Thunder and Lightning Soup
Soups • Italian
Description
There aren't many soups in Italian cuisine, and those that do exist often compete with pasta for the title of the first course on the table, usually losing to pasta. 'Thunder and Lightning' is one of those soups loved by Italians, featuring both beans and pasta, so there's no competition to be had. Don't think poorly of it; the name does not come from the effects that legumes can have on the stomach. On the contrary, it's a very nourishing and almost soothing dish. There's a version that suggests the recipe has Jewish roots, but Italians have long claimed it as their own, to the extent that 'Thunder and Lightning' is packaged in cans and sold for takeout, much like Campbell's in America.
Ingredients
- Wheat Flour 5 oz
- Chicken Egg 1 piece
- Olive Oil 5 fl oz
- Onion 1 head
- Rosemary 2 sprigs
- Salt 1 tablespoon
- Canned Baby Beets 15 oz
- Chicken Broth 0 qt
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1
In the mixing bowl, add the flour, crack in the egg, and knead the dough. It should be firm yet pliable.
Step 2
Gather the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Step 3
Roll out the dough on a floured surface as thinly as possible (ideally, it’s best to use a pasta machine). Cut it into irregular small triangles — this type of pasta is called maltagliati. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent the pasta from drying out.
Step 4
Finely chop the onion. Heat 50 ml of olive oil in a pan and sauté the onion with a sprig of rosemary until golden brown.
Step 5
Add the beans, season lightly with salt, and simmer everything together for 2 minutes.
Step 6
Transfer the beans to a saucepan, add the broth, bring to a boil, and simmer the soup for 15-20 minutes.
Step 7
Heat the remaining oil in a skillet and fry half of the pasta on both sides. Once it becomes golden and crispy like chips, transfer it from the skillet to a paper towel and sprinkle with a little salt.
Step 8
Remove about a third of the beans from the soup using a slotted spoon (if some onion comes along, that's fine) and blend it into a paste.
Step 9
Add the remaining uncooked pasta to the soup and cook for 3 minutes after it reaches a boil.
Step 10
Add the bean paste and stir the soup thoroughly.
Step 11
Remove the sprig of rosemary from the soup, ladle it into warmed bowls, and top with fried pasta.
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