Italian Soffritto

Soffritto (pronounced soh-FREE-toh) is the heart and soul of Italian cooking—a gently sautéed mixture of aromatic vegetables, typically onions, carrots, and celery, finely chopped and cooked slowly in olive oil or butter until soft, sweet, and golden. It's the base upon which countless Italian dishes are built, from velvety risottos and hearty ragùs to comforting soups and braised meats.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 20

Total Time 50

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

2 Onions Medium and finely chopped.
1 Carrot Finely Chopped.
1 Stalk Celery Chopped.
2 Tbl Butter Olive oil works also,

Method

Add the butter to a frying pan over a low-medium heat. Add the vegetables with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for around 15 to 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are very soft. Let them start to get color but not fully browned. The soffritto is now ready to be incorporated into your chosen recipe.

Notes

You can cook up large batches of soffritto, then freeze it into portions for future dishes to save time.