Tomato, Bread & Pastina Stew
Submitted by celliott
A rustic Italian stew where stale bread melts into garlicky Roma tomatoes, white wine, and fresh marjoram with tiny pastina stirred in at the end. Vegetarian comfort in 45 minutes.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
30 minREADY
45 minThis is cucina povera at its finest. Italian peasant cooking that turns the humblest pantry staples into something genuinely soul-warming.
Stale bread crumbles into a fragrant base of olive oil, eight cloves of crushed garlic, and soft onions, then simmers with chopped Roma tomatoes, dry white wine, and fresh marjoram until everything melds into a thick, saucy stew.
A handful of pastina goes in right at the end, just long enough to cook through and add body without turning to mush.
Serve it from a big tureen with grated cheese and a drizzle of your best olive oil on the side.
Chef Tips
- The bread should be genuinely stale and dry. Fresh bread will turn gummy. If yours is still soft, tear it up and toast it in the oven first.
- Don’t skimp on the garlic. Eight cloves sounds like a lot, but it mellows beautifully as it cooks low and slow with the onions.
- Use San Marzano canned tomatoes when fresh Romas aren’t in season. They break down beautifully.
- A splash of good finishing olive oil at the table makes all the difference here.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large, deep skillet over low heat, combine the olive oil, garlic and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent.
Roughly crumble the bread into ¼ inch pieces, add it to the skillet and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes, marjoram, salt, pepper, wine and water.
Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
Add the pastina and cook an additional 3 minutes.
When it’s time to serve dinner, pour the stew into a large covered serving dish or soup tureen and offer grated cheese and additional olive oil on the side.
Comments
