Simple Italian Cookery | Page 2

cut into pieces. Cook the onion in the oil over a slow fire,
without allowing the onion to become colored, then add a small bunch
of parsley stems, a small piece of celery, a bay-leaf, and a small sprig
of thyme. Cool for a few moments, then add two tomatoes, skinned and
with the seeds removed, and cut into slices, two tablespoons of dry
white wine, and one medium-sized potato, peeled and cut into slices,

and, lastly, one cup of water.
When the potato is half cooked, add the codfish, then one-half
tablespoon more of olive-oil. Remove the parsley stems, and put in
instead one-half tablespoon of chopped-up parsley; add a good pinch of
pepper, and some salt, if needed. When the vegetables are thoroughly
cooked pour the soup over pieces of toasted or fried bread, and serve.
LENTIL SOUP (_Brodo di Lenticchie_)
3 tablespoons of dried lentils 1/2 tablespoon of butter 2 tablespoons of
cream Meat stock
Cover the lentils with water and boil until they are quite soft. Pass them
through a colander or a sieve. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the
lentils and cream, mixing well, then add a ladleful of the stock, and boil
for a few minutes; then add the rest of the desired amount of stock, a
ladleful at a time.
VEGETABLE SOUP (_Zuppa alla Primaverile_)
Take some cabbage, carrots, celery, onions, turnips, lettuce, squash,
potatoes, beans, and peas. Chop each into very small pieces, wash and
drain. Take a saucepan, put in a heaping tablespoon of butter; chop up
another small piece of onion and add to butter and fry until onion is
golden; then add all the vegetables, salt, and pepper, and cover the
saucepan. When the vegetables are half cooked, and their juice has
become absorbed, dissolve one tablespoon of tomato paste in one-third
of a cup of hot water, and add. Instead of the tomato paste there may be
added to the onion, before putting in the vegetables, one tomato, peeled
and cut into small pieces. When the tomato is cooked add the
vegetables. Then add water, a little at a time, until you have sufficient
quantity for two persons. Take a slice of bread and cut into small
squares or diamonds--toast or fry as desired--put these into the soup
plates, and pour the soup (without straining) over them.
LETTUCE SOUP (_Zuppa di Lattuga_)

1 small lettuce Meat stock 2 potatoes The leaves of a head of celery 2
tablespoons of peas, fresh or canned 1 heaping tablespoon of flour
Put the potatoes, cold boiled, into the stock when it boils, add the celery
leaves, the lettuce chopped up, the peas, and the flour mixed well with
a little cold stock or water. Boil for one hour and a half, and serve with
little squares of fried bread.
PUMPKIN SOUP (_Zuppa di Zucca_)
1 slice of pumpkin 2 tablespoons of butter 1/2 cup of water 1-1/2 cups
of milk 1 tablespoon of sugar
Peel the pumpkin and remove the seeds, cut into small pieces, and put
into a saucepan with the butter, the sugar, a pinch of salt, and the water.
Boil for two hours, then drain and put back into the saucepan with the
milk, which has been boiled. Allow it to come to a boil, and then serve
it with squares of fried bread.
POTATO SOUP (_Zuppa alla Provinciale_)
2 large potatoes 3 tablespoons of cream or milk 2 tablespoons of butter
2 yolks of eggs Soup stock
Boil the potatoes, then rub them through a sieve. Put them into a
saucepan with the butter, a little salt, and the cream or milk. Simmer
until it is thick, then add the yolks of the two eggs to form it into a
paste. Turn out onto the bread-board, cut into small dice, and throw
them into the stock, which must be boiling. If desired, before serving
sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese into the soup.

MACARONI AND OTHER PASTES
MACARONI WITH TOMATO SAUCE (_Maccheroni al Sugo_)
2 quarts of water 3/4 pound of macaroni

Boil the water until it makes big bubbles. Add salt, then break the
macaroni and put it in. Cover the saucepan and boil for fifteen minutes.
The saucepan should not be too small, otherwise the macaroni will
stick to the bottom.
Prepare the sauce as follows:
Take a good slice of ham fat, and chop very fine with it a piece of
onion, a piece of celery, and some parsley. Then put this into a
frying-pan and cook until the grease is colored. (If desired, add a small
lump of butter.) When well colored add two tablespoons of tomato
paste dissolved in a little hot water. Boil all together for fifteen
minutes.
Drain the macaroni, and put it into the frying-pan with the sauce, mix
well