Soffritto: Classic Italian Cuisine

 

I’m going to show you how to make my rendition of a mainstay of the Tuscan table, Soffritto.  Long in tradition and even longer in flavor, it’s the best pasta I’ve ever tasted.  I drool just thinking about the delicious flavors that spread so lusciously over al dente pasta.

 

But, before I give my three faithful readers the very simple and yet astoundingly satisfying recipe, I’m going to tell you a source that will  introduce you to hundreds of Italian foods, as well as give you a good start on planning your wonderful (post-Covid-19) vacation. 

 

I’ve always said the French can teach anyone how to eat well.  I make an exception for the Italians who can match the French step for cooking step, with a hell-of-a-lot more humor and conviviality!  In Italy, a party blooms wherever two or more Italians gather to sip and sup!

 

Are you familiar with the actor Stanley Tucci?  He has a fun filled and inspiring eponymous show, on CNN-on-demand, whose full title is “Stanley Tucci Searching for Italy.”  

 

Tucci, who travels across the 20 regions of Italy and who proudly proclaims “I’m Italian on both sides,” invites viewers to meet interesting people who live for food, preparing it, growing it, maintaining the region’s traditions and who give you quick as a wink culinary ideas. In short, it’s a blast!

 

In one episode, in Tuscany, where Tucci explores a dozen wonderful dishes, one dish quickly caught my eye for two reasons:  It was described as the heart of ‘poor food’ and looked incredibly simple to make.  Once again, I call upon my three faithful readers to affirm my kitchen motto:  I don’t make anything that’s difficult!  An addend is:  I don’t make anything YOU can’t make in your kitchen.

 

But, Soffritto, loosely translated as sautéed, goes beyond simple, into the realm of “it’s so simple it can’t be good!”  Oh ye of little faith and even less imagination.

 

Another thing about Soffritto, it is completely vegetarian and can also be vegan if you leave off the cheese, or substitute that semi-cheese that really wants to be cheese, but hasn’t got the guts.

 

Ready to cook and eat?  One warning: These simple ingredients do take some time to become out-of-sight delicious.

 

Soffritto

 

Ingredients

 

2 carrots, peeled and minced

1 onion, also minced

3 stalks celery, minced

Olive Oil and salt (more on these…keep reading!)

Feel free to double or triple the ingredients

28 oz can of Italian crushed tomatoes, plus any other tomatoes you care to add.

Pasta of your choice, but not a stringy pasta like spaghetti or linguini.

 

Why do I specify Italian tomatoes?  Two reasons:  depth of flavor and a natural sweetness.  You will be amazed!

 

A note about Olive Oil.  You will use a slosh of it while cooking and also pour some to put in the pasta water, and lightly sprinkle some over the cooked pasta when serving.

 

A note about salt.  Tuscans do not use salt on this dish.  In the bad old days when Italy (which did not become the united country of Italy until 1861.) was a collection of city-states and kingdoms, Pisa controlled the salt trade.  Citizens of Florence indignantly refused to lower themselves and pay Pisa’s tax on salt.  However, to assuage my un-traditional taste buds, I added a little salt.

 

Puttin’ It Together!

 

Put the diced vegetable in a large pan, add a slosh of olive oil and cook slowly until the vegetables are soft.  This took about 45 minutes.

 

Add the can of crushed tomatoes and cook another 45 minutes, without covering the pan.  Allow the mixture to thicken.

NOTE:  I made a big batch of Soffritto, so I used four plump Roma tomatoes, three heirloom tomatoes, diced them and added them after the vegetables were soft, then cooked the tomatoes down before adding the Italian crushed tomatoes, then cooked longer to once again thicken the sauce.

 

Serve over al dente pasta, add a delicate slosh of olive oil and sprinkle grated Parmesan or another dry Italian cheese over the top.

 

I had this for supper and my household supervisor preferred that I not heat it up again for breakfast.  I bit my tongue and swore softly.

 

However, despite the possibility of objections, there will be Soffritto for lunch and dinner.

 

When you try this dish, don’t forget to hoist a full glass of Italian white wine and add Mille Grazie! to your blog comments!  And be sure to tell your friends!