A classic Ribollita is a hearty bean and greens stew hailing from Florence, Italy.  The beans are cooked until tender along with carrots, celery and onions and then half are pureed to give a thick consistency to the stew itself. Crispy pancetta is added into the stew along with a diced potato, cooked cabbage, kale and Swiss chard.  With homemade chicken stock on hand, as well as garden-fresh kale and Swiss chard, this dish was a win-win.  Seeing that it is getting summer-like in terms of temperatures outside, I decided to add a bit more broth to the dish and serve it over whole grain pasta instead of serving it is a hearty stew.  The results were still hearty and flavorful, but lighter than a stew which was perfect for this time of year.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://www.emikodavies.com/blog/the-search-for-ribollita/)

Tagged: beans, beans and greens stew, carrots, celery, Emiko Davies, Florence, Florentine, greens, Italy, kale, onion, pancetta, pasta, soup, stew, Swiss chard, white beans