Soup of Fresh Greens and Alphabets

For some people, the gutsiness of escarole and curly endive can be hard to take in a salad, but cook them into a soup like this one and those same folks will fall in love. Those greens simmered in good broth with a little wine, tomato, pasta and chickpeas are pure Italian home food.

This was how my Italian grandmother got me to eat the greens I detested. They say I was a bright child, but I didn't catch on to what she was doing until I was well into my teens.

You could cook the soup a day ahead up to adding the pasta. When you want to serve it, bring it to a simmer 10 minutes ahead and cook in the pasta.

Ingredients

• 8 cups (double recipe) Cheater's Homemade Broth, or canned chicken broth

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• 1 cup whole canned tomatoes, crushed with your hands (do not use canned crushed tomatoes)

• 2 large garlic cloves, minced

• 1 medium to large onion, minced

• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• 2 large handfuls escarole or curly endive leaves, fine chopped (2-1/2 to 3 cups)

• 1/3 tight-packed cup fresh basil leaves, fine chopped

• 1/2 cup tiny pasta (alphabets, orzo or stars)

• Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

• 1 cup or more fresh-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Instructions

1. In a 6-quart pot combine the broth, wine, and tomatoes. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes. Add the garlic, onion, chickpeas, greens, and basil. Simmer partially covered 20 minutes.

2. Stir in the pasta and simmer, partially covered, 6 minutes or until pasta is tender. Taste soup for seasoning. Serve hot, passing the cheese to be sprinkled on the soup as its final seasoning.