Zuppa Pavese

This famous soup from Pavia is made with the simplest ingredients possible, and it is a true traditional peasant food delicacy. It is made by poaching eggs in beef or chicken broth over a bed of toasted bread, and the whole thing is then topped with a generous amount of grated parmesan cheese. According to legend, this nutritious soup was invented in the aftermath of the 1525 battle of Pavia. Tired and wounded, King Francis I of France found refuge in a local farmhouse after his defeat, where the lady of the house improvised a meal for her royal guest from what she had on hand, making a humble, yet delicious soup that is truly fit for a king.