Etruscans didn`t always eat the same soup !

Spelt and Chickpeas spicy soup

After spending three days  researching the history of the use of spelt, chickpeas and lentils, Sunday, the day I was to hold a class for twenty eight American students finely arrived .All young ,enthusiastic ,and full of interest in the food and wine connected to Umbrian history. My lesson was about the use, by the Etruscans ,of some ingredients grown in these lands, old recipes and even country recipes handed down through generations. This was the second time that I had had the pleasure of working with students from the school of “ Culinary Institute of America”. On the first occasion I demonstrated  an old Etruscan recipe ,soup with chickpeas and chestnuts, but as I told the students, the Etruscans didn`t always eat  the same soup ! So this time the ingredients were Spelt and Chickpeas and then in addition to this soup ,the students and I prepared a few dishes using only local ingredients , such as Mazzafegato (a type of sausage), ricotta cheese made by Danilo and his son, pancetta. The end result was fantastic.

The location for  this course could not have been better. The cellars of the former convent of S. Giovanni  in Orvieto are excavated in the volcanic rock and date back to Etruscan times. After the cooking class the students were then given the opportunity to do some wine tasting . This was organized by Graziella an extremely nice lady and a professional sommelier ,she also runs  the Itinera cooperative in Orvieto with her business partner Lucia.

It was, all in all, a beautiful, successful day, and  not only a pleasure but also an  honor for me to be a  part of it ,so I would just like to say a special thank you to Professor Charles Garibaldi  for thinking of me and bringing me a beautiful T-shirt from the C.I.A chef school as a gift.  I shall wear it with pride.

Serve 4:
250 g spelt
150 g chickpeas -(Boiled and then divided in to: 100 grams of chickpeas blended. 50 grams intact. Set aside the cooking water (1 liter)-
250g tomatoes passata
100 g pancetta cut into small cubes
1/2 red onion finely chopped
celery finely chopped
1 carrot finely chopped
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
½  tsp chili Oil or ½ chopped fresh red chili  ,  Evo oil

How it works: In a saucepan, cook for a few minutes in Evo oil, chili oil(or fresh chili) carrot, celery, garlic, onion . When the vegetables are softened add the pancetta. Cook for another minute or until pancetta is lightly golden. Add  passata and blended chickpeas, cook for 10 minutes more. Combine the chickpeas water, spelt and 50 grams of chickpeas. Cook for 45 minutes.