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1
Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a pot or kettle.
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2
Put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in the bottom of a saucepan and turn the heat to medium.
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3
Chop the prosciutto (remove the fat if you must, but remember that it has flavor) into 1/4-inch or smaller cubes and add to the oil.
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4
Brown, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, while you prepare the garlic, onion, and greens.
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5
Peel the garlic and chop it roughly or leave it whole.
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6
Peel and chop the onion.
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7
Wash and chop the greens into bite-sized pieces.
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8
When the prosciutto has browned, add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to color, about 2 minutes.
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9
Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it becomes translucent, 2 or 3 minutes.
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10
Add the greens and stir, then add the boiling water.
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11
(You can prepare the dish in advance up to this point.
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12
Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days, then reheat before proceeding.)
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13
Stir in the pasta and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper; adjust the heat so the mixture simmers.
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14
When the pasta is done, taste and adjust the seasoning.
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15
Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and serve.
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16
The basic recipe, though delicious, is on the meager side, the kind of soup people make when times are hard or no ones been shopping lately: a small piece of meat, some common vegetables, a little pasta.
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17
But you can make it as elaborate as you like and even convert it to a stew by doubling the amount of meat, vegetables, and pasta.
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18
The chopping time will be extended slightly, but the cooking time will remain more or less the same.
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19
Add more root vegetables, like thinly sliced carrots or chopped celery, or diced potatoes or turnips.
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20
Vary the greens: Shredded cabbage is perfect for this soup and will cook as quickly as kale.
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21
Collard, mustard, and turnip greens are also appropriate.
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22
Some peas and/or corn will work nicely, too, even if they come from the freezer.
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23
Use any starch you like in place of the pasta: Rice and barley, each of which take a few minutes longer than pasta, are good choices.
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24
Add tomatoes, either fresh, canned, or paste, for color and flavor.
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25
To use tomato paste, just stir a couple of tablespoons into the sauteing vegetables before adding the water.
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26
Tomatoes should be added with the onions so they have time to break up.
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27
Leftovers are great, like a bit of chopped chicken or some vegetables from a previous meal (rinse them with boiling water if they were sauced).
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28
Consider the chopped-up rind of hard cheese, like Parmesan, which will not only soften enough to become edible during cooking but will add great flavor to the soup.
