Homestyle vegetable soup

Remove the fibrous outer layer from the artichoke stems, broccoli stalks, and fennel tops. Coarsely chop them and boil until al dente in salted water with a celery stalk, a carrot, a small onion—all well-cleaned—and a chopped tomato. Continue cooking to obtain a light vegetable broth.

Prepare a sauce by sautéing a mixture of minced celery, carrot, onion, basil, and parsley with the tomato; season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

After the tomato has been cooking for four or five minutes, add the drained artichoke stems, broccoli stalks, and fennel scraps, followed by the fennel fronds, setting aside the vegetable broth and finishing the cooking process.

From the various pasta shapes you have at home, looking through already opened packages, gather 50–60 grams of spaghetti, a handful of penne, a nest of fettuccine or trenette, or even reginelle, bavette…

Place all the pasta in a kitchen towel and, using your hands or a weight (for example, a tomato tin), crush it coarsely.

Add the vegetable broth to the tomato sauce and, when it boils, add the pasta.

Once cooked, finish with cheese and a drizzle of raw olive oil.