One of my all-time-favorite movies is “Moonstruck,” the 1987 romantic comedy starring Cher, Nicolas Cage, Olympia Dukakis, Danny Aielo and Vincent Gardenia.
The film, set in Brooklyn and New York City, just oozes a real feel of Italian culture, Italian food and most of all, family. You can almost smell the tomato paste.
One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when Olympia Dukakis, who plays Cher’s mother Rose, visits a neighborhood restaurant, The Grand Ticino, for a dinner alone. The Grand Ticino was a real restaurant, a favorite of screenwriter John Patrick Shanley, who won an Oscar for “Moonstruck.”
I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to eat here, along with my husband and parents, before it closed in 2001, a memory I cherish. The food and the atmosphere were classically Italian and wonderful. My dear father really did feel as if he had been transported to southern Italy.
In the film, Rose greets her favorite server (Bobo) and orders dinner: “A martini, no ice, two olives and a bowl of minestrone soup.” It would be my choice for a cold winter night, too.
It is said that there are as many versions of minestrone soup as there are cooks in Italy. There are summer recipes for the soup and winter ones. As we enter the deepest part of winter, I always think of homemade soup as the perfect heartwarming meal. There are usually lots of leftovers, and the soup is easily frozen for another night.
The recipe below is from the Ligurian region of Italy. I’ve made several adjustments, including adding canned tomatoes and beans to simplify it a bit. There are lots of ingredients but it is so good—and you can improvise.
Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped mushrooms (optional)
- 2 cups chicken, beef or vegetable broth
- 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 bunch Swiss chard, spinach or kale, stems removed and chopped (“bunches” vary, so about 2 cups)
- 3 potatoes. peeled and cut into small chunks (yellow golds are good)
- 2 cups diced vegetables of your choice (cabbage, squash, green beans, corn, eggplant, peas, zucchini or cauliflower)
- 2 cups chopped plum tomatoes (canned is fine)
- 2 cups canned beans, rinsed and drained (cannellini hold their shape well)
- Piece of Parmesan rind (really worth it)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ pound small pasta (I love ditalini)
- Grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- In a large saucepan or soup pot, over medium heat, cook the onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms (if using) in the olive oil, stirring frequently until tender and golden (about 10 minutes).
- Stir in the chard, spinach or kale, potatoes, chopped vegetables, tomatoes, beans and the cheese rind.
- Add the broth of your choice just to barely cover the vegetables. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to low. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook uncovered until the soup is thickened and the vegetables are soft (about 1½ hours). Add a little more broth if the soup becomes too thick.
- Add the pasta, stirring frequently until the pasta is tender (about 15 minutes).
- Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Serve in deep soup bowls and dust with lots of grated Parmesan cheese. The cheese rind can be removed, cut into pieces and eaten (really!).
- Serve with good crusty Italian bread dipped in olive oil (or splurge with butter).
It is fun trying different vegetables in this soup. Some regions of Italy substitute rice for the pasta, and you could try that. If you are a garlic fan, you could sauté some along with the onions, celery and carrots. Or you could add some chopped fresh herbs like thyme, oregano or basil.
Pasta note: Some cooks like to cook the pasta separately and add it to the soup when ready to serve. Pasta will absorb the broth as it sits and the soup can become very thick.
Some fresh fruit, like chilled pears, orange sections or crisp apple wedges, would round out the meal.
For me, Olympia Dukakis (Rose) had the right idea: An ice-cold gin martini, straight up with two olives—the best accompaniment to this hearty soup.
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