A chickpea soup recipe for Day of the Dead

When “Giorno dei Morti,” or the Day of the Dead, comes around on Nov. 2, families in Piedmont, the wine region in northwest Italy, celebrate by eating a hearty zuppa di ceci. Yes, Day of the Dead is celebrated not only in Mexico, but in Italy. There, part of the tradition is to offer some of the soup to poor families, the elderly and the ill so that everyone can take part in the holiday.

Ristorante Cacciatori in Cartosio, a small hamlet in the hills outside Aqui Terme, an old Roman spa town in Piedmont close to Liguria, makes a wonderful version laced with ribbons of Swiss chard and enriched with pork riblets.

The recipe for this zuppa di ceci comes from the late Maria Milano, who first entered the kitchen at Ristorante Cacciatori in 1936. Her family has had the restaurant since the end of the 19th century, but records show that they have lived in Cartosio since the 16th century. Today the restaurant is run by Maria’s son, Giancarlo Milano, and her grandson Massimo, with Massimo’s wife, Federica, in the kitchen.

Maria Milano used to cook her zuppa di ceci on the wood-burning stove that stood next to the sturdy gas stove. Richly flavored with pork rind and pork riblets, plump gold chickpeas and ribbons of Swiss chard, it is a grandmotherly dish. It’s even better with a swirl of green-gold olive oil, preferably one from Liguria, where the oils are generally lighter than the more pungent, peppery Tuscan oils.

Serve this hearty soup with a Barbera d’Alba. The bright fruit and fresh acidity play are a delicious contrast to the earthy tastes of pork, legume and greens. Try one of Vietti’s single vineyard Barberas, Vigna Larigi from Elio Altare, or Sito Moresco from Angelo Gaja.

Ristorante Cacciatori is at via Moreno 30, Cartosio, Italy. Tel. 011–39–01–44–40123; fax 011–39–01–44–40524, www.cacciatoricartosio.com

CHICKPEA SOUP (Zuppa di Ceci)

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Note: For efficiency, chop the vegetables as the soaked chickpeas are coming to a boil. The white stems of the Swiss chard don’t get used in the soup, but they might be braised as a vegetable or go into a stuffing for ravioli or other vegetables. Serve the soup in wide bowls garnished with fragrant extra-virgin olive oil.

1 pound dried chickpeas

Pinch baking soda

1/4 cup olive oil plus extra for drizzling

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 large onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

1/2 celery stalk, finely chopped

Small handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

About 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary leaves

1 pound pork riblets, cut in 1-inch segments

1 (1/4-pound) piece pork skin (cotena) or 3 ounces pancetta, diced

1 large bunch Swiss chard, soaked, washed and white stems cut off at the base

1. Soak the chickpeas at least 8 hours in abundant cold water to which pinch of baking soda has been added.

2. Transfer the soaked chickpeas to a pot of tepid water and bring to boil.

3. Heat the olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat, add the garlic, onion, carrot and celery and saute until the onion browns, about 5 minutes, to make tritata. Add the parsley and rosemary toward the end of sauteeing.

4. When the chickpeas come to a boil, skim the foam off surface with a slotted spatula, reduce the heat to simmer and cook about 10 minutes. Add the tritata to the chickpeas, splashing a little cooking water into the skillet to make sure every bit can be scraped into the pot.

5. Meanwhile, slowly bring the pork riblets and pork skin to a boil in a separate pan of water to de-fat them slightly. When the meat comes to a boil, reduce the heat and gently simmer about 10 minutes, then add the meat to the soup pot. Leave the soup to simmer until the chickpeas are tender (depending on the freshness of chickpeas, this can take 1 to 2 1/2 hours).

6. Cut the chard leaves into fettuccine-wide ribbons. When the chickpeas are just tender, add the chard and cook 15 more minutes.

7. Serve warm with a drizzle of olive oil in each bowl added at the table.

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