Hardly anywhere else is the use of leftovers in the kitchen as delicious as in Italy. Here are three recipes from the “Cucina Povera”.
Italian cuisine is undoubtedly one of the favorite cuisines of many people around the world. No wonder, because it not only impresses with its unique taste, but also with its ability to conjure up true culinary delights from just a few simple ingredients. Gennaro Contaldo dedicates himself to this principle in his new cookbook “Cucina Povera” (ars vivendi) – in German so to speak “poor man’s kitchen”. This traditional cuisine originated in the rural regions of Italy and shows how delicious dishes can be made from humble and inexpensive ingredients. Here are three recipes for which you don’t have to dig deep into your pocket and show Italy from its most original and rustic side.
“Mesciua”: Ligurian spelled and bean soup
Ingredients: 120g pearl spelled (spelled rice), 400g chickpeas (canned), 400g cannellini beans (canned), 1 sprig of rosemary, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling, 1 onion (finely chopped) , 1 handful of flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped), 1 tbsp tomato paste (mixed with a little warm water), sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, toasted slices of farmhouse bread to serve
Preparation: Wash the spelled under cold running water, place in a pot with enough fresh water, bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 20 minutes until done (observe the cooking time indicated on the package).
Meanwhile, add the chickpeas and cannellini beans to a second saucepan with the liquid from the can and the sprig of rosemary and heat through.
Heat the olive oil in a small pan and sauté the onion and half the parsley over a low heat for about five minutes.
Strain the cooked spelled and mix with the chickpeas and cannellini beans. Add the tomato paste and the onion mixture and season with a little salt and pepper. Remove the rosemary sprig. Drizzle with a little olive oil, garnish with the remaining parsley and serve with toasted slices of farmhouse bread.
“Acquasale”: Apulian bread salad
Ingredients: 1 small red onion, thinly sliced, red wine vinegar to taste, 4 slices of Fresella, 200 g small plum tomatoes (halved), 1 stick of celery with greens (finely sliced), ½ cucumber (sliced), 1 tsp dried oregano, sea salt, 40ml extra virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling
Preparation: Place the onion slices in a small bowl and cover with red wine vinegar. Leave for at least 30 minutes.
Place the Fresella slices on a plate, drizzle with about 100ml of water and leave to soak for about 30 minutes. Then break into pieces.
Drain the onion (save the vinegar for another dish) and place in a bowl with the tomatoes, celery, and cucumber. Sprinkle with oregano and a little salt, add the olive oil and mix everything thoroughly. Mix in the Fresella pieces and let the bread salad rest at room temperature for about an hour. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.
“Linguine alla Putanesca”: Linguine with tomatoes, capers and black olives
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 4 cloves of garlic (lightly crushed but still whole), 4 anchovy fillets, ½ red chilli (finely chopped), 40g capers, 800g chopped tomatoes (canned), some dried oregano, sea salt, 80g pitted black olives, 320g linguine, 1 handful of flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)
Preparation: Heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the garlic, anchovy fillets, chili and capers and sauté over a medium heat for about two minutes until the anchovy fillets dissolve. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano and some salt.
Put a lid on the saucepan and let everything simmer for 15 minutes at medium to low temperature. Add the olives and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.
Bring salted water to a boil in a large saucepan, add the linguine and cook al dente according to package directions.
Drain, reserving some of the cooking water, and add both to the tomato sauce. Mix carefully and heat at high temperature. Remove from the heat, remove the garlic, mix in the parsley and serve immediately.