Zuppa alla Pavese

Pavese Soup is a traditional dish from Lombardy cuisine, simple yet rich in flavor. Here’s how to prepare it.

Ingredients

• 4 slices of homemade bread
• 4 fresh eggs
• 1 liter of clear and tasty meat broth
• 50 g of butter
• grated Parmesan cheese to taste
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Start by toasting the slices of homemade bread. You can toast them in the oven or on a non-stick pan until they are golden and crispy.
2. In the meantime, bring the meat broth to a boil.
3. When the bread is ready, place it at the bottom of heat-resistant wide bowls.
4. Pour the boiling broth over the bread until covered.
5. Carefully lay a raw egg on each slice of bread. Tradition has it that the egg is left whole so that the yolk remains soft.
6. Put the bowls back in the oven at 180 °C for a few minutes. Remove just as the egg white sets slightly.
7. When serving, add a knob of butter since it melts will give the soup an even richer taste.
8. Finish with grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to your liking.

The contrast between the hot broth and the just-cooked egg, along with the crispness of the toasted bread and the bold flavor of the Parmesan, makes this soup a comforting and nourishing dish, perfect for cold days.

Curiosity

It is said that Pavese Soup was born by chance when the King of France Francis I, after being defeated at the Battle of Pavia in 1525, was hosted in a local farmhouse. He asked for something to eat and was served this simple and restoring dish that he very much appreciated.