A recipe for Zuppa di Lattughe Ripiene (Stuffed Lettuce in Broth)! A mushroom ricotta mixture is rolled in lettuce leaves and served in a broth.
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Zuppa di Lattughe Ripiene (Stuffed Lettuce in Broth) is traditionally served during Easter in Genova, the capital of the Ligurian region of Italy.
“Pe Pasqua nu ghe cuxin-a ca nu fasse a laituga pin-a” is an old Genoese proverb meaning “For Easter, there’s no kitchen that doesn’t make stuffed lettuce”.
This version only contains mushrooms, ricotta, Parmesan, and egg. Veal and beef are also popular additions.
If you love mushrooms, then this is definitely a great recipe to try. I used baby bella mushrooms, but porcini would also be a nice choice.
This meal can be made vegetarian by substituting a quality vegetable broth for the meat broth.
Looking for more recipes with mushrooms?
Try my:
Zuppa di Lattughe Ripiene (Italian Mushroom-Stuffed Lettuce in Broth) Recipe
Adapted from Claudia Roden’s the Food of Italy
Zuppa di Lattughe Ripiene (Italian Mushroom-Stuffed Lettuce in Broth)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound mushrooms
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 3 tablespoons chopped marjoram
- 1 cup ricotta
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 2-3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 large head romaine or butter lettuce
- 4 cups meat broth
- 4 slices toasted bread optional
Instructions
- In a large pan, drizzle olive oil and heat over medium heat.
- In a food processor, finely chop mushrooms. Add to the heated pan and stir in the garlic and marjoram. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine ricotta, eggs, Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the mushrooms, garlic, and marjoram.
- Remove the outer leaves from the head of lettuce and toss. Separate the remaining leaves. Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the leaves until they soften, cooking for only about 10 seconds. Rinse and drain under cold water.
- Working with one leaf at a time, open carefully on work surface, end of the leaf facing you. Add a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center near your end of the leaf. Roll the leaf to cover the filling, tuck in the sides, and roll up to the thickest part, cutting off any excess that is too thick to roll. Repeat with remaining leaves until filling or leaves run out.
- In a large saucepan, cover the bottom with the mushroom-stuffed lettuce. In a large pot, bring the meat broth to a boil and gently pour over the stuffed lettuce. Simmer until the mushroom-stuffed lettuce is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- If using the toasted bread, place one slice in each soup bowl. Place the cooked rolls on the bread and add broth. Serve immediately.
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