Thunder and Lightning Soup

⏳ Time

1 hour

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

There aren't many soups in Italian cuisine, and those that do exist often compete with pasta for the title of the first course on the table, usually losing to pasta. 'Thunder and Lightning' is one of those soups loved by Italians, featuring both beans and pasta, so there's no competition to be had. Don't think poorly of it; the name does not come from the effects that legumes can have on the stomach. On the contrary, it's a very nourishing and almost soothing dish. There's a version that suggests the recipe has Jewish roots, but Italians have long claimed it as their own, to the extent that 'Thunder and Lightning' is packaged in cans and sold for takeout, much like Campbell's in America.

Ingredients

Wheat Flour - 3.5 oz
Chicken Egg - 1 piece
Olive Oil - 5 fl oz
Onion - 1 head
Rosemary - 2 sprigs
Salt - 1 tablespoon
Canned Baby Beets - 14.1 oz
Chicken Broth - 1 qt

Step by Step guide

Step 1

In the mixing bowl, add the flour, crack in the egg, and knead the dough. It should be firm yet pliable.

Step 2

Gather the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Step 3

Roll out the dough on a floured surface as thinly as possible (ideally, it’s best to use a pasta machine). Cut it into irregular small triangles — this type of pasta is called maltagliati. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent the pasta from drying out.

Step 4

Finely chop the onion. Heat 50 ml of olive oil in a pan and sauté the onion with a sprig of rosemary until golden brown.

Step 5

Add the beans, season lightly with salt, and simmer everything together for 2 minutes.

Step 6

Transfer the beans to a saucepan, add the broth, bring to a boil, and simmer the soup for 15-20 minutes.

Step 7

Heat the remaining oil in a skillet and fry half of the pasta on both sides. Once it becomes golden and crispy like chips, transfer it from the skillet to a paper towel and sprinkle with a little salt.