Crush a few cloves of garlic, chop them and saute in olive oil for a couple of minutes in a heavy casserole such as a dutch oven.
Chop a slice of prosciutto into small pieces and add. Saute for a bit longer.
Add finely chopped carrots, onions and celery. Many stores sell this already chopped and that saves a lot of work. Add a pinch of salt, a pinch of paprika, a pinch of dried oragano and a grind of fresh pepper. Saute for a few minutes until you see a brown crust forming on the bottom of the pan. Be careful not to burn. The crust adds great flavor.
Add water, white wine and chicken stock. Chop a head of Escarole and add.
Add some grated fresh parmigiana cheese.
Now simmer on low heat for about an hour. Stir occasionally. Add more liquid if necessary to make sure nothing burns. Towards the end of the simmering throw in a handful of coursely chopped onions.
Add a cup or Orzo, stir, switch onto very low heat. The Orzo will cook quickly. You're done when the Orzo is cooked.
Tech Notes:
As with all cooking, quality ingredients make a huge difference.
Use first cold pressed olive oil.
Use real imported Italian parmigiana cheese.
Optional: Add a can of Cannellini beans. Drain and rinse the beans first.
Optional: Add a few sliced mushrooms.
Content written and posted by Ken Abbott abbottsystems@gmail.com