Sucialesta is a recovery dish from the Ravenna countryside: firm leftover polenta is cut into cubes and warmed in a dense bean soup, traditionally enriched with lardo, guanciale or other flavourful pork cuts.
The story behind the recipe
Its name is associated with the social, shared character of this popular dish. It transformed the previous day’s polenta into an inexpensive, substantial meal for people working the land.
Ingredients for 4 people
- 500 g soaked beans
- 100 g lardo, guanciale, ham end or pork rind, optional
- 2 garlic cloves, rosemary and bay
- Tomato concentrate
- 100 g cold cooked polenta, cut into cubes
- 1 litre vegetable stock, olive oil or lard, black pepper
Preparation
- Cook the soaked beans with garlic, bay and rosemary. Blend some and leave the rest whole.
- Brown the optional pork cuts with garlic in olive oil or lard. Add tomato concentrate and vegetable stock.
- Add the blended and whole beans and simmer to the desired density.
- Add the cubes of already cooked polenta only long enough to warm them through. Finish with black pepper and raw olive oil.
Taste it in Ravenna
The recipe belongs to the research of Andrea Rondinelli and Osteria dalla Zabariona. Seasonal availability can change: check today’s specials or the restaurant menu.
