Katerina’s Minestra di Pane Sotto: A Layered Bread and Wild Greens Soup from Lazio

Step into the heart of Italy and cook alongside a real Italian nonna. These legendary grandmothers have perfected delicious, traditional cooking that goes beyond just pasta and ensures a healthy and happy life.

Vicky Bennison, creator of the hit YouTube channel Pasta Grannies, has spent years capturing the stories and recipes of these remarkable women. In this mouth-watering collection, the nonnas invite you to discover the secrets of their flavoursome cooking and kitchen wisdom – part of their recipe for the good life.

From the rolling hills of Tuscany to the sun-drenched coast of Sicily, this feast of homemade recipes brings together over 70 of the best regional dishes. Every plate is simple yet bursting with old, seasonal ingredients – fresh vegetables, hearty pulses, fish, meat, pizza, pies and, of course, a generous helping of pasta.

This hearty peasant soup is from the countryside south of Rome. The name “sotto” (meaning “below”) refers to the traditional layering technique, where bread and soup are built up in alternating layers, creating a dish that’s somewhere between a soup and a bread pudding. This is Katerina’s recipe and she likes to make it in spring when foraged greens are tender and at their best.

Originally a shepherds’ dish, the selection of greens can vary according to the season and availability. Other bitter greens like dandelion, escarole, or mustard greens can be substituted for the wild chicory. If you want to make it even more substantial, add two pork chops to the bottom of the pot after the greens have been softened.
Katerina’s Minestra di Pane Sotto
Layered Bread and Wild Greens Soup from Lazio

Serves 6
 
For the soup

Scant 1 cup (5½oz/150g) dried chickpeas
Scant 1 cup (5½oz/150g) dried borlotti beans
Extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves—1 crushed and 1 halved for rubbing
1 red chili or a pinch of dried hot pepper (chilli) flakes (peperoncino)
10½oz (300g) wild chicory
10½oz (300g) Swiss chard
2 handfuls fresh borage leaves
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
2 large carrots, cut into batons
1 celery stick, cut into strips
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (3½oz/100g) brown lentils
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (3½oz/100g) dried split fava (broad) beans
8¾ cups (70fl oz/2 litres) vegetable stock or water
Sea salt

For assembly

10 thick slices stale country bread
3½oz (100g) Pecorino Romano, freshly grated
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Drain the chickpeas and borlotti beans in warm water overnight. Drain them before using.

Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large terracotta pot or heavy-based casserole. Add the sliced onion, one crushed garlic clove, and the red chili. Cook until the onion is golden. Add all the prepared fresh vegetables and cook until they begin to wilt.

Add the drained chickpeas and borlotti beans, along with the lentils and fava beans. Pour in the stock or water, cover, and simmer over low heat for about 90 minutes, until the legumes are tender and creamy. The liquid should reduce by about one-third. Season with salt to taste.

Meanwhile, toast the bread slices until golden. Rub each side lightly with a cut garlic clove.

To assemble, place a layer of toasted bread in the bottom of a deep serving bowl. Ladle some hot soup over the bread, then add another layer of bread. Continue alternating bread and soup until all ingredients are used, ending with soup. Let rest for 15 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the liquid. This tastes even better the next day.

Serve warm, generously sprinkled with Pecorino Romano and a good drizzle of olive oil.

This is a recipe extract from Pasta Grannies Eat Everything by Vicky Bennison published by Harper By Design. Available now in store and online.