tomatoes)

1/2 tube (approx. 1/4 cup) tomato paste

8 cups warmed water

1/2 loaf of stale crusty bread (about 500 grams or 1 lb)

Optional: chopped green onions/scallions, to taste

Instructions:

If using dried beans, soak them in a bowl of water overnight. Then, discard the soaking liquid and cook beans in 8 cups of fresh water for about an hour, or until soft. Drain, reserving some of the cooking liquid.

If using canned beans, drain them while reserving some of the canning liquid.

Roughly chop all vegetables. Meanwhile, heat 8 cups of water or broth.

Warm the olive oil in a very large soup pot. Add the onions, celery, carrots, and basil, and sauté. Then add all the other vegetables, and heat continuously over medium to low flame. Add the tomato sauce, tomato puree, hot water/broth, and most of the drained white beans. Stir well.

Puree the remaining white beans in some of their own cooking (or canning) liquid, then add this bean paste to the soup pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 1 hour on low flame. The soup should be dense, but you may need or want to add more water if it’s seems too thick.

When ready to serve, cut bread into thin slices and toast. In individual soup bowls, place a piece of bread on the bottom and cover it with a layer of the soup, and repeat until the bowl is full. Let the bread soak up the soup for a few minutes, and then enjoy!

Optional: Top with finely chopped green onion or scallions.

CROSTONE AL CAVOLO NERO | Kale Toasts

Ingredients:

12 thick slices Tuscan white bread

1 bunch kale (“cavolo nero” is generally lacinato or dinosaur kale, but any kind will work)

2 cloves garlic, peeled

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Salt & pepper

Optional, for topping: cooked strips of pancetta or bacon

Instructions:

Remove the “rib” from the middle of each kale leaf. Wash all the kale completely. In a big pot, bring 8 cups of water and 1 tsp salt to a boil. Drop in the kale and cook for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast the slices of bread. Lightly rub each piece of bread with garlic. Arrange the bread slices on a large tray and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

When the kale is ready, remove a single portion from the water (do not drain!) and lay over the bread. Now drizzle a spoonful of the cooking water over each slice. Finish off with a light drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper. If desired, top each crostone with a strip or two of pancetta or bacon.

Makes 6 servings.

CROSTONE AL POMODORO + SPRITZ | "Tomato Toasts" + Spritz Cocktail

Ingredients - CROSTONE:

12 slices Italian white bread

4 ripe tomatoes

1 small bunch of fresh basil

1 clove garlic

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt & pepper

6 servings

Instructions - CROSTONE:

Mince the garlic. Chop the fresh tomatoes and basil and combine with the minced garlic in a bowl. Mix in the olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Toast bread slices until golden and crunchy. Spoon the tomato mixture onto each slice of bread just before serving.

Ingredients - Spritz:

3 parts prosecco or white wine

2 parts Aperol (Italian aperitif liqueur)

1 part sparkling water

1 slice of orange or lemon (for garnish)

Instructions - Spritz:

Combine the prosecco or white wine, Aperol, and sparkling water in a wine glass over ice. Garnish with either a slice of lemon or a slice of orange.

Toast to Italia! Salute!

ARISTA ALL’ARANCIA | ORANGE PORK LOIN

Special thanks to photographer Valery Rizzo, who captured the gorgeous images below during our spring A TAVOLA! program in April 2022.

INGREDIENTS:

1 kg (2.2 lb) pork loin roast

2 red onions

4 oranges

4 bay leaves

1/2 cup white wine

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt

pepper

8 servings

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a deep braising dish add the olive oil and cook over low heat for several minutes, then add the pork loin. Add salt and pepper and cook until the meat is golden brown on all sides, turning a few times. Then add the wine and cook until it evaporates.

Meanwhile, cut the onions into 8 slices each. Cut 2 oranges (leaving the rind on) into 8 slices each. Juice the other 2 oranges and filter the juice to remove pulp and seeds. Add the orange slices, orange juice, and onion slices to the meat. Then, add bay leaves and more pepper. Allow it to cook over low heat, covered, for an hour and a half. While cooking, if the meat becomes too dry, you can add water or broth.

When it is cooked, set aside for at least 10 minutes before slicing into thin strips and arranging on a large serving dish. Then place the orange and onion slices around the meat slices, drizzling the pan juices onto the meat.

SFORMATO DI BROCCOLI | BROCCOLI FLAN

This is a favorite winter/early spring staple—before the first crops of the season are ready—because it can easily be made with any hardy vegetables that you froze after harvesting in the fall. We use fresh broccoli here but also often enjoy this creamy, savory side dish with greens like spinach or kale.

INGREDIENTS: SFORMATO

2 heads broccoli

2 cloves garlic

1/4 to 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, as needed

Bèchamel sauce, prepared per instructions

3 eggs

3 tbsp parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Salt

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

INGREDIENTS: BÉCHAMEL SAUCE

50g (4 tbsp) butter

2 tbsp flour

2 cups milk, heated

Nutmeg

Salt & pepper

Serves 6

INSTRUCTIONS: BÉCHAMEL SAUCE

Melt the butter in a sauce pan, stir in the flour and whisk continuously over low heat until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but do not brown it. Then add the hot milk slowly, whisking continuously, to ensure a smooth consistency. Once all the milk is added, stir in the salt and pepper to taste, and a pinch of nutmeg.

Bring to a boil and cook for several minutes, still stirring continuously. When the béchamel reaches a thick creamy consistency, remove from heat.

INSTRUCTIONS: SFORMATO

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.

Chop broccoli into large pieces and boil in salted water for 15 minutes. Strain the broccoli and chop into much finer pieces. Place the broccoli in a frying pan with a little olive oil and the whole garlic cloves and sauté over medium heat for several minutes to evaporate any water. Remove the garlic and transfer the broccoli to a medium size bowl to cool for a few minutes.

Take the prepared béchamel sauce and add the eggs, grated parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and a little salt and mix well. Add the broccoli and mix again.

Oil the bottom and sides of a baking dish (or line with baking paper) and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Pour the broccoli/béchamel mixture into the pan and sprinkle remaining bread crumbs on top.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a golden brown crust forms on the top.

PICI ALL' AGLIONE | PICI PASTA WITH GARLIC SAUCE

Aglione (Elephant Garlic) are not simply "big" garlic cloves, but a typical Tuscan variety of the garlic family. The scientific name is Allium ampeloprasum var. holmense and its uniqueness is not only the size (see the cork for reference!!) but also the particularly pleasant and mild taste, as compared to common garlic (Allium sativu).

This variety, which is much more digestible, leaves less trace on the breath and has earned the title of "garlic of the kiss." Typically you would eat this sauce with homemade pasta called Pici (included in the recipe below) but any kind of pasta could work well here.

In the absence of aglione, our cook Pietrina shares that even common garlic is an excellent substitute—making the sauce stronger in taste and an excellent antidote for vampires!

Ingredients: PICI

500 gr (4 cups) flour

1 egg

1 cup water

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

Ingredients: GARLIC SAUCE

4 elephant garlic cloves (or substitute a greater quantity of common garlic), finely chopped

2 cups tomato sauce

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Pinch hot pepper flakes

Salt & pepper

Parmesan cheese

Serves 4

INSTRUCTIONS: GARLIC SAUCE

In a pan, heat the olive oil and garlic on low and sauté for about 1 minute—if you leave it too long, it can become bitter. When the garlic is just turning golden, add a pinch of hot pepper flakes, the tomato sauce, and salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Instructions: PICI

Alternatively, you can use any store-bought pasta. 

Put the flour in a bowl and add the egg, water, and oil. Mix together with a fork or your hands, until it is a uniform texture.

Transfer from the bowl to a hard surface and knead the dough for about 15 minutes. You can add more flour if the dough is too sticky.

Cover the dough with a towel and leave to “rest” at room temperature for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Divide the dough in half and cover one half. Take the other half and roll it out using a rolling pin until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Put a few drops of olive oil on top of the rolled dough and gently rub it into the top surface. Cut the dough into 1/2-inch-wide strips (the length will vary based on how you rolled the dough).

On a very clean surface with a drop of olive oil (no flour!) take a strip and hold one end of it in your left hand. With your right hand, begin at the opposite end of the strip to gently roll the dough in a back and forth motion (between your hand and the hard surface) until it is round. Keep rolling all the way up the strip from right to left (until your right hand reaches your left) and until the entire strip forms a very long  (even a foot!) pici noodle that is as uniform as possible.

It will look like a slightly fat and very long spaghetti strand. When you are done with each strand, place it on a well floured surface and begin a new one until you have used all the dough.

PREPARE & SERVE

Cook all the pici in a big pot of well-salted boiling water for a few minutes, until al dente. (Or, if using store-bought pasta, cook according to al dente package instructions.) Mix the pasta and sauce together, and serve topped with parmesan cheese.

CREMA DI ZUCCA AI FUNGHI | CREAMY PUMPKIN SOUP WITH MUSHROOMS

Ingredients

Serves 6

600 gr (~1 lb 5 oz) pumpkin (or other winter squash); seeded, peeled, and chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 sprig rosemary

extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

vegetable broth (“quanto basta” – however much is enough!)

250/300 gr (8-10 oz) fresh or frozen mushrooms, coarsely chopped

Slices of bread for croutons

Additional fresh rosemary, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Warm some olive oil in a pot, and then add the pumpkin, onions, potatoes, and sprig of rosemary. Sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add enough broth to cover the vegetables, and then salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 30 minutes until pumpkin and potatoes are tender. Blend soup with hand mixer (or carefully transfer to a blender) until smooth.

Once soup is blended, add the mushrooms and cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring. Remove from the heat.

While the soup is cooking, cut the bread into 1/2″ cubes, spread on a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil and salt, and put in the oven to toast until crisp and golden.

Serve the pumpkin cream soup with the croutons on top and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and, if desired, a garnish of freshly chopped rosemary.

SCHIACCIATA CON UVA | FOCACCIA WITH GRAPES

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

1 kg (~2.2 lbs) of eggplant

2 eggs

3 Tbsp of flour

Salt

2 Tbsp of milk (as needed)

Oil for frying

300 gr. of fresh tomatoes, peeled OR 1 14 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

250 gr. of mozzarella, thinly sliced

Freshly ground black pepper

125  gr. (1 cup) of grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350 °F.

Slice the eggplant into pieces lengthwise, about 1/2 inch thick. In a bowl, mix together the eggs, flour and a pinch of salt—if it is too thick for dipping, add the milk.

Pour the oil into a frying pan, estimating an amount that will cover half the eggplant pieces, and heat over a medium–high flame until little bubbles begin to form.

Dip the pieces of eggplant in the batter and fry them in the oil until they are crisp, about 2 minutes on each side. Keep the oil very hot while you are frying them. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon or spatula and drain on absorbent paper.

If using fresh tomatoes, crush them with a fork in a small bowl.

Layer 1/3 of the eggplant pieces in the bottom of a medium-sized baking pan. Cover the eggplant with half the mozzarella, 1/3 of the crushed tomatoes, salt, black pepper, and half of the grated parmesan. Repeat the process until you have 3 layers of eggplant and 2 of filling, and over the last layer of eggplant put the remainder of tomato, a little olive oil, and some pepper.

Bake for 20 minutes, and serve with additional grated parmesan.

Parmigiana di Melanzane | Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

1 kg (~2.2 lbs) of eggplant

2 eggs

3 Tbsp of flour

Salt

2 Tbsp of milk (as needed)

Oil for frying

300 gr. of fresh tomatoes, peeled OR 1 14 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

250 gr. of mozzarella, thinly sliced

Freshly ground black pepper

125  gr. (1 cup) of grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350 °F.

Slice the eggplant into pieces lengthwise, about 1/2 inch thick. In a bowl, mix together the eggs, flour and a pinch of salt—if it is too thick for dipping, add the milk.

Pour the oil into a frying pan, estimating an amount that will cover half the eggplant pieces, and heat over a medium–high flame until little bubbles begin to form.

Dip the pieces of eggplant in the batter and fry them in the oil until they are crisp, about 2 minutes on each side. Keep the oil very hot while you are frying them. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon or spatula and drain on absorbent paper.

If using fresh tomatoes, crush them with a fork in a small bowl.

Layer 1/3 of the eggplant pieces in the bottom of a medium-sized baking pan. Cover the eggplant with half the mozzarella, 1/3 of the crushed tomatoes, salt, black pepper, and half of the grated parmesan. Repeat the process until you have 3 layers of eggplant and 2 of filling, and over the last layer of eggplant put the remainder of tomato, a little olive oil, and some pepper.

Bake for 20 minutes, and serve with additional grated parmesan.