A truly satisfying soup from the Italian pantry
Some soups are delicate, light and refreshing, served as the prelude to a meal.
Others, like this one, are hearty and nourishing meals in themselves.
It is not precisely a soup, but a soupy concoction of potatoes and pasta, known throughout Italy as pasta e patate.
This is an example of the country’s bare-cupboard cuisine, la cucina povera, in which inexpensive basics are transformed with small jolts of flavour from aged cheese, dried chiles, herb pastes and the like.
Thrifty but flavourful, its principal aim is to feed a family during times when funds are tight.
Here, you soften an onion in a hot pan with a generous glug of olive oil, then add chopped potatoes, salt, a garlic clove, a rosemary sprig and water.
When the potatoes are done, a handful of pasta goes in, and when the pasta is al dente, you ladle this steaming, chunky marvel of a soup into bowls. Pass the grated pecorino and Parmigiano, a cruet of oil, the pepper mill and crushed red pepper.
That’s the bare-bones version. There are any number of regional variations and every cook is at liberty to customize.
Some might add, for example, more vegetables, like celery and carrot; some tomato, a little or a lot; bacon or pancetta or ham; beef or chicken broth; or, as in my recipe, a large quantity of chopped kale.
Italian Potato-Pasta Soup with Greens
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for garnish 2 cups diced onion
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup diced fennel or celery
Salt and pepper
1 bay leaf
1 large thyme sprig
2 garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoons paprika
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 quarts/12 cups chicken broth, vegetable broth or water 2 pounds medium-size starchy potatoes, such as Yukon Golds or russets, peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks
8 ounces kale or chard, stems removed, leaves sliced across into ½-inch ribbons (about 4 cups total)
½ pound dried pennette, orecchiette or other small pasta
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary or marjoram, for garnish
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
1. In a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil over mediumhigh heat. When it shimmers, add onion, carrot and fennel, stir, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened and golden, five to 10 minutes.
Adjust the heat to prevent vegetables from browning or scorching.
2. Stir in bay leaf, thyme sprig, garlic, paprika and tomato paste and cook, stirring, one minute. Add broth, potatoes and a large pinch of salt.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a brisk simmer. Cook until potatoes are cooked through but still firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
3. Stir in kale and pasta and simmer another 10 minutes, or until greens are well cooked and pasta is done. (Soup can be made up to this point, without the pasta, cooled and refrigerated for up to three days.)
4. Ladle soup into bowls, and sprinkle with chopped rosemary and Parmesan. Drizzle each serving with a teaspoon of olive oil. Pass extra Parmesan at the table.