popplers

I'm tired of being sick

I finally made it to the store. Bought DayQuil, NyQuil, Sudafed, and ingredients for soup. Chris made his variation on Marcella Hazan's pasta e fagioli. Italian soup is good eats.

Vegetarian Wedding Soup
Adapted from Marcella Hazan

Ingredients:

1/2 of a small onion
1/4 cup olive oil (we use extra virgin)
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2/3 cup Italian tomatoes (preferably chopped, but purée or crushed will do in a pinch)
1 can (19 oz.) cannellini beans (Chris is a Progresso snob)
4 cups (1 package) Trader Joe's Organic Vegetable Broth
1 head of escarole, washed and torn into pieces
Trader Joe's Meatless Meatballs (4-6 per person)
8 oz. dry pasta (mini penne or ditalini)
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan or Romano Cheese

1. Sauté onion in olive oil until it is pale gold.
2. Add the carrot and celery and sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes and their juice, turn the heat down to medium low, and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add the beans and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add the vegetable broth and pepper (to taste), then bring to a boil.
6. Add the pasta and cook until very firm/chewy, about 6 minutes (depending on the pasta). Add the meatballs when the pasta is almost done.
7. Turn off the heat and stir in the escarole. Cover pot with lid and let stand for 10 minutes.

Note: if you cook the pasta too much in the second-to-last step, it will be overdone by the time the soup is finished.