Minestra di Broccoli e Arzilla
This is the dish that proves Romans are more devoted to culinary tradition than they are to religion. Even the most secular families tend to avoid meat on Fridays, especially in winter, when minestra di broccoli e arzilla makes its way to the table. It’s a brothy, warming soup that blends broccolo romanesco (that fractal, chartreuse cousin of cauliflower), skate, and broken spaghetti (sometimes breaking pasta is allowed) into something far greater than the sum of its parts. The fish is simmered into a delicate broth that’s later enriched with tomato and a hit of chile. If your fishmonger doesn’t have skate, go with monkfish or another firm white fish. If you can’t find romanesco, cauliflower will do in a pinch, but it won’t look nearly as dramatic.
13 ingredients
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 1 hr
Minestra di Broccoli e Arzilla
Ingredients (13)
Ingredients (13)
Instructions
Combine the skate (1 ½ lb), parsley (4 sprigs), celery (1 stalk), carrot (1), onion (1 medium), peppercorns (10 whole), and 6 cups of water in a large pot over high heat.
Bring to a rolling boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, skimming off any foam that rises to the top, until the skate flesh falls away from the bone easily, about 30 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the skate to a bowl.
Once cool enough to handle, pick the meat and discard the bones and any cartilage.
Pour the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl and add enough water to make 6 cups total. Discard the aromatics.
Wipe the pot clean. Add the olive oil (2 Tbsp) and garlic (1 clove) and cook over low heat until the garlic just starts to take on color, about 5 minutes.
Add the romanesco (1 head) and 0.25 cup of water and cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Add the skate, the broth, and the tomato sauce (¼ cup), season with salt, increase the heat to high, and bring to a rolling boil.
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