Preparation time: 1 hour
Expense: 4,50 Euros

It is said that acqua cotta soup dates back to the times when the Carbonari (coal makers) used to work in winter in Maremma. They were so poor that they lived in straw huts, built around their constantly lit bonfire on which a pot of boiling water was always present. Each piece of food they could snatch or obtain in exchange for coal was placed in the pot. It usually was garlic, onions and stale bread, but if things looked brighter it could also include tomatoes, celery and 1 or 2 eggs.
From this humble origin the acqua cotta soup became the more sophisticated version of our days, but the recipe has not lost its original simplicity. This soup provides for a number of almost infinite variations, the most tasty one includes dried mushrooms and spicy roasted sausage, but whatever the variant chosen is, the best way to enjoy this soup is in during a cold evening.

Ingredients:
- A swirl of olive oil
- 3 large onions
- 6 celery sticks
- A few of the celery leves
- 750 grams of tomatoes
- Salt and pepper
- 8 sliced of stale bread
- 4 eggs
- 200 grams of grated parmesan or pecorino cheese

Preparation:
Finely chop and cook over low heat in a little oil the 3 large onions, and the 6 diced celery stalks with their leaves, until golden.
United 750 g of peeled tomatoes, salt and pepper and let cook for 20 minutes. Pour everything in a pot of boiling salted water (1 liter) and keep boiling. Meanwhile roast or fry 8 slices of stale bread and put them at the bottom of a large enough pot. When the soup has assumed a good flavor (after about 30 minutes) pour it over the bread and set the pot on low heat. Open 4 eggs over the slow boiling soup, taking care that the yolks do not break and remain separate from one another.
Once the eggs are slightly hardened, sprinkle everything with abundant grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese and serve immediately. Buon appetito!

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