pasta e fagioli soup
This is from Recipes from the Night Kitchen, another great cookbook I got from the library. Sally Nirenberg opened a soup restaurant (the Night Kitchen, duh) in the early 80s in Brookline, MA, and then collected her recipes into this book. She tells little stories in the margins and has photos and drawings and I love it... I think I need to buy this one.
Anyway, this soup was delicious. Here are her margin notes:
There are many versions of Pasta e Fagioli, Italian Pasta and Beans. Southern Italians make it differently than Northern Italians, and Italians in America make it yet another way. This is the American-in-America version, a synthesis of them all. Feel free to experiment with different kinds of beans and different shapes of pasta, but don't leave out the rosemary, it is especially wonderful here. [I totally left out the rosemary... somehow we don't have any! I quadrupled the basil, though, using one of the pre-pesto cubes I froze in the ice-cube tray during basil season in the garden.]
And here's the recipe:
1 T olive or safflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed or finely chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and diced or sliced
1 c kidney or white cannellini beans [I used 1 can cannellini]
1/2 c tomato puree, or 1 tomato, chopped
10 c low-salt chicken stock [I used vegetable Better than Bullion]
1/2 c dry white wine [I skipped]
1 bay leaf
1 t dried rosemary or 1 T chopped fresh
1/4 t dried thyme, or 1 t chopped fresh
1/4 t dried basil, or 1 t chopped fresh
1/3 c orzo
1 T chopped fresh parsley
freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1. Heat oil over low flame in a 6-quart soup pot. Add onion, garlic, celery and carrots and cook, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Add beans, tomato, chicken stock, wine, and herbs, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, partially covered, for 2 hours. [I shortchanged this and it was fine]
3. Remove half the vegetables and place in a food processor or blender. Process briefly. [I just stuck the immersion blender in] Return to soup and bring to a boil.
4. Add orzo and parsley, and cook until orzo is done, about 20 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with cheese before serving.
Anyway, this soup was delicious. Here are her margin notes:
There are many versions of Pasta e Fagioli, Italian Pasta and Beans. Southern Italians make it differently than Northern Italians, and Italians in America make it yet another way. This is the American-in-America version, a synthesis of them all. Feel free to experiment with different kinds of beans and different shapes of pasta, but don't leave out the rosemary, it is especially wonderful here. [I totally left out the rosemary... somehow we don't have any! I quadrupled the basil, though, using one of the pre-pesto cubes I froze in the ice-cube tray during basil season in the garden.]
And here's the recipe:
1 T olive or safflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed or finely chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and diced or sliced
1 c kidney or white cannellini beans [I used 1 can cannellini]
1/2 c tomato puree, or 1 tomato, chopped
10 c low-salt chicken stock [I used vegetable Better than Bullion]
1/2 c dry white wine [I skipped]
1 bay leaf
1 t dried rosemary or 1 T chopped fresh
1/4 t dried thyme, or 1 t chopped fresh
1/4 t dried basil, or 1 t chopped fresh
1/3 c orzo
1 T chopped fresh parsley
freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1. Heat oil over low flame in a 6-quart soup pot. Add onion, garlic, celery and carrots and cook, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Add beans, tomato, chicken stock, wine, and herbs, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, partially covered, for 2 hours. [I shortchanged this and it was fine]
3. Remove half the vegetables and place in a food processor or blender. Process briefly. [I just stuck the immersion blender in] Return to soup and bring to a boil.
4. Add orzo and parsley, and cook until orzo is done, about 20 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with cheese before serving.
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