Italian Soffritto

Cut all vegetables to a uniform, fine dice: approximately 2-3mm cubes for soffritto, no larger than 5mm. Uniformity is key — if pieces vary in size, the smaller ones will burn before the larger ones soften. For onion: halve through the root, make horizontal and vertical cuts keeping the root intact, then slice across to produce a fine dice. For celery: strip off the tough outer strings with a peeler if the stalks are thick, then dice finely. For carrot: square off the rounded sides, cut into planks, then batons, then dice.

Add the olive oil to a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat. When the oil shimmers, add the diced onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring every 2-3 minutes, for 8-10 minutes until the onion is translucent and beginning to soften. Add the celery and carrot, stir to combine. Continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes, stirring every 3-4 minutes, maintaining gentle heat. If the pan sounds loud and active, lower the heat — soffritto should sizzle softly, not fry aggressively.

Taste the soffritto and adjust salt. It should taste mellow, sweet, and deeply savory without any single vegetable dominating. If it tastes sharp, it needs more cooking time. If it tastes flat, add a small pinch more salt and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat. Use immediately as the base for Bolognese, minestrone, risotto, or braised meats. Soffritto freezes beautifully in ice cube trays — a cube per portion makes weeknight cooking effortless.