Name: Zuppa di Lenticchie (Lentil Soup)
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 4 teaspoons finely chopped sage; 50 grams (⅓ cup) finely chopped carrot; 60 milliliters (¼ cup) olive oil; 100 grams (⅔ cup) finely chopped celery; Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper; 100 grams (⅔ cup) finely chopped red onion; 70 grams (½ cup) diced pancetta; Pinch of spezie forti, garam masala, or freshly ground nutmeg; Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving; 200 grams (7 ounces) lentils, picked over and washed (1¼ cups); 2 liters (8½ cups) vegetable stock or water; 350 grams (¾ pound) fresh or canned tomatoes peeled, seeded, and diced (2 cups); 10 grams (2 tablespoons) chopped garlic; 250 grams (9 ounces) Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-centimeter (3/16-inch) dice (2¼ cups)

Lentils are probably the oldest cultivated legume. Umbria is known for its fine, IGP-designated lentils, lenticchie di Castelluccio di Norcia, which are grown in the high plains in the Monte Sibillini National Park. Castelluccio lentils are small, fragrant, and varied in color from speckled green to light yellow to brown. Because of their fine skins, they do not require soaking before cooking. This soup is seasoned with spezie forti, a “butcher’s blend” of spices common to Umb