Zuppa Arcidossina: spinach with ricotta

Zuppa Arcidossina

Ingredients 4 persons

Large splash of olive oil

2 medium-sized onions

800-900 grams fresh spinach

half a litre of good red wine

1 litre warm vegetable stock

2 large peeled tomatoes (or 1 can)

500 grams (sheep) ricotta

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or a little more)

nutmeg, salt and pepper

For the garnish

Coarse bread, toasted

Large soup pan

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1. Chop the 2 onions finely. Put the oil in the pan and heat it slowly. Add the onion and fry until translucent.

2. You can now roughly chop the fresh spinach. Peel the tomatoes (cut them crosswise at the 'nose' and immerse them in very hot water) or open the tin of peeled tomatoes and let them drain. You can also chop the tomatoes in advance.

3. When the onions are nicely golden/glazed you can add the sliced spinach. Do that in portions and let it shrink. When all the spinach has shrunk: stir well to allow it to fry. 4. Pour the red wine into the onions and spinach. Turn up the heat so that the wine comes to a slow boil. Let it simmer until most of the alcohol in the wine has evaporated. You can tell by hovering your nose over the pan. When you no longer feel a prickling in your nose, it is good. Keep about 20-30 minutes to be sure.

5. Now add the tomatoes, the stock, the crumbled ricotta, the cayenne pepper (if you like it spicy, you can add more than half a teaspoon), the nutmeg salt and pepper.

6. Let everything come to the boil again and then turn the heat down low, but make sure that the soup continues to simmer very gently for two hours.

7. You can now turn off the heat under the soup and heat it just before.

8. Toast coarse bread and put a piece diagonally in a soup bowl. Then pour soup over it and eat it nice and hot.

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Nice to know

Like many dishes in the area of Monte Amiata, this dates back to the Middle Ages. The peasants' diet then often consisted of cereals. In order to keep up the long days, more nutritious meals were necessary. In this soup, they all come together: vegetables, wine and ricotta, plus the bread on which it is served. A deliciously surprising and nutritious soup.