I first discovered torta al testo in a small Umbrian town years ago. Thin, soft, speckled with brown, it was addictively smoky in flavor, and totally satisfying. This delicious flatbread is cooked on a hot testo (a pan with a concave lid) in Umbria, hence its name. Torta al testo has been made in Umbria for thousands of years. Similar breads exist across central Italy, especially the Marches, where they go by other names.

Torta al testo can be eaten on its own, like any other bread, or wrapped around a sumptuous array of fillings: I especially love a dusting of freshly grated Pecorino and a thin slice or two of Prosciutto. I often serve it alongside a platter of antipasto offerings: preserved vegetables, marinated olives, sharp cheeses, salty salumi... try it for an informal get-together with friends and let me know how you like it.

Step 1

Gather the ingredients for the dough:

• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for the counter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda

Place the flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon. Gradually pour in ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon of warm water.

Step 2

Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough begins to come together. If the dough is wet, add a bit of flour; if it is dry, add a touch of water.When the dough is soft but not wet, and forms a rough mass around the spoon, it is ready to be kneaded.

Step 3

Turn out onto a counter and knead 5 minutes, or until a soft, smooth dough forms, sprinkling in additional water if the dough is dry or additional flour if it is sticky. Use a vigorous motion when kneading the dough to ensure that it becomes smooth and supple. Do not add too much flour as you knead, or the dough will become tough and will be difficult to roll out later. The dough should be soft but not sticky.

Step 4

Shape into a ball, dust lightly with flour, wrap, and let rest 30 minutes.

Step 5

On a very lightly floured counter, cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Let rest 15 minutes, covered with a towel.

Step 6

Roll out each piece into a 5-inch circle using a rolling pin. Prick each circle 3 times with a fork; this will prevent ballooning as the flatbreads cook. Arrange the dough circles on a very lightly floured tray in a single layer (try not to stack them, or they might stick together). Each dough circle will yield one torta al testo.

Step 7

Heat a griddle (or grill pan if you have one) to a high flame. Cook each torta al testo until golden-brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side, turning once. Enjoy the torta al testo hot, as an accompaniment to cheeses and cured meats, or wrap around a savory stuffing and fold in half. Store leftovers in freezer-safe plastic bags in the freezer up to 1 month, and defrost in a preheated 350 degree oven for 5 minutes, or until pliable.

Torta al testo can be served plain, or it can be stuffed with all manner of savory ingredients... I adore it stuffed with shaved truffled Pecorino (another famous Umbrian specialty) or shaved Parmigiano and thinly sliced Speck (not at all Umbrian, but amazingly delicious). Or you can try it with a sweet filling of fresh whole-milk Ricotta sweetened with sugar and flavored with ground cinnamon for a sweet treat. Makes 8

Lenticchie di Capodanno

New Year's Lentils

In Italy, lentils are standard offerings on New Year’s tables as a symbol of luck and prosperity (their round shape is thought to be reminiscent of coins) as well as the building block for a number of delicious winter soups. The soup below features tiny lentils from the town of Castelluccio in Umbria: their thin, delicate skin and sweet, nutty flavor (not to mention propensity for cooking up firm) makes them one of Italy's most prized legumes. Even though they are favored in Umbria on New Year's tables, you can enjoy these succulent lentils year-round.

• 2 cups Castelluccio lentils
• 10 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, minced
• 1 carrot, minced
• 1 celery stalk, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced thyme
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 large slices country bread
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Rinse the lentils, pick them over, and place in a 2 quart pot with the broth. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat 30 minutes, or until almost tender.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a 3-quart pot and add the onion, carrot, celery, parsley, and thyme. Cook 10 minutes over medium-high heat, then add the tomato paste.

Pour in the lentils and their broth, bring to a boil, and simmer, covered, 30 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked, adding a little more broth if needed to thin out the soup. Season with the salt.

Meanwhile, heat a grill pan over high heat for 5 minutes and toast the bread until lightly browned on both sides, turning once, about 2 minutes per side. Rub the bread lightly with the garlic.

Distribute the bread among eight bowls. Pour the soup over the bread and serve hot, drizzled with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkled with the pepper, passing the Pecorino at the table. Serves 8