Millecosedde

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup lentils,dry
  • 1/2 cup beans, cannellini
  • 1/2 cup beans, borlotti (cranberry
  • Beans)
  • 1/2 cup beans, fava
  • 1/2 cup beans, garbonzas
  • 1/2 ounce mushroom, porcini, dried
  • 1 lb cabbage savoy raw shredded
  • Cleaned
  • 2 whole onions,red — peeled
  • 2 stalks celery,raw,stalk
  • 4 quart cold water
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound pasta (spaghetti or Linguine)
  • Tsp olive oil
How to make the Millecosedde:
  • this serves about 12 as a light course the way an italian dinner would be served.
  • The dish is then dressed with fine extra virgin olive oil, a tsp.
  • Per individual serving, much as americans might put a pat of butter on their veggies.
  • With an italian bread and a salad it makes for ahealthy lunch or light supper meal.
  • The porcini makes the flavor very special.
  • Soak the lentils, beans and chick-peas in five different bowls of cold water overnight.
  • The next morning, soak the mushrooms in a bowl of lukewarm water for 30 minutes.
  • Rinse the beans, remove and discard the skins from the fava beans, and put all the beans in a large stockpot.
  • Slice the cabbage into 1/2-inch strips, coarsely chop the onions and celery, and add the vegetables to the pot.
  • Drain the mushrooms, making sure no sand is attached to the stems, and place the pot over medium heat.
  • When water reaches a boil, simmer for 1 hour.
  • When all the vegetables and legumes are almost cooked, add coarse salt to taste, then add the oil 4 tsp mixing very well.
  • When the soup reacxhes a boil again, add the pasta broken into thirds, and cook for 9 to 12 minutes depending on the brand.
  • As the pasta cooks, stir the mixture several times to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
  • Taste for salt and pepper.
  • When the pasta is cooked, even the least tender beans will be completely cooked and others will be pureed to form a quite thick minestra.
  • Remove the pot from the heat and let mixture rest for 10 minutes before serving.
  • Pour 1 teaspoon of olive oil over each serving.
  • In calabria this would be eaten at either room temperature or prepared in advance and reheated.

Serves 12

Regional recipe from Calabria