Ribollita was traditionally cooked using all the leftovers
from the previous day, but it's so incredibly delicious that it's often make in
its own right. It literally means 're-boiled' and embraces the heart and soul
of humble, Italian cookery. I love it
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| Roast pumpkin ribollita with baked ricotta |
Serves 8
Roast pumpkin ribollita with baked ricotta ingredients: 1
small (about 1kg) butternut pumpkin. 1 tsp fennel seeds. 1 dried red chilli or
1 tsp dried chilli flakes. Olive oil. 2 red onions, finely chopped. 2 carrots,
finely chopped. 2 celery stalks, finely chopped. 4 garlic cloves, finely
chopped. 2 x 400g cans cannellini beans. 2 x 400g cans tomatoes. 2 fresh bay
leaves. 2 handfuls cavolo nero (Tuscan cabbage) or Savoy cabbage. 250g
good-quality ricotta. 1 lemon. Extra virgin olive oil
Roast pumpkin ribollita with baked ricotta recipe: 1-
Preheat oven to 190C. Cut pumpkin into chunky 3cm wedges and place in a large
roasting pan. Sprinkle over the fennel seeds, crumble over the chilli and
season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with a good lug of olive oil, toss well to
coat and spread in a single layer. Roast in the oven for 45-50 minutes until
soft, sticky and caramelized at the edges. Leaves to cool slightly. 2- Drizzle
a good lug of olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the onion
carrot, celery and garlic, then fry gently, stirring often, for 15 minutes or
until sticky and soft but not coloured. Drain one can of beans, then add them
both (including the liquid from one) to the vegetables along with tomatoes and
bay leaves, then gently bring to the boil. 3- Click off the cavolo nero or
cabbage leaves (discarding any tatty ones), then cut away the stalks and
roughly slice the leaves. Add the pan, season well, then stir through. Scoop
the roasted pumpkin away from the skin and add to the pan, then gently stir
through-you want the soup thick, but not dry so add a splash of boiling water
if needed. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes or until you have a
thick, rich soup. 4- Meanwhile, Place ricotta in a baking dish, drizzle with a
good lug of olive oil, Season well and grate over the zest from the lemon.
Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes until lightly golden. 5- Serve the soup
with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and some baked
ricotta crumbled over
