Fornelletto's Tuscan Vegetable Pie/ Ribollita

Fornelletto’s Tuscan Vegetable Pie/ Ribollita

Fornelletto’s Tuscan Vegetable Pie/ Ribollita

Equipment: One large casserole or soup pot, one non-stick pan, large wooden spoon or other, spatula

Serves 6-8

1 cup diced cabbage or Brussels sprouts, or both
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced leeks
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup chopped Tuscan Kale (dark green, long and narrow), or other
1 cup diced butternut squash or pumpkin, optional
1 cup chopped canned Italian plum tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. fennel seed
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp. kosher salt or other
6 oz. extra virgin olive oil
Two cups diced country Italian or French bread, crusts removed, somewhat stale
Grated parmigiano Reggiano or pecorino Romano to taste

Heat a large casserole over medium flame for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 oz. olive oil, fennel seed, and garlic, Cook for 20 seconds. Add all of the vegetables excluding the squash/ pumpkin, raise the heat to high, and stir well. Add the salt and stir again. After 2-3 minutes, lower the flame and allow the vegetables to cook in their own juices, stirring every five to ten minutes. After ten minutes, add the chopped tomatoes and continue cooking slowly for another twenty minutes. Add the squash or pumpkin into the mix. Stir well and continue cooking until the squash is soft but not mushy.

There should be a little liquid in the pot, maybe a half-cup. If it appears dry, add a half-cup water and incorporate well. Start adding the bread and incorporate completely until you have a very thick mixture, almost a vegetable porridge. You want the bread to break up and incorporate completely. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper if necessary.

Allow the mixture to sit off the flame and cool to room temperature. Heat a non-stick pan over medium flame 2-3 minutes. Add one ounce extra virgin olive oil. Spoon ½ to one cup of the mixture into the pan and press it down evenly, almost like a thick pancake. Turn the flame to low. Allow the one side to brown and turn. Brown the other side and remove to a plate. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with cheese to taste. Repeat.
 

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