Ribolita

While not your typical Ribolita, this was absolutely delicious and will satisfy both the meat eaters and the vegetarians in your life.
I made this without any meat tonight, and did not use the typical leafy vegetables that are usually used for this delicious twice heated soup. I used what I had, and what I had came from my own garden and that made it taste even better.
I started by cutting up an onion and a few cloves of garlic.
I added them into a stock pot with enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan and cooked the onions until they were  cooked to a clear color. I added the garlic, and then I added a huge zucchini that I had cut up into chunks, skin and all. This is where my recipe changes from a traditional Ribolita. I believe that Kale, Escarole, Spinach, Chard  and or other leafy greens would have been used. I just didn't have them!
I cooked the zucchini until they started to wilt and then I added some fresh cut up tomatoes from the garden.
I added enough vegetable stock to cover my cooking vegetables and seasoned the soup with salt, pepper, a pinch or red pepper flakes, and pinches of fresh rosemary, fresh thyme,  and fresh sage.
I added a can of Cannellini beans. I know, I cheated. I usually like to cook them, I just didn't plan this one out.
I always keep the "rind" from the parmesan cheese wrapped up in my freezer. I added a nice piece to the soup. It's going to add such nice flavor!
I brought it all to a boil, added a few chunks of day old stale bread and a few handfuls of Fregula.
Fregula is beautiful little round balls of pasta. You cook it like you would cook rice. It is delicious. I once had an argument with someone who insisted that it was a legume. Boy is that a story for another  another time! I just love google! haha!

 I covered the pot and let it all simmer for another 15 - 20 minutes.

Just before serving I added a little fresh chopped parsley and some grated parmesan cheese, and drizzled a little extra virgin olive oil on each serving. Yum!

I think I heard a moan from the table. It was that good!

I'm going to make this again, and the next time I make it there is going to be some pancetta and leafy veggies simmering in the pot!

Enjoy!

Buon Appetito!
xoxoxo
Lorraine

Pasta e fagioli

Here in New York we've had some very unusual weather for October! We had a snow storm that took us all by surprise.  With the snow coming so early, with trees still full of their leaves the weight of the snow created some havoc. Streets are closed with fallen limbs and some dancing live wires!
I am thankful that we are all safe and did not loose power.

Due to the storm and not being able to get around yesterday the cupboards were bare. I had to make do with what I had on hand.
Is there anything better than a hearty bowl of soup on a cold day? Because my supplies were limited I decided to make a nice big pot of Pasta e Fagioli. In an Italian kitchen there is always a bag of beans, pasta, and tomato sauce.
I started with an onion and a few cloves of garlic. I chopped them and added them to a large stock pot that was heating a tablespoon of olive oil.  I sliced 2 slices of thick cut bacon and added the bacon to the onions and garlic. I let everything cook together, making sure the bacon cooked.

Then I added the beans. I had soaked the beans in water over night to give them a head start. If you forgot to soak your beans it's ok, it will just take much longer to make your soup. If you didn't soak your beans plan on the soup cooking for a good 2 1/2 hours, maybe longer.  You can use a can of

Cannellini Beans if you want. I prefer not too,  but that is a personal choice.

After adding the beans I added 6 cups of water and a little tub of Knors Homestyle Chicken Stock. It added nice flavor! I added a bay leaf, salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of red pepper flakes. I brought  the broth to a boil and then covered the pot and let the beans simmer for 50 minutes.

I also like to add a piece of the "rind" from the grating cheese I use. I always save pieces of the "rind" or "skin" in my freezer and drop them into the dish that I am making.  After tasting the beans to make sure that they were tender I added a large can of crushed tomatoes. Bring the broth back to a boil and add your pasta. I like to use Ditalini for this dish.

I cooked the pasta for 8 minutes, and then turned off the heat.
Sprinkle the soup with a little fresh chopped parsley and some freshly grated parmesan cheese and you'll be enjoying a delicious tasting, hearty and satisfying soup.

Enjoy!
Buon Appetito
xoxoxo
Lorraine

Ham Bone and Bean Soup

I am a soup lover. If I could, I would have soup every day of the week. Chicken soup, beef soup, fish soup, vegetable soup, clear broth, creamy broth, tomato based broth, it doesn't matter...I love them all!
While living in Florida, in my very lean days I could make a chicken go a very long way! One pot of soup would feed me for the week.

Every Monday night, Aunt Rose would put on a pot of soup! Anyone who wanted to come to her house was always welcome, and every Monday there was Soup and a crowd ! After a weekend of over indulging she felt that soup was good food, and it helped clean your body out from all the crap you ate over the weekend!
To this day, it is a very rare Monday in my house where there is not a pot of soup cooking. My family knows that if it's Monday, it's a soup day!
It's Monday, so today we're Food Crawling with Beans and a Ham Bone! Now that's what I'm talking about!

I start making the soup with a trinity of carrots, celery and onions!  I like my vegetables on the chunky side. In a large pot I'll add the chopped vegetables to a little bit of olive oil and saute them for just a little bit. Maybe a minute or two. Then I'll add the beans. Goya makes a great bag of beans that has something like 18 different beans in it. I absolutely love the mixture of beans.

 Once the beans are in I add the ham bone. When ever we have a ham I save the bone. I always leave lots of meat on the bone. I'll make a bigger ham just so there is plenty of meat left on the bone. Who wants a stingy ham and bean soup!? lol We like big chunks of ham!

 I add enough water to the pot to cover the ham bone, and season with salt and pepper, two bay leaves and a tablespoon of McCormick Caribbean Jerk Seasoning. It's sweet and spicy and adds a little bit of heat.  Bring the soup to a boil and then cover the pot and let the soup simmer for at least an hour, more like two. When the meat falls off the bone, and the beans are tender the soup is done.

It's a meal, with nice big chunks of ham and delicious tender beans and vegetables that melt in your mouth!

Buon Appetito
xoxoxo
Lorraine