(Ike DeLorenzo for The Boston Globe)
Serves 4
A hearty, old-fashioned dish designed to repurpose stale bread, stombauta is a meatless meal that’s filling and inexpensive to make. To turn this into a vegetarian version, use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
| Salt and pepper, to taste | |
| 1/2 | Savoy cabbage |
| 2 | tablespoons olive oil |
| 4 | stalks celery, chopped |
| 1 | medium onion, chopped |
| 1 | leek, coarsely chopped |
| 3 | cloves garlic, finely chopped |
| 1 | bunch fresh parsley, stemmed and chopped |
| 2 | cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed |
| 1 | can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, lightly crushed in a bowl |
| 1 | cup chicken stock |
| 2 | cups day-old crusty Italian bread cut into roughly 1-inch cubes |
| Extra olive oil (for sprinkling) | |
| 1 | bunch fresh basil, stemmed and chopped |
| Freshly grated Parmesan (for serving) |
2. In a large flameproof casserole over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the celery, onion, and leek. Cook, stirring often, for 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
3. Add the cabbage, parsley, beans, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
4. Stir in the tomatoes and 1/2 cup of the chicken stock. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the bread cubes with the remaining 1/2 cup stock and enough olive oil to coat it lightly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
6. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bread, stirring often, for 20 minutes or unitl it is dry and golden.
7. Add the bread a few pieces at a time to the bean mixture. Stir in the basil. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like. Ladle into bowls and serve with Parmesan. Ike DeLorenzo 
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.
