Live to 100 Minestrone by Francesco Mattana

Serves 4

Ingredients

100g (3 1/2oz) dried borlotti (cranberry) beans

100g (3 1/2oz) dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

1 onion, roughly diced

2 celery sticks, chopped into 1cm (1/2 inch) cubes

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped into 1cm cubes

2 tablespoons extra

virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped

15g (1/2oz) basil

15g (1/2oz) parsley, finely chopped

3 large tomatoes, roughly chopped (or halved if using small tomatoes)

1 large potato, peeled and chopped into 2cm (3/4 inch) cubes

4 large Savoy cabbage leaves, tough stalks removed and roughly chopped

40g (1 1/2oz) pecorino, grated, or 4 tablespoons Pangrattato (page 239 and see below)

fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Method

The night before, wash the beans and chickpeas in cold water. Place them in a large

bowl and cover them with fresh cold water; they will expand as they soak, so make

sure the container is large enough and there is plenty of water. Cover the bowl and

leave them to soak for at least 12 hours (or longer – check the packet).

The next day, drain and then rinse the beans and chickpeas thoroughly with fresh

water.

Set aside.

Place a large casserole dish (Dutch oven) or ceramic pan over a medium heat.

Add the onion, celery, carrots and olive oil and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring

occasionally. Now add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for a further

2 minutes. Tear the basil leaves and stir them in along with the chopped parsley and

cook for another minute. Next, add the tomatoes and potato, give everything a stir

and cook for a further 2 minutes, or until the tomatoes are starting to soften.

Add the drained beans and chickpeas and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cover with

water and bring it to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat back to medium, cover

and cook for 1–1 1/2 hours, or until the beans and chickpeas are soft. If needed, top

up with water so that the vegetables are always submerged.

Once the beans and chickpeas are cooked, add the cabbage, cover and cook for a

final 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.

To serve, use a slotted ladle to divide the vegetables, beans and chickpeas equally

between serving bowls, then pour over the warm broth. Sprinkle with cheese or

pangrattato and drizzle over some olive oil.

Pangrattato (p239)

Makes 1 x 500g (1lb 2oz) jar

300g (10 1/2oz) leftover or stale bread, chopped into small chunks

2 tablespoons extra virgin

olive oil

30g (1oz) bunch of parsley, stalks discarded

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 sun-dried tomato

fine sea salt and freshly

ground black pepper

Method

Put the bread, olive oil and a generous pinch of salt and pepper into a large frying

pan over a medium-high heat and toast for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Transfer the toasted bread to a food processor and add the parsley, garlic, oregano

and sun-dried tomato. Blitz it all together until a rough breadcrumb has formed,

and you don’t see any large pieces of garlic, parsley or sun-dried tomato. Avoid

over-blending, as you want the pangrattato to have a rough texture. If you are

working with a small food processor, do this in batches.

Transfer the breadcrumb mixture back to the frying pan and continue to cook it

over a medium heat, stirring constantly until it is golden and brown all over. This

could take 10–15 minutes or more, depending on how stale your bread is.

Once the breadcrumbs are golden and lightly crispy, transfer them to a large baking

sheet, spread them out evenly and leave them to cool. Once cooled and fully dry,

transfer the breadcrumbs to a sterilised and well-dried jar (see page 15) with an

airtight seal and keep them in the refrigerator, or you can freeze them for months

and just take out as much as you need each time.

TOP TIPS

Bear in mind that the breadcrumbs will dry out completely while cooling, so don’t

overcook them as this will result in very dark breadcrumbs with a bitter aftertaste.

Make sure that the pangrattato is completely cool before storing it. Any residual

heat can create condensation in the jar that will develop bacteria and will lead

to spoilage.

If you want to keep pangrattato in the pantry, use only dried herbs (like dried

oregano, dried rosemary, etc.) and do not use any fresh ingredients (like garlic).

Fresh ingredients like garlic and fresh herbs contain moisture, which can cause

the breadcrumbs to spoil faster, leading to mould or bacterial growth

Images and text from ‘Eat Like A Sardinian’ by Francesco Mattana, photography by Dave Brown. Murdoch Books RRP $45.00.