Sagnette Abruzzesi, Chickpea, Kale And Saffron Soup
serves 6
To get the full benefit of saffron, soak the threads in a little hot water or broth or pound it to a powder so that it dissolves completely in soup inspired by Italy's Abruzzo region. Store parmesan rinds in the freezer.
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, flattened with the side of a knife blade
1 (8-ounce) bunch dinosaur kale, ends trimmed, shredded (substitute regular curly kale if dinosaur is not available)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1 generous pinch saffron threads (about 1/2 teaspoon), pounded to a powder
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, with liquid
6 to 7 cups best-quality commercial chicken or vegetable broth
1 or 2 rinds of parmesan
1 1/4 cups Sagnette Abruzzesi (or fettuccine broken into 2-inch pieces if you can’t find the sagnette)
Freshly grated parmesan for serving
prep: 10 minutes
total: 1 hour 10 minutes
Dutch oven
ladle
1. Put the 1/4 cup olive oil and the onion and garlic in a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot and place over medium-high heat. As soon as the garlic begins to sizzle a little, reduce the heat to medium and sauté the onion and garlic until the onion becomes soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.
2. Add the dinosaur kale and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cover the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the kale cook, stirring it from time to time, until it is completely wilted and has begun to soften, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Stir in the pounded saffron and the chickpeas with their liquid. Continue to stir for another minute or two, until the saffron has been completely incorporated. Raise the heat to medium and pour in 6 cups of broth. Season the soup with a generous grinding of pepper. Drop in the parmesan rinds. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook at a gentle simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil. Pour in the sagnette and cook at a simmer until they are al dente (reduce the heat once more to medium or medium-low to keep it from boiling too rapidly). This should take 10 to 15 minutes but will depend on the brand of pasta. Add a splash or two of broth if the soup seems too thick. Taste and add additional salt if necessary.
5. Remove the soup from the heat and let it sit for just a minute or two. Ladle the soup into shallow rimmed bowls. Drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle some grated cheese over each serving.
