Every day at Eataly, our pastai, or pastamakers, transform simple ingredients into intricate pasta shapes inspired by the rich traditions of every Italian region using simple high-quality ingredients: water, flour, and eggs.

Try your hands at making fresh pasta with the whole family at our kids-friendly complimentary workshop at Foodiversità, our free "food university" on March 12 at 10:30 a.m. with our Pasta Guru Brandt Senter.

Brandt will guide you step-by-step through the pasta-making process, from making fresh egg dough to forming ravioli which is a delicious stuffed pasta. Before you leave, ask about the best regional recipes for each unique shape!

Foodiversità is located in the scenic northwest corner of the market, overlooking 1 World Trade Center. No registration is necessary; seating is first come, first served.

Can't make class? Check out Eataly Magazine's recipe for fresh egg pasta dough!

Buon appetito!

Eataly’s fresh curd is made every day with whole milk from local dairies. Our resident mozzarella makers start their days at 7 a.m. to begin production for our restaurants and market.

Discover this handmade process at our complimentary class and tasting at Foodiversità, our free food "university"  on March 13 at 1 and 6 p.m. with our Education Manager Ryan Gormley as he guides you through step-by-step. After he finishes making the fresh mozzarella, he'll be frying it up to create a ball of gooey fried deliciousness!

Foodiversità is located in the scenic northwest corner of the market, overlooking 1 World Trade Center. No registration is necessary; seating is first come, first served.

Until then, read up on Eataly NYC Downtown's Cheese Counter at home!

Buon appetito!

This month, you can experience the legendary city of Venezia (without the long flight) at Eataly NYC Downtown! We’ve transformed our own maze of a marketplace through Venetian fare, sparkling drinks, and cultural festivities (Carnevale, anyone?). Eat (and drink!), shop, and learn about Venezia!

Discover all there is to know about pinza, a famous Venetian pudding made from dried bread, milk, sugar and sultanas at our complimentary tasting and class at Foodiversità, our free "food university,” on March 15 at 1 p.m.

Eataly's produce department's fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables are carefully sourced from regional farmers and has unique items that are hard to find anywhere else. Learn how to  eat simply and healthfully at home with our bountiful selection.

Discover how to make a scallion and asparagus salad with fresh mozzarella using locally sourced ingredients from our marketplace at our complimentary class and tasting at Foodiversità, our free food "university"  on March 16 at 1 and 6 p.m. with our Education Manager Ryan Gormley.

Foodiversità is located in the scenic northwest corner of the market, overlooking 1 World Trade Center. No registration is necessary; seating is first come, first served.

Buon appetito!

Eataly Chicago is transporting you Venezia all month long! From March 6 to April 3, Vino Libero will become the Allegrini Bar, offering world-renowned wines from Allegrini, an esteemed winery from the Veneto.

Learn more!

Tables and bar seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

MENU & HOURS

Allegrini Bar Menu

Monday-Thursday
5-9 p.m.

Friday-Saturday
11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Sunday
1-8 p.m.

Every year, Italy comes aglow with the golden blossoms of mimosas. On March 8, the fragrant flowers are presented to women across the country in celebration of La Festa della Donna, International Women’s Day.

While more cultural in Italy today, the holiday’s roots are political. The first observance, organized by the Socialist Party of America, was held in New York City in 1909 to protest a tragic event. Earlier in March, women at a garment factory in Manhattan had threatened to go on strike to protest dangerous working conditions, too many hours, and too little pay.

Just days later, the factory suspiciously burned to the ground – with 145 workers, mostly young women, trapped inside. Many consider the subsequent outrage as the catalyst of the women's movement; it was certainly the spark for International Women's Day.

Over the following decades, International Women's Day was adopted across the world. There was a steady rise in women-led strikes, marches, and other protests for equal rights in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Finally, in 1977, the United Nations officially declared International Women’s Day. Every year, there is a different official theme: 2017 is "Be Bold for Change." While the United States hasn't officially observed the day in the past, President Obama declared March to be Women’s History Month in 2011; this year, we will see strikes across the country on March 8.*

In Italy, La Festa della Donna tends to have a symbolic flavor, reminiscent of Mother's Day. With each mimosa blossom, we are recognizing women’s economic, political, and social achievements over the last century, which have been sizable. Of course, progress is ongoing.

Buona Festa della Donna!

* We apologize for any delay or disruption you might experience on Wednesday, March 8, at Eataly. From chefs to buyers to bussers, hundreds of inspirational women play key roles throughout our company. Any team member who chooses to participate in the national “A Day Without A Woman” protest strike has our support.

Every day at Eataly, our pastai, or pastamakers, transform simple ingredients into intricate pasta shapes inspired by the rich traditions of every Italian region using simple high-quality ingredients: water, flour, and eggs.

Try your hands at making handmade spinach linguine at our complimentary tasting and class at Foodiversità, our free "food university" on March 17 at 1 and 6 p.m. with Education Manager Ryan Gormley.

Ryan will guide you step-by-step through the pasta-making process, from making fresh egg dough to forming linguine, a delicious long strand pasta. Before you leave, ask about the best regional recipes for various pasta shapes!

Foodiversità is located in the scenic northwest corner of the market, overlooking 1 World Trade Center. No registration is necessary; seating is first come, first served.

Can't make class? Check out Eataly Magazine's recipe for fresh egg pasta dough!

Buon appetito!

As spring approaches, we feel it's time for a change. While Manzo is being renovated and shelves rearranged, we decided to do something else we don’t normally do: prix-fixe menus at our restaurants!

From March 6 to 19, enjoy a two-course lunch for $23 with an optional $6 dessert supplement, three-course dinner for $29 with dessert included, and a selection of 10 of our favorite wines specially priced for under $50. Or, join us at La Piazza for a $75 feast!

LE VERDURE

At the vegetable-forward Le Verdure, our chefs use only the freshest and most seasonal ingredients to create filling meals with produce at center stage. For this special prix-fixe vegan menu, choose between:

ANTIPASTO
Smooth Fave e Pistacchio (puréed fava beans with grilled sourdough and pistachios)
-or-
Tangy Barbabietole Arrosto (roasted beets with winter citrus and bitter greens)

and

PRIMO
Warming Polenta Arrosto (roasted polenta with cauliflower, herbs, capers, and extra virgin olive oil)
-or-
Chunky Orzotto (pearl barley cooked in the style of risotto, with roasted butternut squash, Tuscan kale, sage, and almonds)

and

DOLCE
A scoop of smooth and fruity housemade sorbetto. Fun fact: Sorbetto and gelato are the only things frozen at Eataly!

Call (212) 229-2560 x 370 to book your table at Le Verdure today!

IL PESCE

If you have the mare on your mind, visit our seafood restaurant, Il Pesce, for an oceanic meal made with fresh fish sourced from our adjacent seafood market. Enjoy a choice of:

ANTIPASTO
Crisp Insalata alla Genovese (poached gulf shrimp with Yukon gold potatoes, romaine hearts, and basil pesto)
-or-
Colorful Insalata D’Orzo (orzo with broccoli rabe, Skuna Bay salmon, capers, and lemon)

and

PRIMO
Fresh Brodetto di Vongole (white wine-steamed cockles with fregola, Yukon gold potatoes, and pepperoncino in a light tomato broth)
-or-
Delicious Piadizza Napoletana (toasted piadina topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, anchovies, olives, and basil)

and

DOLCE
A scoop of smooth and fruity housemade sorbetto

Call (212) 229-2560 x 370 to book your table at Il Pesce today!

LA PIZZA & LA PASTA

At La Pizza & La Pasta, our chefs make perfectly al dente pasta with both fresh pasta made daily in-house, and air-dried and bronze-extruded dry pasta from Campania. Get your twirl on with a pasta tasting menu that includes:

ANTIPASTO
Pillowy Quadrati con Ricotta e Spinaci (ravioli with local ricotta, spinach, lemon butter, and pistachio)
-or-
Hearty Lumache con Salsiccia e Finocchio (lumache with sweet sausage, fennel, escarole, and Pecorino Romano)

and

Satisfying Penne con Pomodoro e Mozzarella (penne with tomato sauce, housemade mozzarella, and basil)
-or-
Classic Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe (spaghetti with black pepper, Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, and butter)

and

DOLCE
A beautiful slice of creamy tiramisu made in-house by our team of pastry chefs

Call (212) 229-2560 x 353 or visit Open Table to book your table at La Pizza & La Pasta today!

LA PIAZZA

For the social crowd, we're doing things a little differently at our bustling enoteca, La Piazza. For either lunch or dinner, you can enjoy a meal for the table with a bottle of wine included for only $75! Feast on:

ANTIPASTO AND PRIMO
Filling Grandissimo Piatto Misto (platter of eight salumi and eight cheeses)

and

Crispy Fritto Misto (seasonal vegetables fried in extra virgin olive oil)

with

Your choice of wine between 2015 Bastianich Chardonnay "Vini Orsone" 2015 or a 2014 Fontanafredda Barbera "Briccotondo"

Call (212) 229-2560 x 370 to book your table at La Piazza today!

WINE

And because no Italian meal is complete without wine, our sommeliers have curated their favorite wines to share with you for under $50. Enjoy a bottle with any prix-fixe meal for this limited-time pricing!

Buon appetito!

One of the most beautiful things about wine is its ability to transport you to a different time and place. Each bottle represents the terroir — the characteristic flavor imparted by the location a particular food or drink is produced — and the ever-changing weather of that particular year.

As such, Natural Wines are more connected to these variations. These wines are made without manipulation: On the vine, grapes grow unbothered, and in the cellar, the hand of the winemaker — who often shapes the wine to a personal or commercial style — is removed. There are no chemicals introduced to stabilize or preserve, and its natural sediment is left in the bottle.

The fermentation process begins spontaneously with the same yeasts that are present in the vineyard and cellar, instead of laboratory-created yeasts. This is significant, as these yeasts are specific to that year: they were present for the same weather and growing condition the grapes were, and carry the same marks of the vintage.

Because of all these intricacies, Natural Wines are prone to variation. Think of it as you would organic produce: If you were to take a vine of tomatoes grown in a small garden, they should all look and taste slightly different, indicating the honesty from which they were grown, right? But when a wine differs from the last bottle enjoyed, the variation is negatively referred to as a flaw! It is up to us — both drinkers and sellers — to change this perception and better appreciate these variations.

Our new selection of Natural Wines show off the best of these unique wines. Located in our temperature-controlled Riserva Room on the second floor, we ensure these wines have everything they need to remain fresh until you're ready to pour a glass.

Every Tuesday from 6-8 p.m., join us at Eataly Vino for a complimentary tasting of Natural Wines!

Salute!

Join us on Sunday, March 12, from 12-6 p.m. as we welcome local artisans and crafters to Eataly Chicago for Mercatino, our monthly craft market.

Mercatino, Italian for "market," is a place for local artisans and crafters to showcase their wares and share their passions with others. Just as we search carefully for the best products and producers to display on our shelves at Eataly, we have hand-selected each artisan for Mercatino. A selection of the city's best artisans will be stationed throughout the store displaying their innovative wares, from functional furniture to handmade jewelry. All artisans' wares will be available for purchase.

Read about all the artisans below, and join us on the second Sunday of every month to meet more local crafters! 

FEATURED ARTISANS ON MARCH 12

Demetrius Robinson, Savvy Settings Home
Founded in 2015, Savvy Settings Home is a collective home and lifestyle store owned by Chicago native Demetrius Robinson. They consistently fill their retail and online stores with elevated home goods made by emerging small makers from across the United States with a focus is on impeccable craftsmanship and timeless design. Find their retail location in Humboldt Park at 2419 West North Avenue.

Dana Larrabee, Altered States
Founded by Dana Larrabee, Altered States is a jewelry line specializing in custom "Mindfulness Bells." A Mindfulness Bell is a way to remind yourself to do something. For Dana, it is a daily (and sometimes hourly) reminder to be less in her head and more in touch with what is happening around her. Inquire about custom orders!

Mashallah Ghouleh, MASHALLAH

With an innate appreciation of beautiful things, Mashallah Ghouleh a Chicago based jewelry designer began her career in fashion, working in Chicago as a wardrobe stylist. After 8 years of dressing some of the city’s most influential people she began her journey of designing when friends, family, and strangers requested that Mashallah make them pieces of their own. With that, MASHALLAH jewelry was born.

Cecilia Romanucci & Moses Valdez, Selleria Veneta
Selleria Veneta offers a selection of hand-picked handbags and accessories made with unique and exclusive designs and materials. Each piece is handmade in Italy by the best craftsmen and designers, selected and brought back to U.S. by Selleria Veneta representatives. The overall mission of Selleria Veneta is to represent individual Italian hand-crafted leather brands.

Acutechic, Ruby Thomas
Acutechic, a boutique that works hard to change hearts and minds that fashion is about individual expression instead of following the trends, was founded by Ruby Thomas. They believe that shopping for the “look” rather than for the name brand can express the person you are within and who you are today.

Happy shopping!

Join us from 3-6 p.m. on Thursday, March 9, for a complimentary tasting of flavored teas by San Benedetto.

Italia del Gusto is a consortium of more than 30 Italian producers who share our value: bring the best of Italy to the world. From pasta to prosciutto to Prosecco, each high-quality product offers a taste of regional Italian tradition. The producers are both small-scale and well-known (who hasn't enjoyed a bowl of Barilla penne?), giving the family-run companies a chance to share their local culinary heritage, artisanal skills, and flavors with new audiences.

All month long, we are featuring these items in our marketplace with complimentary tastings! Learn more about Italia del Gusto.

Join us for a complimentary tasting of Guffanti Formaggi's artisanal aged cheese from the Italian Alps on Wednesday, March 8, from 3-6 p.m. 

For 140 years, Guffanti Formaggi's trade has been to know the places, the people, and the traditions of their home in the Alps, in order to select the best of the best of Italian cheese production.

Pillowy potato gnocchi are the perfect mildly flavored canvas for a tomato sauce with a hit of peperoncino. A typical Venetian dish, gnocchi are among the easier fresh pasta to make — and promise to impress your dining companions. 

Gnocchi al Pomodoro Piccante (Gnocchi with Spicy Tomato Sauce)
Recipe courtesy of Eataly

4 russet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
2 cups coarse sea salt, plus more for salting the pasta cooking water
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon fine sea salt, plus more for seasoning the sauce
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 (16-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.

Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the coarse salt in the bottom of a baking dish just large enough to hold the potatoes. Place the potatoes on the salt, then cover them with the remaining coarse salt. Bake in the preheated oven until easily pierced with a paring knife, about 40 minutes. Set aside to cool. (Discard the salt.)

Once the potatoes are coole nough to handle, peel them and mash them with a potato ricer. (You can use a fork; just be sure to crush them fairly thoroughly and not leave any large chunks.) On a work surface, spread the potatoes into a square about 10 by 10 inches.

In a bowl, combine 2 cups flour and the 1 tablespoon fine sea salt. Sprinkle the flour mixture evenly over the potatoes.

Knead the potato mixture (use a bench scraper to help you get started, if necessary), until the mixture is uniform and forms a soft, still slightly sticky dough. If the dough is too sticky, add the remaining 1 cup flour in small amounts, but the less flour you manage to add, the lighter your gnocchi will be.

With a knife, cut the dough into equal-size pieces roughly the size of an egg. Working one at a time, roll the pieces into ropes about 3/4 inch wide. Cut the ropes into 1-inch pieces.

Pick up one piece of the dough, roll it over the back of a fork, and let it drop onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. The resulting gnocchi should be slightly curved with grooves that will capture the sauce. Dust the gnocchi lightly with flour, and set aside.

Place the olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a saucepan, and cook over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant and just light brown. Add the tomato juices and the tomatoes to the pan, crushing them by hand. Season to taste with salt. Simmer the sauce until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the gnocchi. When the water is boiling, salt it, then add the gnocchi. Cook the gnocchi until they rise to the top of the water, about 1 minute. As they are finished cooking, remove them to a colander with a slotted spoon.

Spread a small amount of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a serving dish. Add the drained gnocchi, then spoon the remaining sauce on top. Toss to combine. Drizzle with a little olive oil, and serve immediately.

Buon appetito!

Want to taste our fresh pasta artisans' gnocchi first? Stop by our fresh pasta counters at your local Eataly!

We're all in love with food.

We love high-quality food and drink. We love the stories about them, the people who produce them, and the places they come from.

Every day, we celebrate all the ways we support each other (in and out of the kitchen). This weekend, we're sharing some of our favorite products made possible through beautiful collaboration at special prices — available to everyone, so you can fall in love with food, too!

From March 10 to 12, stop by Eataly Chicago to find special offers in our marketplace, including:

HOUSEMADE FOOD & DRINK

Fresh mozzarella for $2 ($2.80)
Classic rustic bread for $3 ($4.80)
Fresh tagliatelle pasta for $4/pound ($6.80/pound)
Small Eraclea hot chocolate for $2 ($3.80)
Small housemade gelato or sorbetto for $2 ($3.80)
Pasticcini for $1/each ($1.80/each)

RESTAURANT OFFERS

Tagliatelle della Nonna for $14 in La Pizza & La Pasta and Osteria di Eataly
Tagliatelle al Pesto for $14 in Il Pesce
Complimentary crostino with the purchase of any housemade beer in Birreria and Piazza San Marco

Tiramisù is a delicate medley of rich espresso, creamy mascarpone, and airy ladyfingers, all dusted to perfection in cocoa powder. One taste reminds us why the Italian name means “pick-me-up.”

The iconic dessert hails from northern Italy, though its origins are hazy. Veneto claims that it was invented in Treviso, a romantic city near Venezia; records show tiramisù also has ancient roots in the nearby region of Friuli. Today, nearly every Italian and her nonna believe they have the best version of the beloved dessert.

Discover more about the ancient roots of this Italian pick-me-up at our complimentary class at Foodiversità, our free "food university" on March 17 at 1 p.m. with our Lavazza caffeine crew.

Foodiversità is located in the scenic northwest corner of the market, overlooking 1 World Trade Center. No registration is necessary; seating is first come, first served.

Learn how we're celebrating this decadent dessert until March 19 with our Tiramisù Festival!

Buon appetito!

Like Julius Caesar’s Gaul, the territory of the old Venetian Republic is today divided into three parts: the regions of Trentino Alto-Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and the Veneto. Appropriately, in Caesar’s time these regions were part of Cisalpine Gaul, and the name Veneto derives from the name of the Celtic tribe who lived in the area.

Although Cisalpine Gaul became part of Roman Italy in 49 BC, it retained an otherness which, due to the Italian peninsula’s long history of division and unification only arriving in 1861, persists to this day.

Veneto is a region of dramatic differences. It starts high up in the mountains on the Austrian border then rolls down towards the Adriatic Sea, where it finishes with a final flourish in the city of Venezia, the bell tower of San Marco becoming the exclamation mark on the word ‘wow’!

Venetian dialect and its sub-dialects are as widely spoken as they were during the thousand years of the powerful Venetian Republic, known as La Serenissima (‘the most serene’), the memory of which is still very strong. The flag of the republic, a red banner bearing a golden lion, is still the official symbol of the region.

Modern Veneto is divided into seven provinces, each named after the provincial capital. These are Belluno, Padua (Padova in Italian), Rovigo, Treviso, Vicenza, Verona and Venice (Venezia). Each province has a distinctive character and, as we shall see, unique cuisines rich in dishes and local produce.

The final province of the Veneto is Venezia, dominated by the large lagoon and the city of Venezia itself. As you would expect, it has perhaps the richest tradition when it comes to food since the city of Venezia was once the capital of a large trading empire and one of the most prestigious cities in the whole of Europe.

Many of Venezia’s traditional dishes are fish-based. Bigoli in salsa (pasta in an anchovy sauce), risotto al nero di seppia (risotto cooked with cuttlefish ink) and sarde in saor (sardines preserved in a sweet and sour marinade) are amongst the most famous dishes from the province. Also very popular are moeche, small green crabs fished out of the lagoon in the spring which are cooked and eaten whole, shell included.

Ironically, for a region with a large coast, baccalà, dried fish from the north Atlantic, is very popular. In baccalà mantecato, it’s soaked, cooked in milk and then pounded with olive oil to make a kind of pâté, eaten with disks of white or yellow polenta.

Risi e bisi is a kind of risotto made from peas and pancetta. It has an almost mythical status and is said to have been served to the Doges of Venezia on the feast of Saint Mark (25 April) which is the National Day of Venezia. Pasta e fasioi is a winter warming dish consisting of a bean soup with small pieces of pasta in it.

Among the most famous Venetian desserts are fritoe, a kind of donut made during the carnival season and pinza, a pudding made from dried bread, milk, sugar and sultanas. Baicoli are a kind of thin biscuit, often eaten dipped in coffee with zabaglione or crema al mascarpone (cream cheese mixed with sugar, eggs, and rum). They are most famously made by the firm Colussi and sold all over the province in a distinctive yellow tin.

Mozzarella in carozza (deep fried mozzarella sandwiches) are a local speciality, with the best ones said to come from the Rosticceria Gislon in the centre of Venezia. However, aficionados will often go to Mestre, on the mainland, to eat these.

The city of Venezia is also famous for cichèti, small plates served in bacari, the city’s traditional wine bars. These have always been popular but have recently become a bit of a Venetian sub-culture, enjoyed by a new generation of Venetians as well as being increasingly appreciated outside the country.

Editor's note: This article by Luca Marchiori first appeared on Great Italian Chefs. Explore more cultural and culinary articles from some of Italy’s best chefs and writers!

At Eataly, we are celebrating Venezia all month long with regional food, drink, and cultural festivities (Carnevale, anyone?). Learn more!

Come visit us every Saturday and Sunday from 3-7 p.m. in our new olive oil section near La Piazza, to enjoy complimentary tastings of new harvest extra virgin olive oils!

Every fall, olives are harvested across Italy. This is a very delicate stage of olive oil production, as it is key to harvest at the fruit's perfect maturation phase as quickly as possible to maintain freshness before pressing.

Producers harvest the olives using a variety of methods, including raccattatura, waiting for the olives to fall when they’re at their peak ripeness; scrollatura, shaking the branches; pettinatura, combing the olives off with a small rake; and bacchiatura, knocking the olives down with poles.To protect the olives for the best resulting oil, hand picking is the safest technique. The olives are then quickly moved to the mill, where they should be cold pressed within hours.

Now, last year's harvest are now available to enjoy, and we will be here to guide you through a complimentary tasting of oils from the new harvest!

Join us every Friday from 4-7 p.m. for complimentary tastings of beer and cheese!

We all know that wine goes with cheese, but what about beer? Because of its refreshing carbonation and complex flavor, some cheese experts will argue that cheese pairs even better with beer. As a general rule, mild cheeses play nice with mild beers, rich cheeses pair well with strong beers, sharp blues can take on a heavy black stout, and fruity beers go well with most cheeses.

When doing a proper tasting, start by trying the cheese and beer separately, taking your time to fully enjoy the various notes in each bite and sip. Then, taste the two together, (smelling first before tasting, of course) and notice how their individual flavors work together. After that, try various combinations so you can discover your favorite pairing!

Vulto Creamery of Walton, New York, is recalling all lots of Ouleout, Miranda, Heinennellie, and Willowemoc soft wash-rind raw milk cheeses out of an abundance of caution due to testing result from the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA), which found Ouleout lot # 617 positive for Listeria monocytogenes and New York Department of Agriculture and Markets' finding the possible contamination of Ouleout lot #623.

If you purchased any of this soft, wash-rind raw-milk cheese, please do not consume it. If you have purchased any of these four cheeses, please dispose of it and return your receipt to our Guest Relations team for a refund.

If you have any questions about the cheese, please call Vulto Creamery at 607-222-3995 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST or email vultocreamery@gmail.com.

Chock full of seasonal produce, this tasty Tuscan soup is very dense; traditionalists say it should be eaten with a fork, not a spoon. As the flavors continue to blend, this comforting soup only gets tastier over a couple of days, making ribollita the perfect weekday dinner(s)!

Calling a soup made from scratch "ribollita" is a bit of a misnomer. The word means "reboiled," indicating a leftover soup thickened with day-old bread. This kind of dish is typical to la cucina povera, a traditional style of Italian cuisine that literally translates to "poor cooking." Cucina povera was developed by frugal Italian cooks who made the most with what they had. Centuries of transforming simple, readily-available ingredients into products that will last through a long winter resulted in iconic products like prosciutto; stretching a loaf of bread over a few days led to delicious dishes like this ribollita. 

Ribollita (Tuscan Vegetable Soup)
Recipe courtesy of Eataly

Yield: 8 servings

1 bunch Tuscan kale, cut into 2-inch ribbons
1 head savory cabbage, cut into 2-inch ribbons
1 bunch Swiss chard, cut into 2-inch ribbons
2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 cups canned whole peeled tomatoes
2 zucchini, diced
1 rib celery, diced
2 leeks (white parts only), sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 cups cooked cannellini beans, half pureed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
Leaves of 1 sprig thyme
Fine sea salt, to taste
1 to 2 cups (2-inch) cubes stale bread

Place the olive oil, leeks, and garlic in a large pot over low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the leeks and garlic are soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and celery, and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add the potatoes and zucchini and cook, stirring, until softened, about 8 more minutes. At this stage, add the kale, cabbage, and chard, and cook – always stirring! – until the greens are very soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the red pepper flakes.

Add the tomatoes and their juice, squeezing the tomatoes between your fingers to break them up. Add 2 quarts of water, the bay leaf, the thyme, and all of the beans. Season to taste with salt.

Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Add the bread cubes to the soup, and simmer until the bread is breaking apart and the soup is very thick, about 10 minutes. Let the soup rest off the heat for several minutes, and then ladle into warmed bowls. Drizzle a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil over each portion before serving.

Buon appetito!

For more cucina povera inspiration, read Chef Dan Barber's advice for those new to the pantry-foraging lifestyle here!