Cook rice just before serving to get the consistency of soup you like: 1/4 cup of rice per quart of base for a lighter minestra, and up to 1/2 cup of rice for a hefty and hearty minestra.
Recipe information
Yield
for 1 quart, serving 3 to 4
Ingredients
4 cups Minestra Base (preceding recipe)
1/4 to 1/2 cup long-grain white rice
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation
Heat the base to a gentle boil; stir in rice and salt (more salt for more rice) and grinds of pepper. Return to a boil, stir, and cover tightly. Cook over low heat for 12 minutes or so, until the rice is tender. Add the pepper, and more salt if needed, and serve right away in warm bowls, with freshly grated cheese, extra-virgin olive oil, and other garnishes (see page 60).
From Lidia's Family table by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Copyright (c) 2004 by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Published by Knopf.
Lidia Bastianich hosts the hugely popular PBS show, "Lidia's Italian-American kitchen" and owns restaurants in New York City, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh. Also the author of Lidia's Italian Table and Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen, she lives in Douglaston, New York. Jay Jacob's journalism has appeared in many national magazines.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
