Fresh sheep’s-milk ricotta still warm from the dairy, artichokes so tender you can eat them raw, and tenerumi cooked into a soup—a Sicilian friend was listing the foods he missed the most in America. I couldn’t help him with the first two, but, I told him, I had just seen tenerumi in the farmers’ market. Tenerumi (also spelled tinirumi) are the leaves, buds, and vines of cucuzza, a pale green squash that can grow up to six feet long. The plants produce an abundance of vines, which are a nice addition to a simple soup that Sicilians make in the late summer. My friend gave me his recipe, and when I prepared it, my husband, who is 100-percent Sicilian, loved it. Look for tenerumi at produce stores in Italian neighborhoods, or grow cucuzza yourself. Spinach or dandelion greens are also good.
Serves 4 to 6
INGREDIENTS:
- 6 cups water
- 1 large bunch tender vines with leaves (tenerumi) from cucuzza or zucchini (about 1 pound)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 cups seeded and coarsely chopped tomatoes
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 ounces spaghetti, broken into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
- 6 large fresh basil leaves, shredded
- ½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano for serving
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large pot.
- Discard the tough squash vines and wash the leaves and tender vines. Chop them into bite-size pieces.
- In a large skillet, cook the finely chopped onion in the olive oil over medium heat until tender and golden, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in the finely chopped garlic, coarsely chopped tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the tomato juices have thickened.
- Add the chopped greens and salt to taste to the boiling water. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the greens are tender.
- Stir the tomato sauce and broken spaghetti into the pot with the greens. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pasta is tender. If the soup is too thick, add a little more water. Stir in the shredded basil.
- Serve the soup hot or at room temperature, sprinkled with freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese.
