Friday, August 24, 2012

Ribolita

While not your typical Ribolita, this was absolutely delicious and will satisfy both the meat eaters and the vegetarians in your life.
I made this without any meat tonight, and did not use the typical leafy vegetables that are usually used for this delicious twice heated soup. I used what I had, and what I had came from my own garden and that made it taste even better.
I started by cutting up an onion and a few cloves of garlic.
I added them into a stock pot with enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan and cooked the onions until they were  cooked to a clear color. I added the garlic, and then I added a huge zucchini that I had cut up into chunks, skin and all. This is where my recipe changes from a traditional Ribolita. I believe that Kale, Escarole, Spinach, Chard  and or other leafy greens would have been used. I just didn't have them!
I cooked the zucchini until they started to wilt and then I added some fresh cut up tomatoes from the garden.
I added enough vegetable stock to cover my cooking vegetables and seasoned the soup with salt, pepper, a pinch or red pepper flakes, and pinches of fresh rosemary, fresh thyme,  and fresh sage.
I added a can of Cannellini beans. I know, I cheated. I usually like to cook them, I just didn't plan this one out.
I always keep the "rind" from the parmesan cheese wrapped up in my freezer. I added a nice piece to the soup. It's going to add such nice flavor!
I brought it all to a boil, added a few chunks of day old stale bread and a few handfuls of Fregula.
Fregula is beautiful little round balls of pasta. You cook it like you would cook rice. It is delicious. I once had an argument with someone who insisted that it was a legume. Boy is that a story for another  another time! I just love google! haha!

 I covered the pot and let it all simmer for another 15 - 20 minutes.



Just before serving I added a little fresh chopped parsley and some grated parmesan cheese, and drizzled a little extra virgin olive oil on each serving. Yum!

I think I heard a moan from the table. It was that good!

I'm going to make this again, and the next time I make it there is going to be some pancetta and leafy veggies simmering in the pot!

Enjoy!

Buon Appetito!
xoxoxo
Lorraine

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