Italianized onion soup is lighter but satisfying

Everybody loves French onion soup, and with good reason. Caramelized onions swimming in a rich beef broth flavored with a splash of red wine or brandy and topped with broiled Gruyere cheese? Every warm, gooey mouthful lights up your taste buds like a pinball machine. It’s exactly what you want on a cold winter’s night.

But it is not light. In my quest to slim down this French classic, I turned to Italy. I caramelized the onions in olive oil rather than butter, swapped out the Gruyere in favor of Parmigiano-Reggiano (less fat and bigger flavor, so you can use less of it) and moved the croutons and cheese off the top to make room for a poached egg. Finally, I added some pancetta for flavor because we have to have at least a little fun.

I took much of my inspiration for this recipe from Cesare Casella, a brilliant Tuscan chef who used to hold court at Beppe, a wonderful restaurant within walking distance of my home in New York years ago, now long gone. I thought Mr. Casella’s soup greatly improved the French original. I especially like the addition of the egg. The yolk makes up for at least some of the richness lost when the Gruyere goes bye-bye.

But unlike Mr. Casella, I don’t have homemade beef stock just hanging around my kitchen, so I used chicken broth as the base. Once upon a time I couldn’t find store-bought beef broth that made the grade. Now Rachael Ray has come out with a good one. I recommend it.

If you’d like, you can get a jump on this recipe by poaching the eggs ahead of time. Just cool them off after you’re finished by transferring them with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water. Then store them in the refrigerator on a plate covered with plastic wrap until you’re ready to reheat them. All you need to do is submerge them in a pan of barely simmering water for a minute or two.

Traditional French onion soup is a rich first course. This Italian-style onion soup is a full meal in a bowl.

ITALIAN-STYLE ONION SOUP TOPPED WITH A POACHED EGG

Start to finish: 1½ hours (20 minutes active)

Servings: 4

2 ounces chopped pancetta

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 pounds yellow onions, thinly sliced

1 cup red wine

5 cups low-sodium beef or chicken broth

Kosher salt

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