Abruzzo is where I discovered that size does not matter. Where I most easily drop my shoulders. The place where I unplug and spend long moments hypnotized by the crackling fireplace, enjoying the silence, restoring importance to the little things. Abruzzo is the place where I have made some of my dearest friends. Traveling to Abruzzo as often as possible is a priority, especially on important occasions. One of these is my birthday, which falls on the day after Primo Maggio, Italian Labor Day, celebrated on May 1st. On this day, many restaurants in the L’Aquila province make a traditional dish with a fantastic name: Le Virtù.
Abruzzo’s peasant cuisine: agrarian tradition and frugality
Abruzzo has a rich culinary heritage. Its cuisine reflects the rugged landscape of the region. The mountains and coastline shape the recipes, which are simple yet purposeful. Every ingredient has a role. Nothing is wasted.
Le Virtù is the perfect example. It’s a soup typical of Teramo, but born thousands of years ago. Scholars have have found a link with this dish and “Virtutes”, a practice dating back to ancient Rome. On the first day of May in the Julian calendar (established by Julius Caesar in 46 BCE) farmers honored the earth by consuming the last of the winter grain supplies. The recipe is a true expression of frugality, humility, and agrarian tradition. My favorite restaurant in Abruzzo makes and serves Le Virtù exclusively on May 1st. The recipe is laborious, and the ingredient list long: all that work for just one day is virtuous dedication!
Recipe: how to make Le Virtù
This is my adaptation of the traditional recipe. You too can adjust it based on what’s available in your pantry. Prepare this hearty soup to invest time and effort, as Le Virtù is about care and patience. A big batch goes a long way.
Ingredients
Le Virtù assembles a collection of pantry staples, seasonal produce and dry legumes, which require an overnight soak. Doing this not only shortens the cooking time, provides a better tasting, wholesome result, but also reduces the pesky gassy characteristic of most pulse.
Legumes:
- 100g dried chickpeas
- 100g dried lentils
- 100g dried beans (an assortment of cannellini, borlotti, or fagioli del purgatorio)
Grains:
- 50g farro or buckwheat
Vegetables:
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 200g fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 200g fresh chard (stalks and leaves), roughly chopped
- 100g Savoy cabbage, roughly chopped
- 1 small zucchini, diced
- 1 handful fresh peas, shelled
- 1 handful of fresh fava beans, shelled
- 1 Tbsp. triple concentrated tomato paste
Herbs and Spices:
- Fresh rosemary (1 sprig)
- Fresh thyme (1 sprig)
- Fresh parsley (1 small bunch)
- Fresh marjoram (1 sprig)
- Fresh fennel pollen (1 small sprig)
- Fresh sage (2-3 leaves)
- Garlic (2 cloves)
- Nutmeg (¼ tsp)
- Chili flakes (½ tsp)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Pasta:
- 100g mixed dried pasta (spaghetti broken into small pieces)
- 50g pastina like risoni, orzo, quadrucci, or tubetti
- 50g water and flour maltagliati (irregularly shaped pasta “scraps”)
Meats and Fat:
- 150g guanciale, diced
- 100g lean ground beef, rolled into pea-sized mini-meatballs locally called “pallottine”
- 1 small piece of pork rind or lardo
- Extra virgin olive oil
Stock:
- 2 liters of chicken or vegetable stock
Preparation
Rinse the dried chickpeas, lentils, beans, farro, and barley under cold water. Soak them in separate bowls of cold water overnight. Discard the soaking water before cooking.
The next day, boil the legumes and grains separately in salted water until tender. Drain and set aside.
Heat a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the guanciale and cook until the fat renders. Add the tomato paste and pork rind or lard for extra flavor.
Add a glug of extra virgin olive oil to the meats and tip in the diced onion, celery, and carrots. Stir well and cook until the onion is translucent.
Add the diced zucchini, cabbage, fava beand and fresh peas, stirring to coat evenly.
Incorporate the cooked legumes and grains to the pot, stirring to combine.
Heat the stock separately with the herbs and bring to a gentle simmer. Pour into the pot, mix well and keep at a gentle simmer for about 10 minutes.
Keep cooking until the vegetables are tender, about 20-25 minutes. If the soup looks dry, add more heated stock.
Blanche and stir fry the spinach and chard in olive oil and garlic, then add those to the pot as well.
Brown the pallottine in 2 Tbsp. olive oil using the same pan employed for the greens. When the meat is no longer pink, add to the simmering pot.
Lastly, add the broken pasta to the pot. Since the pasta will release starch, be sure to stir often to prevent sticking. The soup should be chunky, if too dry add stock, not water, as this will dilute flavors.
Cook the pasta in the soup until al dente. This will probably take a little longer than what it says on the box.
Season with salt and pepper at the very end. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Le Virtù, like many hearty peasant dishes, needs to rest at least 30 minutes before serving.
After this time you can ladle the soup into earthenware bowls, topped with a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil, rustic bread on the side, and a good bottle of Trebbiano d’Abruzzo.
The essence of Le Virtù
Le Virtù is more than a recipe. It’s a celebration of spring and renewal. It’s a way to connect with the land, the seasons, and the people who preserve these traditions. When you make Le Virtù, you’re not just cooking. You’re participating in something greater.
Next time you visit Abruzzo, ask about Le Virtù. Maybe try it on May 1st, it might become a tradition of your own. Or make it at home and reflect on the beauty of using what you have to create something meaningful.
