Acquacotta

Literally: cooked water. Served as a one course meal. Like any regional dish, there are as many versions as there are cooks.

Serves: 6 people

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 medium onions, chopped into very small pieces
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped into small slices
• 2 pounds (1 kilo) beet greens or spinach, stemmed, washed and coarsely chopped
• 1 pound (500 grams) peeled, chopped ripe tomatoes (canned will do in a pinch)
• 6 cups (1 1/2 liters) boiling water
• salt to taste
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup grated Pecorino cheese
• slices of toasted Italian bread

COOKING:

1. Warm up the oil in a pot. Add: onions, celery, carrot and bell pepper. Cook until onions are translucent.
2. Add the greens and cook over low heat until the greens have wilted.
3. Add the tomatoes and simmer for about twenty minutes, then add the boiling water.
4. Check the seasoning, and simmer for twenty minutes more.
5. In the meantime, mix the eggs and cheese together.
6. Line the bottoms of your 6 soup bowls with thinly sliced toasted bread and spoon the beaten egg mixture over the bread.
7. Stir the soup well and ladle it into the bowls.