Rucoolaaa’s Winter ‘Pappa al Pomodoro’

Ingredients:

• 300 g stale bread
• 600 g pumpkin
• Approximately 1 liter vegetable broth
• 240 g cannellini beans
• 5 fresh sage leaves
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 dried sweet Italian pepper (peperone crusco)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Spicy extra virgin olive oil (optional)

Method:

1. Roast the pumpkin in the oven at 200°C (400°F) for 30 minutes, cut into large chunks, with a drizzle of olive oil and the garlic cloves. Once soft, remove from the oven. Meanwhile, bring the vegetable broth to a boil.
2. In a large saucepan, sauté the finely chopped onion with a drizzle of olive oil and the peperone crusco cut into pieces. Add the roasted pumpkin, squeeze the roasted garlic directly into the pan, and mix well. Add a ladle of broth and mash the pumpkin roughly with a spoon.
3. Add the slices of stale bread, pour in enough broth to cover them, and let everything rest for 10 minutes with the heat off and the lid on. Turn the heat back on to low and stir to break up the bread and achieve a creamy consistency. Add more broth as needed to keep the mixture soft but not too liquid.
4. Finally, stir in the cannellini beans and sage leaves, adjust with salt and pepper, and let the mixture simmer for another 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Serve hot with a drizzle of spicy olive oil, if desired. Enjoy!

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